Got a job quickly, but very overwhelmed

luvnursing23 · Jan 17, 2009

Do not be overwhelmed by getting a job so soon. This you should be excited about. Only having a few days oientation as a new grad is not such a great thing. Ask your nurse manager or DON if you can have a longer orientation. You want to be in a place that practices safe nursing! Also ALF would not be a good thing for you. I work in ALF and you are not going to use skills. The most you would do is dressing changes and med. administration, then lots of office work. Try to stick it out where you are at and give it some more time. Dont forget to ask for a longer orientation! good luck:D

shaiko3 · Jan 17, 2009

They give 3 days normally for orientation. Because I am very new, they gave me 5. There are 60 residents in our unit, and they have only rotated me to 2 different halls so far. I just feel like I don't know enough to be responsible for my own hall on a shift. The CNAs I've been orientating with have told me I'll be fine, and to just ask for help and ask questions. I guess I'll just do my best. Thanks!!

fuzzywuzzy, CNA · Jan 17, 2009

I totally understand. I got a lot more orientation than you and I still felt nervous and unprepared. Orientation should teach you the facility's procedures (like how to chart and some of the rules and habits), and give you a general idea of how the routine goes. But speed, efficiency, and time management take longer, and you'll have to be on your own to perfect these. Getting to know the residents is a huge part of this, and it takes time.

No one expects you to be perfect right away! It helps to write everything down. There are also little time management tricks you'll learn. Keep safety issues at the top of your list (correct transfers, side rails, alarms, etc.) and remember not to dawdle with the rest, and you should be fine after a couple weeks of spazzing out, feeling inadequate, and waking up frequently throughout the night to freak out over things you may have forgotten to do!

sonomala · Jan 17, 2009

The other posters are right, you'll be fine. No one expects you to be perfect. Your coworkers are the best at knowing what you can handle after a few days if they say you can, you can. Good luck :)

FutureNurse23 · Jan 17, 2009

Oh how I remember when I was a very new CNA. I have been a CNA now since April but I'm now starting to work in a new LTC. Its always a little hard when you first start out. You dont know what to do or where to start. What I ask you to do is to just try to do as much as possible. I had one week of orientation and it was very confussing at first because of the person who was training me. It all depends on your training. If he or she allows you to interact with your residents. Once I had a different trainer. It only took me 1 day before everything started to come together. The only way you will learn is if you are allow to do the work. Make sure your trainer is allowing you to do it yourself. Wish you luck and take it day by day. Sooner than you know it you will be thinking to yourself wow this isnt all that bad as I thought.

rancelumsden · Jan 18, 2009

Just joining the chorus. If you can make it 3 months, you'll make it as long as you want to.

Things will just click one day. You'll find yourself going to work and not being stressed (other than knowing how demanding the job is). But you'll know formal procedures, where all the supplies are, how things work in the different halls, who the 'problem residents' are and more importantly, how to deal with them.

Unfortunately, you'll also learn who the 'problem coworkers' are and MAYBE know how to deal with them!

You'll walk into work early in Spring and find yourself PLANNING some things you want to do on the shift rather than worrying about just how you're going to get everything done.

The confidence will come. You just have to live through the misery right now........

azcna · Jan 20, 2009

I hope Sunday night went well for you!

At my first job I was *supposed* to be oriented for 5 days before being on my own. However, I was oriented for 4 days on one group, and then on my fifth day we were short so they put me on my own on a group I had never met before :down: I was a basket case. Thankfully, with the help of other aides, I got through it. I think a lot of LTCs don't care to much about how comfortable you are (even though they say they do). You just have to remember that you are new, you will be slower than the other aides at first, and don't be afraid to ask them for help!

shaiko3 · Jan 20, 2009

Well, things have not gotten better! I was on my own last night with 12 residents, on the toughest hall in our unit, with no help! There is absolutely no team work on our shift! I gave my notice today because I don't feel like I can give the proper care to these people and I'm not risking my certification because there is no help. There were people on my shift who would walk right past a ringing room on their cell phone and not check because "it wasn't their assignment", while I'm slammed with every light on my hall on! I'm not disgruntled with the work, just the place I'm at. There have got to be better facilities to work in, where people work together and make sure that the residents get the care they need and deserve! Thanks to you all for the words of encouragement!

fuzzywuzzy, CNA · Jan 20, 2009

Personally, I would not have given my notice so soon. Your first month is the hardest, and now you'll have to start over at another facility where you'll certainly run into more lazy, burnt-out people. There is no facility where absolutely everyone works together or cares about giving residents good care. I've been working at the same place for 6 months and I still answer all the lights when I'm working with people who have been there a lot longer. On the flip side, I've got a really good working relationship with the other newish CNAs because we do care about the residents and I made it a point to help them out and communicate with them right from the start.

If you have no help, you need to ask. Assertively. The other CNAs might be breaking you in. A lot of them stick with their little cliques and are not willing to work with you until you "prove yourself." They don't ask you for help all night, so they don't feel they "owe" you anything. Sometimes they avoid certain CNAs because helping them turns out to be a waste of time- the CNA is slow and doesn't know what they're doing, isn't ready, etc. Be prepared amd have everything all set up before you ask for help and say, "I will help you with this person if you help me with that one right afterwards" and that might get you better results. I'm not saying you don't already do those things, but it's something to keep in mind.

I'm not trying to be mean, just honest. Maybe this facility does suck and your next job will be a whole lot better. But you'll still have to deal with some of the same stuff and my advice would be to stick it out for a while, even if just to perfect your skills and get some experience so you can apply to a homecare agency where you can work independently and at a better pace.

sonomala · Jan 20, 2009

Well said Fuzzy Wuzzy

In healthcare esp cnas theres such a turnover that no one wants to waste time getting to know and training someone whose not going to stick it out. That sounds really mean but sadly its the reality. And its not just healthcare almost any job there are people who will test you out and make you prove yourself first.

I just started and I've had a bit of hazing like that, but every day I'm still there things get better. My advice for your next job is take on any task they throw at you with a yes I'll be happy too. Thats what I've done and while I'm a long way from perfect, I'm getting respect for putting it out there and trying. Remember being a cna is not for the weak.

philippians4:13 · Jan 20, 2009

Hi, my name is Deidre. I live and work in Ct as a CNA in homecare. I love my job but that hasnt always been the case. I use to work in LTC and moved around a lot between facilities untill I found out about homecare. I would not be a CNA today if it wasnt for homecare. I have seen a lot of abuse and neglect over the last twenty years infacilities. Some I have reported (and been thrown out once for doing so) I contacted the family before I left. Other times I would just quit. The nurses hands were tied. At times I was faced with neglecting residents myself and I knew I had to leave. There was just no way to provide quality care when the ratio was so high and the other aids were so busy with their long list that nobody could help you with lifts or transfers. It was a nightmare and I couldnt do it so I left this work for many years. Now that I have been working once again as a CNA I have in the short span of 6 months witnessed several cases of severe neglect. SO now what? Well, thats why I am writing. I am tired of the abuse and neglect going unchecked. Something needs to change. The ratio of residents to CNAs is a huge problem . I have contacted Senator Rob Kane about my concerns and what I have witnessed over the years and he , through his legal aid Kate O'Keefe , has put me in contact with Diane Smith RN from the Ct. Dept. of health. I am corresponding with her now and I am asking that if any CNAs or nurses have anything to share about this ratio problem and how it has affected you personally, I would love to hear about it and possibly share your story with Diane Smith. Something has to change. One day we could be the ones who end up in LTC and I fear by then it will be much worse. I will never forget the 92 year old lady who screamed in my ears and held on to me wth all her might cause she was afraid I would drop her on the floor. I wasnt even moving her but she had been dropped before. I knelt down on her bed till she let go of my hair and whispered reassurance to her. When she calmed down she looked in my face and said, "when I die I am putting in an order for pink fluffy wings for you." This is for you Margie. There is more that I can do about this than just offer temporary assurance. I want to see the patient to aid ratio changed. We have to speak up. You can remain anoymous if you like. I know the threat of losing your job is real and the last thing I want to do is cause any problems for health care workers. I have been learning a lot about the politics of health care and if anyone wants to give me a heads up as to why they think things are so bad I would appreciate that too . Thanks. Dee