I am trying to spread the word for a great job opportunity for nursing students. It is a great way to make money, and get VERY good experience.
Because of the de-institutionalizing of MR/DD facilities, many states are in GREAT need for employees in MR/DD community living. Check for companies around you.
I work for a company that offers community living for adults with MR/DD, and a center for children. I am getting so much experience and am learning more than I am in my similiar position at a local hospital.
I work in regular homes in the community that are home to around 4 individuals with 1-2 staff there around the clock when they areb't in workshop. I am not a CNA, but I do so much more. I don't know the exact details, but because of the place in the system, we are trained and certified to legally do many things that CNAs cannot. In addition to the basic care cleaning, feeding, changing, we pass meds, and do g-tube feedings and med administration. Because we have small staff to client ratio, we learn the insides and out of each individual and all of their health concerns. It is such great experience. I absolutely love it. I know that working while in the program is frowned upon, but most people just have to work. Plus there is plenty of study time because once they are in bed you have free time after doing general side work tasks. If anyone is looking for a great way to get experience, I highly recommend this!
I never thought there was so much to MR/DD but I absolutely love it. I have been staff at around 7 houses and each individual is so great, and has so much to offer. I also have a house with very low functioning individuals and I just feel so good because I am helping someone have a better life. You put in a little love and you get so much in return! I have one client who is non verbal and completely immoble, but if I talk to him for about 20 minutes and rub his head, I can get a laugh or two out of him. I just love putting the time in to making these guys (and women!) feel loved!
I agree that it is a loophole!! We are technically "assisting" in medication management, however our residents have dementia and many must have their pills directly put into their mouth, or crushed and hidden in drinks/food. To me that goes beyond "assisting", but apparently it is legal for our type of facility. We also must do gluco checks even though we were never taught or certified on them. A lot of us just had to figgure them out on our own. Guess that doesnt matter in the states eyes either!! Let me tell ya, after seeing how some of these elderly facilities are run, I will think twice before ever placing a loved one anywhere but in my own home! It's pretty scary some of the people who passed that med certification class and now have the responsibility of handling some extremely important medications as well as narcs!!
That's just crazy to me being a BSN student. I couldn't imagine being able to pass meds especially narcs to dementia patients without some type of license! I bet there are alot of drug users/seekers who pursue this and then sell them or take it themselves. That's just opening up a can of worms offering non-licensed personnel to handle narcs.
We actually have had some problems with narc count being off, and the sad (and probably illegal) thing is, narc count is done by two CNA's. Some of our staff is not even CNA certified and they are allowed to take the med course and pass them. The LPN and RN very rarely even look at our counts, unless they are off by quite a bit. We also can make the decision whether the resident needs a PRN (Hydrocodone, Lorazepam, Alprazolam, ect). They even have LIQUID Lorazepam in our med cabinet and no one knows how to keep count of it!!!! Needless to say, I will have had some experience, however I think it is a very bad idea to have unlicensed caregivers handling such matters. They are too cheap to hire someone to pass the meds, and we are not allowed to opt out. If we do not take the class and pass, we get fired. Can't wait to get out of there!!
RNMom2010
454 Posts
I agree that it is a loophole!! We are technically "assisting" in medication management, however our residents have dementia and many must have their pills directly put into their mouth, or crushed and hidden in drinks/food. To me that goes beyond "assisting", but apparently it is legal for our type of facility. We also must do gluco checks even though we were never taught or certified on them. A lot of us just had to figgure them out on our own. Guess that doesnt matter in the states eyes either!! Let me tell ya, after seeing how some of these elderly facilities are run, I will think twice before ever placing a loved one anywhere but in my own home! It's pretty scary some of the people who passed that med certification class and now have the responsibility of handling some extremely important medications as well as narcs!!