I just started at a LTC facility as a CNA. I must say, I really do enjoy the work, but since I just started, I'm being oriented and I have been working with other CNA's the past two days. I get this for a week and then I'm on my own.
I find it overwhelming that there are nine patients for every CNA. That's nine people that must be woken up, cleaned, dressed, bed made, room cleaned, in time for breakfast. We only have an hour to get them up, so that's about six minutes a person. Yesterday, my second day, I managed to get two people up on my own, because I like to take the time to talk with them and make them as comfortable as possible. Also, I only managed to get two fed (for the residents who cannot feed themselves at all), because I just couldn't bring myself to shovel the food down their throats like the other CNA's (I wouldn't want the food shoved in my mouth like that, so I wasn't going to do it with them. Plus I spent a lot of time talking to them, even though they couldn't respond back).
How am I ever going to get all of this stuff done quickly? Are there any tips? I don't know how to get nine patients up and give them the care that I want. Heck, I don't even know if I could manage it in that time frame if I rushed. What should I do? I feel very overwhelmed!
I'm not sure where all of this is going but I was taught as a CNA and also as an LPN that elderly residents should not get a full bath every day as their skin is too fragile. This is what I have observed in all the LTC facilities I have been in. I strongly believe that residents getting bed baths should get a thorough job with SOAP and water and that between baths they should be cleaned in their vulnerable areas with soap and water and moisturizer/creams should be applied. Residents in bed are more susceptible to infection and breakdown than residents that can get up so you have to be extra careful with their care. So there is no excuse for not doing it. If you can't find a basin, get a clean plastic bag and heat up some wet, soapy cloths in the microwave. But I really have never heard of giving residents baths that often.
folks who can be transported to the shower room normally don't get showered more than 2x/week for the reasons you state. As for bed baths, every one needs a partial bed bath daily at least. Actually, you need to inspect the skin top to bottom daily. I always washed my pt top to bottom daily, but held off on lots of soap on extremities, and did lots of moisturizing. It amounts to individual care and common sense. Some folks are prone to yeast infections, and you need to be really attentive; some are very prone to pressure sores, so gentle cleansing is a must. I used soap and water each time I changed a depends (every two hours).
I just started at a LTC facility as a CNA. I must say, I really do enjoy the work, but since I just started, I'm being oriented and I have been working with other CNA's the past two days. I get this for a week and then I'm on my own.
I find it overwhelming that there are nine patients for every CNA. That's nine people that must be woken up, cleaned, dressed, bed made, room cleaned, in time for breakfast. We only have an hour to get them up, so that's about six minutes a person. Yesterday, my second day, I managed to get two people up on my own, because I like to take the time to talk with them and make them as comfortable as possible. Also, I only managed to get two fed (for the residents who cannot feed themselves at all), because I just couldn't bring myself to shovel the food down their throats like the other CNA's (I wouldn't want the food shoved in my mouth like that, so I wasn't going to do it with them. Plus I spent a lot of time talking to them, even though they couldn't respond back).
How am I ever going to get all of this stuff done quickly? Are there any tips? I don't know how to get nine patients up and give them the care that I want. Heck, I don't even know if I could manage it in that time frame if I rushed. What should I do? I feel very overwhelmed!
I feel like we kind of got off the subject with all the talk about bedbaths. I think this could be a more useful thread if we keep with your original question which, I think, was on the lines of "How can I give all my residents the best care and still do it quickly?" Great question! I'm pretty much in the same spot as you. To keep from feeling overwhelmed, I try to keep a "Just do the next thing" attitude. It helps me from freaking out. I've only worked days a few times so far and I really feel for you. At our LTCF, everybody is expected to have a bedbath in the morning before you dress them for breakfast.
One tip, which you probably discovered a long time ago, is don't worry about the beds if you are getting them up. I went through this phase where I just HAD to remake their beds as soon as they were soiled. What a time waster that was! Now I just strip the beds and make them as soon as is feasibly possible. (Of course, if they are staying in bed, then that's a whole other matter. It's changed immediately then.)
I wish they would let us feed more than one resident at a time, but they tell me that it is now against government regulations. No wonder meals take so long at our LTCF.
I really love nurse aid work too, which surprised me because so many people actually tried to warn me away from it!
Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.
A forum is a place where people are free to state their opinions....right or wrong....and I certainly did not attack anyone. I am just saying what the expectation is in my building....and, in Massachusetts, it is NOT against any reg. to feed more than one resident at a time.
I feel like we kind of got off the subject with all the talk about bedbaths. I think this could be a more useful thread if we keep with your original question which, I think, was on the lines of "How can I give all my residents the best care and still do it quickly?" ~ Carolyn
I sort of like to meander from topic a bit: even a blind squirrel gets a nut from time to time...
A forum is a place where people are free to state their opinions....right or wrong....and I certainly did not attack anyone. I am just saying what the expectation is in my building....and, in Massachusetts, it is NOT against any reg. to feed more than one resident at a time.
I am glad you came down on the side of the squirrels. Not every one shares you enthusiasm. In fact, there appears to be a vicious anti-squirrel movement on our college campuses.
Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.
I am glad you came down on the side of the squirrels. Not every one shares you enthusiasm. In fact, there appears to be a vicious anti-squirrel movement on our college campuses.
You surely do like to meander...squirrels??? Their numbers are dwindling on Cape Cod as the number of coyotes goes up...good riddance. Nothing but big furry rodents! :smiley_ab
You surely do like to meander...squirrels??? Their numbers are dwindling on Cape Cod as the number of coyotes goes up...good riddance. Nothing but big furry rodents! :smiley_ab
Coyotes? How naive. My understanding is that Cap Cod community college is the slimy underbelly of anti-squirrel activism.
I don't know about the damp cloth. As a CNA I too was taught to give these long, detailed bed baths with nail soaking and back massage, lotion and the works, towels placed just so, drapes, etc. etc. But with practice I learned to do a good bed bath in about 10 minutes. Residents get sweaty, and kind of ripe if they're confined to a bed which promotes bacterial growth and you never know if some other CNA down the line is going to say, Oh, they get two baths this week, I'll just wipe him down. It's also a dignity thing. No one wants to lie around feeling stinky.
Don't want to criticize, just want to let you know that you can give a bed bath, just takes a little practice. :)
I have some questions about the bed bath ...I was shadowing/helping a CNA last Saturday at a LTC. There was a resident who was not really coherent (not sure what was /is wrong and did not ask) She was on gastro tube and oxygen and we actually had to lift her into a chair and shower her in the tub room ... I asked why this type of patient was being showered instead of full bed bath and the CNA said ...that takes too long ...WHAT T F???? This poor lady could have easily fallen ..we had her propped up on the side of the shower chair wheeling her down the hall ..the nurse was freaking out but did not stop us.
complete madness! also saw lots of food shoving and denying the uncooperative patient food ...is this what LTC is all about ??????? i better start saving my $$$$$$ so i don't end up there.
Specializes in LTC, home health, critical care, pulmonary nursing.
No, it's not what LTC is about. If you decide being a CNA is what you want to do, remember this: you will learn a lot of very valuable things from some wonderful CNAs. You will also learn a lot from the ones that suck. Your compassion and common sense will help you discern what is the right way to do things and the wrong way to do things.
No, it's not what LTC is about. If you decide being a CNA is what you want to do, remember this: you will learn a lot of very valuable things from some wonderful CNAs. You will also learn a lot from the ones that suck. Your compassion and common sense will help you discern what is the right way to do things and the wrong way to do things.
I just don't understand how many of the CNA's I saw during clinicals keep their jobs. There were MANY who were lazy and sat in the smoke room with the residents and were fixing each other's hair (not the residents' hair) while the CNA trainees did everything - not a good learning environment to me!
chadash
1,429 Posts
folks who can be transported to the shower room normally don't get showered more than 2x/week for the reasons you state. As for bed baths, every one needs a partial bed bath daily at least. Actually, you need to inspect the skin top to bottom daily. I always washed my pt top to bottom daily, but held off on lots of soap on extremities, and did lots of moisturizing. It amounts to individual care and common sense. Some folks are prone to yeast infections, and you need to be really attentive; some are very prone to pressure sores, so gentle cleansing is a must. I used soap and water each time I changed a depends (every two hours).