How long before you felt comfortable being a CNA?

blackandyellow · Mar 31, 2011

I think it took me a good six months to feel comfortable. I am still constantly learning new thing's as a CNA. My best advice is to prioritize your assignment and try to stick to it as much as possible with allowing room for interruption. If you are working with a partner I would try to get your two people transfers in as early as possible so you two are not looking for each other down the line. Who is a fall risk? Who sundowns? Those should be your priorities. You will learn tricks along the way to make the process go quicker but still get everything done. Make sure you are well organized. Do you have everything in the room so you don't have to leave it? Do you have everything you need right next to you clothes, washcloths, basins, creams, briefs, etc. It will get easier hang in there! And remember the most important thing is safety make sure beds are lowered, alarms work and are plugged in, side rails are up, and call lights are nearby.

UnbreakableOne · Mar 31, 2011

I have been a CNA for about 2 months and can say I feel pretty comfortable, but not 100% competent or anything. Week by week I gain experience and feel more confident. I guess it just depends on your workplace. I have 12-18 patients to care for depending on the day and if anyone calls off of work, so my workload changes which is sometimes added stress. I say by 3 months you should be feeling more comfortable it just depends on your workplace environment.

Dorali, BSN, LPN, RN · Mar 31, 2011

I'd say at about 3-6 months I started feeling like I could handle things alone. It took me a long time to get those muscles built up to where I was comfortable transferring people alone. Then a little longer before I felt like I was doing it right. (Proper body mechanics. Use your LEGS, not your BACK!!)

I still get that nervous feeling whenever we get a new resident that I've never helped before.

What probably takes the most time is learning what you're residents need ahead of time. Like the lady in room 3, she turns her light on and you already know she wants ice water. Or the one in room 8, wants her pain pill even though she had one 45 minutes ago. It's learning the routine of each resident that will help the most.

yousoldtheworld · Mar 31, 2011

Oh gosh...it took me months! Not the technical side of it (knowing what to do) and just more the confidence part of it. I tend to be pretty shy, so being assertive at work was really hard for me, I had a hard time being firm with difficult residents, bossy coworkers, etc. and as such, I was just really uncomfortable for a while.

Even when I start a new job now, I still feel a bit uncomfortable. I'll catch me second-guessing myself and feeling uncertain, and I'll have to remind myself that I do know what I'm doing.

So definitely give yourself some more time. You're not alone!

SnowbirdinFL · Apr 1, 2011

The previous posters are spot on with their advice. I just have one thing to say regarding feeling rushed. I would be thinking to myself "Do you want this done quickly or safely?" People that place TOO much emphasis on speed have the potential to have more incident reports (this is based on observation and unfortunately, personal experience). I refuse to allow others to rush me.

(gets off soapbox)

btw....it took me about six months to adjust

fuzzywuzzy, CNA · Apr 1, 2011

I agree with everyone else- 3 to 6 months, maybe more for you since you only work once a week. Don't rush when safety matters, but rush through everything else. If you catch yourself puttering around, start moving faster, but don't leave a room without checking that your "safety" bases are covered- alarms, low beds, call bell, floor pads, etc.

I used to work evenings and we would get all the residents up/toileted/walked and then have some downtime before supper was ready. I made it a point never to stand around during this time. I would get my beds ready and put all my supplies at the foot, and I mean *everything* I could think of, right down to plastic bags for laundry and trash. It saved a lot of time and gave me peace of mind so I wasn't feeling anxious and fumbling around later, because I noticed that when I was feeling rushed and anxious I would often come out of a room and be like, "uhhhhhh" and start panicking and then I would waste more time.

It also helps to have some tricks up your sleeve. We are not technically supposed to put people to bed in a brief, but I did it anyway until my last set of rounds because there was no way I'd have time to change a bunch of total beds. You can use lotion and a towel to clean urine off people's butts and thighs off after incontinence, and if you need to supervise someone who can feed themselves, bring your charting into the room. Part of HS care was lotioning feet and legs, and I would quickly do that to most of my people as I was getting them up during 1st rounds. Oral care can be done quickly (or wheel the person in front of the sink if they can do it themselves), right after supper, as you pick up the meal tray.

californication · Apr 1, 2011

Thank you! These were all really helpful.

soxgirl2008 · Apr 3, 2011

3-6 months for me too. Not so much the technical side of stuff, I know what to do and everything, just how to approach patients and transferring especially since I'm pretty small I was really nervous about that.

pca_85 · Apr 4, 2011

I would say three months to a year. It comes easier to individuals who have had children(feeding, bathing, etc.)If after a year there are still issues with finishing an assignment on time or finishing everything you have to do, it may very well be a problem with the facility and not you.