I Need Advice/opinion!!!

Nursing Students CNA/MA

Published

Two situations.

Situation #1: I was taking my clinicals for becoming a CNA three weeks ago. One of the CNA was mentoring me and was also working with a new CNA in the facility. The girl who just started the job was helping my mentor with the hoyer (I think that is how you spell it) and asked, "does this side go up or is it the bottom?" My mentor said that the hoyer was on the opposite ends. A couple of hours later when we were assisting the residents to their rooms after dinner, my mentor told the nurse who was in charge of my class and I. I felt kind of bad that my mentor told on the other girl. She only asked if it was right or not, she did not do anything wrong..like lifting the resident already. I mean, come on! SHE ASKED! SHE DID NOT DO IT ALREADY!!! SHE ONLY ASKED IF SHE WAS DOING IT CORRECTLY!!! :crying2: I felt that I should had said something, but my instructor told me in class before going to the clinicals, "CNAs don't like you to correct them, especially if you're only a CNA student." :zzzzz They made a big deal out of this. I was so...irritated. I do not know what happened afterwards, but I sure did not like what they did. I hope she did not lose her job :crying2:

Is this wrong? Or am I just thinking too much? I thought I should ask this in case I ran into a situation like this later when I am in a facility myself. Whether I am the one to ask or be the one to answer.

Situation #2: I was on my second day of clinicals and had to bring one of the residents to either her room or the round table, where everyone is sitting and watching t.v. I asked her, because she has a choice, where she wanted to go, to her room or the round table. She looked at me and said, "What good does this do?" .....................................:zzzzz I was stunned and did not know what to say or do. I rolled her wheelchair to the round table and left. I kept thinking about what she said. Even after I am done with my clinicals, I am still bothered by this. I mean, I am a CNA now. I have to deal with these questions everyday and I do not know what to say to them when they ask me. Any suggestion on what I should have said? done?

Thank you :)

-Choua

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situation 1...ignore it. People are like this and most likely the nurse ignored it too. Sometimes things seem obvious to one person and not to another and this sounds like the situation in the case...don't worry about it.

Situation 2...Its something you get used to. Sometimes you go along with the odd questions and ask what they are talking about (what good does what do?), other times you now you will never get a straight answer and ignore it. Maybe ask your instructor for some tips on redirection. It all comes to you with experience and knowing your residents though. In the future, if you don't know where to push someone and can't get the pt to answer, don't be shy and ask someone who works there.

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#1 - chances are if she was told on for asking a question as a student nothing happened. I have found a few cnas with use redirection with higher ups. if they point the finger first, no one will be looking at them. A lot of cases not true. If this happens again, i would say something.

#2 - I always ask them what they mean and try to get them to talk about it. I help them weigh the options and if they appear to be depressed, i try to get them to socialize a bit. think about it a minute. These people have lost a lot to be there... (i am assuming you work in a nursing home type setting). Of course they are going to be sad at times. The best thing is to try to get them to talk about what is bothering them and point out the good qualities of life they have gained.

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Aww, thanks guys. I will keep these advices and apply them at work. hehe.

-Choua

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