issues at work new cna

Cherishann_225 · Sep 21, 2011

just try your best but they should've trained u before u actually started atlease for 7 days if not 2 wks of training but just learn everyting as much as you can becouse either way your helping someone an gaining experience it may not be just u it could be the Nursing home

Cherishann_225 · Sep 21, 2011

how many patients do u have?

Poi Dog · Sep 21, 2011

Chalk up your slowness to inexperience. I am a CNA and when I first started out, I was horribly slow. Getting your own routine takes a while. That's just the way it is. If you took the class back in '09, you've probably forgotten the skills, which is understandable. Cut yourself some slack.

No one is ever super CNA the first time around....except maybe in their mind

fuzzywuzzy, CNA · Sep 21, 2011

Poor thing... you're being way too hard on yourself. It's not easy for any new CNA- we all start off slow, have trouble with simple tasks (like putting briefs on) and feel like a thorn in everyone's side. Today was only your first day by yourself- it takes about a month to feel fairly comfortable. Right now you're overwhelmed, but in time the simpler things will click, and you'll start realizing new ways of managing your time and workload. IMO, CNA work takes a lot more common sense and creativity than people realize. Give yourself a break. It's normal to be really bad at first. I can't imagine having to deal with that on top of such a long commute and working a shift that doesn't agree with your body- that's a lot of adjustment!

eta: combative residents seem to be able to sense it when you're anxious, even if you don't think you're showing it. The best thing to do is walk away and save that person for later. If you're trying to deal with them while you're thinking of the zillion other things you need to get done, they tend to be worse. When you've gotten everything else out of the way, you feel more calm and can focus all your attention on them and they seem to be less difficult then. That's just what I noticed. Obviously sometimes you're not going to have a choice (like if they're climbing out of bed but don't want you to touch them, and you can't just leave them because they'll fall), but in those instances I just take a deep breath and think to myself that everything else can wait, and I try my hardest to relax. If all else fails there is usually something else you can do in the room- like paperwork or whatever. That way you can "ignore" the resident until they calm down, but you're still keeping an eye on them and you don't feel like you're totally wasting your time.

AJ_427 · Sep 22, 2011

First days (even weeks) are bad. If it makes you feel any better, I cried on my first night alone when they gave me 33(!) residents to take care of. I will never forget that.

I see "slow" CNA's frequently since my facility hires new ones all the time. With time they learn the routine, take short cuts (in a safe way!), get to know the residents and all that. Believe it or not, it does get better.

I started working 1 night and 2 afternoons per week. It took me months to get into the routine. If you are working full time and they put you on the same assignment instead of rotating you everywhere then you pick things up much faster. Don't give up yet!

allnurses Guide · Sep 27, 2011

I stunk hardcore when I first started.

Almost all your learning is trial-and-error.

That means you will make mistakes-- but you will learn from them.

Speed is nothing if there is no quality behind it.

You have to start slow.

Plenty of good nurses never had CNA experience and they succeeded in school.

Focus on you successes and learn from your mistakes.

Good luck.

Just the fact that you are concerned is a good sign :)

JollyGreenGiant · Sep 27, 2011

When I first started as a CNA I always was trying to rush through everything to finish. I felt pressure whenever I spent time in a room to get out because a call light could be going off and who else was going to answer it.

I got much faster the longer I worked but I also realized that I needed to relex while I'm in a patients room and not worry about whats going on outside the room I'm currently in. It's unavoidable, at times, that your going to be late for call lights and for certain unpredictable events that may happen while your in a room.

You just need to relax and do a great job while you doing something that is time consuming. There is always time to catch up later and usually there is someone to help you with the small things.

I found as I was able to relax and not worry about the unpredictable events of my night, my stress level went down and I did a really good job with my time consuming patient care tasks. Because these tasks are really what a patient remembers.

pumpkinking · Sep 28, 2011

We are ALL slow at first. Once you get to know the residents, it gets easier. Your skills will sharpen over time! Sadly, there are times when corners just have to get cut. When you've got a unit supervisor breathing down your neck to get all 13 patients down do the dining room by a certain time, it happens. Now briefs still must be changed no matter what, residents must be dressed and have hearing aides, dentures, glasses, etc, but there are times when teeth don't get brushed till lunch, beds don't get made to late morning, deodorant is out the window, briefs get left in the trashcans inside resident's room til after breakfast, and forget nail care. I'll do that when I give showers. The higher uppers treat us like we're working a cattle call.

ncsteph · Oct 12, 2011

Am also a new CNA and my first day went horrible in very single way. They put me in the floor on the third day from starting day. The other CNA were all mad I gave them extra task because I was so slow. I felt the tension and stares from everywhere, I was so close to crying. The pt. were even coaching me on how to get my tasks done however my nervous got the best of me. I flooded a bathroom while warming up the water for a bed bath!! also, because my cna skills are a lil rusty I had a lot of diffuculty transferring pt. from bed to wheelchair and etc. many of the other cna's got mad when I asked for their help when transfering mind you am a tiny 5'1 and 120. also the physical therapist told me "I only I have 10 min. to explain to you how to transfer pt.", this made me very nervous because a falling pt. is the worst. Oh how badly i want to give up but am also pursing a nursing career and if i cant handle this I dont know what to do. Tomorrow is my second day on the floor wish me luck because I will need it.

mar12011 · Oct 16, 2011

Oh teamojonj, I sooooooooooooooooooooooooo have been through so many of the EXACT same things as you, my :redbeathe goes out to you!! I have been working my first 3 mos. as a CNA at SNF working the subacute unit. I have felt like a failure on SO many occasions there because of mistakes I've made or things I've overlooked. But with 15-20 pts at times to tend to, and only 7.5 hrs to do ALL tasks, it is a wonder I have it blown it bigger as a newbie.

I am small like you, and turning/re-positioning most all pts has not been easy, I have had back aches a lot, even an injury now for 2 weeks from it. AND what cracked me up was reading what you wrote about putting the diapers on - that is something I have struggled with doing to spec since day one. It must seem odd to my co-workers since I am a 50 yr. old woman, but in all honesty I had NEVER in my life put a diaper on anyone before this job, not even a baby before. I did very little babysitting as a teen, the ones I did watch were not infants. I have never married and so never had kids, so no diaper changing there. I have worked 13 weeks now, and still I really want to perfect putting the dang things on straight!!!! ;0)

I have loved my job greatly, despite what I feel is a bit of gruff from some of the well-seasoned co-workers who forget what it was like to be a newbie. Yes, yes, yes I need to improve on my skills, and yes I need to become more proficient at keeping all the checks & balances evened out, BUT I believe that comes w/time & familiarity. It would help less confident ones like me (and possibly you) to be given some latitude, and even some pointers at how to improve instead of being made to feel like a subpar CNA. Again, most of the co-workers I have had are real nice, but it only takes a few to really make you feel like you are in the wrong profession.

Keep at it, do your best and try hard to not get discouraged, you are not alone in this!!