I am a PCA in a dementia unit working 11pm-7am. Throughout the night we do toileting rounds/brief checks, paperwork, cleaning, laundry, etc. At 5:00am we begin to wake our residents (we have 20 who need to be woken, 16 of them also need assistance dressing), we have until 6:30am, when first shift comes in we need to do report and assist with seating for 7am breakfast.
There are two of us and we cannot seem to have everyone ready in time. But I''ve been told in the past everyone has been ready in time, so obviously we are doing something too slow! I just want to have peace and happy staff when they arrive at 7am, instead of coworkers who seem unhappy that everyone is not ready. I think it is the fact that we are two new CNAs on 11-7 (both of us are fresh out of school).
Here is my routine: wake resident, assist resident to restroom, assist resident with sitting on toilet (all of our residents are mobile, most with walkers). As the resident sits on the toilet I remove their clothes, and brief. If it is a male resident I shave him while he is on the toilet. I then wash the resident (face, under arms, peri area), apply deoderant, then dress them (fresh brief, clothes, socks, shoes), brush their hair, then assist with brushing teeth. It takes me about 10 minutes/resident to complete this. Once they are ready I have to direct them (and often physically walk them to the sofa to wait for breakfast).
What can I do to speed this up? I also am a med tech and pass meds from 5:00-5:30, so reality is just one PCA is on the floor until 5:30, when I hop in and start to assist.
I am a very new PCA, I finished CNA school just over a month ago and this is my first job. Within three weeks of my new job they certified me as a med tech so I can handle the am meds.
