new cna confused about serving food

[hizay]

Hi guys

I recently passed my CNA state exam. I got an on call position at a LTC near my house. I shadowed a nurse for two days and starting tomorrow i'm going to be on my own. I am scheduled to work at wednesday yet i still have alot of worries about how i am going to work in that facility. I have no worries about performing the skills i learned in school, such as repositioning or changing diapers. I'm more worried about how the system in that facilty works. I served trays while i was shadowing and the nurse had to tell me where each tray goes, because the note on the tray only has the person's name or room number. I can serve the trays to the room numbers no problem. Its when i have to serve trays to the residents in the dining room that i have the most trouble. Since i dont know any of the residents i constantly need nurses to help guide me to serve the tray to the right person.

Is there an easy way or system to know which tray belongs to who? or do I have to memorize every resident and keep asking nurses to help me?

[Double-Helix, BSN, RN]

The nursing home where I used to work had a seating chart for the residents that staff could refer to when seating a resident or serving a tray. If your dining room doesn't have assigned seating, you'll just have to get to know that faces and ask nurses and other CNAs for help. I think you'll be surprised how quicky you learn the faces. And it's really not a big deal to have to ask- the staff won't expect you to know everyone- so don't worry about it.