New CNA (Evening)

[cnaperson]

Hey everyone,

I am quite nervous about my new job that I will be getting into and am not sure what to expect as I have not really worked as a CNA since the last time I've done by clinicals (from CNA school) and state test which was a few months ago.

People that I know who worked as a CNA for a few months told me about their experiences and that they decided to quit as it was not their field of interest and it kind of sets a bad mindset for me (although I will tell you, I will not allow it to discourage me until I actually experience the CNA setting myself) but in short, I am honestly overwhelmed by thinking and extremely nervous as to being looked down upon in the workplace because I am not as experienced as a CNA.

I've been doing my best to review most of the things I learned in CNA school as well as procedures of taking care (from the Pearson VUE handbook) but of course the things we learn from that may differ from real settings.

I was wondering if anyone had tips for someone as inexperienced as I am and what I should expect, maybe tips on how to better prepare myself for this new job I am taking on, or anything helpful at most.

I'm just really anxious and overwhelmed I think but. yeah.

[Missingyou, CNA]

In my opinion,

Set priorities. You will NOT have time to do everything. No matter how fast you run, you can't brush every mouth, change, reposition, get vitals, make beds, feed, dress & undress & dress again!, shower, toilet, toilet, toilet, transfer, bring to activities, catch someone from falling, redirect a confused resident, .........you just can't do it all, all the time! Keep in mind, when a CNA says at the end of their shift that they got it all done, they mean, everyone is clean and fed and nobody got hurt!

Get organized! The best way to do that right off the bat, before you learn about your residents and their routines, is to stuff your pockets with as many supplies as will fit. Trash bags, A&D ointment, denture tablets, etc.

Take 5 minutes or less at the start of the shift stocking the rooms with things you need. Towels, briefs, soaps, etc. to save you trips down the hall later. Every minute is valuable and little tasks like running to get trash bags adds up and costs you.

Get ahead if you can and NEVER save something to do later if you can get it done now....things happen and in a blink of an eye you are behind.

Most importantly: go easy on yourself. You will be overwhelmed & frustrated. You will feel incompetent & lost. It's likely that at least one of your co workers will be rude, unsupportive and impatient with you. They forget what it's like to have to learn a new routine and to get the hang of things.

Give yourself a good month to get a routine down and a good flow going. It's a tough job!!! It's hard work. You can do it if you look for the good instead of the negative.

[OliveOyl91, BSN, RN]

Speed comes with experience. The other aides may be flying by you and finishing their stuff before you, but you will get there. Don't be afraid to ask for help or advice.

Evenings are a good place to start. Days can be really rough on a new CNA and nights cam be either overwhelming or too low maintenace to really hone in on your skills. I did 2 years in LTC from 2-10pm. You only have one meal to serve and your ultimate goal for the night is to get every one to bed after dinner.