New hire PCNA - Night shift hospital. Advice/feedback?

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Hello everyone! This is my first post here. I recently got hired and JUST started my orientation the other day, with NO prior experience under my belt. When I say NO experience, I literally mean NO experience. I've worked in retail for the past six years, so anything patient/medical related is brand new to me.

I'm going to be working third shift, 11-7, full-time on the Vascular Surgery Stepdown unit. I have not had clinicals yet, as I am just starting, but I was wondering if anyone had any insight on either this particular unit, or something similar in regards to expected duties, a tentative layout of how your night would go (though I understand that no night will be the same), and any advice you may have for me going forward.

I like to think of myself as an extremely personable individual, but I am rather shy and intimidated with my class considering how much experience the other PCNAs (patient care nursing assistant, NOT state-tested... at least me :p) have.

Is there anything I should expect going into clinicals, or anything I should be expected to DO without being prompted?

Any knowledge/personal experience you can share with me will be EXTREMELY helpful, I can assure you! Thank you so much in advance!

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You will be set up with another aid and they will teach you the ropes for so many weeks like 4 to 6 weeks :) Good luck to you.

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I was in the same boat as you in February when I got hired on to a VERY busy tele unit. Talk about being nervous! I had been a licensing administrator in the horse racing industry for seven years, and had never worked in the human medical field.

I was placed with a preceptor for four weeks, and I'm on a 90 day orientation period which ends this week!!! I'm not sure how your hospital or particular unit works, but we're (nights 7P-7A) responsible for Q4 vitals, glucose checks, bathing, pottying, stocking the rooms with fresh linens, assisting the nurses, turning our total care patients, and a good amount of other stuff... Day shift has to worry about feeding and doctors for the most part. It's really not difficult, it's just hard work. Especially when it's just you and the nurse pulling a 350 pound man up in his bed!

Good luck!

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Im a pcna at cleveland clinic as well 7pm-7am and im almost done with my second week orientation then ill go to the hospital. Im a little nervous about starting and making sure i dont make mistakes any advice from any pcnas ?

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Nights can be a lot smoother than days. On my unit 7p to 12am it's busy then it starts to slow down. How many patients will you have and what will be your duties?

Don't b nervous and that shyness will go away after all the private areas u are going to see lol. Good luck!

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As far as the how many patients i will have im not for sure possibly around10-18 the pcna i shadowed told me ill probably have the floor by myself (med surg) then ill be sometimes on another floor with stroke victims as well. Im not really shy just more so nervous about doing this itll be my first time caring for a patient and i know mistakes will happen im new but i want to go in there and know it !and dont get fierd because im nervous ! Should i do everything step by step in the book?? And im nervous about not doing something right possibly forgetting to do something😔I know i dont sound confident in myself but imnervous about starting thats all. I know once i get into it ill be fine i just need someone to talk to who felt how i felt

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*sometimes have the floor to myself *

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