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[heart3797]

Hi! I'm 16 years old and in a vocational program at my high school that introduces certain areas of the medical field. We learn about nursing, pharmacology, laboratory, orthopedics, etc. Between January - March we'll be have our STNA unit (state tested nursing assistant). We're doing our written/skills training and then clinicals at a nursing home. I know that it's still months away but I was just wondering what the experience is like. I know that I'll be bathing, wiping, feeding and dressing people. I don't get grossed out so I'm not worried about that, but I'm a little shy. I also volunteer at a hospital where I just fill water and give snacks or books to patients. Were you really nervous the first time about direct contact with patients? How was it?

[MargaretMuslima]

I was SO nervous! I had anxiety going through the roof.

But then I got there and I realized that I know how to do this and that I CAN and WILL do this.

After I had been doing clinicals for a few days the anxiety went away, my nervousness dissipated into thin air, I was excited for a new day of learning, and I realized that I discovered my passion for health care.

You do a lot of things in addition to cleaning behinds and sometimes you can get stressed out or aggravated with patients (and I found myself more aggravated with the staff than anything) but what surprised me is a lot of my patients in my LTC experience were very lucid and aware of their surroundings and they're amazing. They can be so funny, sweet, and at the same time it can hurt you that some of them have lost everything and nobody visits them. My experience in LTC was great, though it wasn't what I was looking for I will always cherish what I did experience there. My advice is just treat them with respect and listen to their stories, complaints, questions even if they have repeated it 40 times in the shift.

I had a patient that was very specific about her care and I was a doe-eyed newbie and I did it wrong and she CRIED. I was horrified but I didn't give up and after awhile she began to trust me and if I was working with a student who was having trouble with her care and specific routine she would say "just let Margaret do it". I just asked her each and everytime to stay patient with me that I am new but I am trying my best and I will get it perfectly one day. She ended up telling me that the best part of her day was me caring for her and that I gave the best showers! It was really rewarding after all my terror lol.

My experience was that in a lot of cases the students go by the book and it might absolutely outrage you that the CNA's might not do things the way you were taught but you have to keep in mind they don't have unlimited time they have to take SOME short cuts so they can manage their time and focus on the most important things. Remember to always ask about patient specific care (if they're a hoyer lift, 2 man assist, etc) you don't want to endanger a patient's safety just because you didn't want to bother a CNA. We'll get over our aggravation but we won't be able to get over a patient we love and care for getting injured.

I had a shy classmate and she did just fine. In fact, she was hired at the hospital immediately after graduation . Just be polite, try your best to communicate, and make the best of it!