Officially beginning my path in Health Care!

ladeelovex3 · Jan 20, 2011

Congrats! I am beginning my path as well very soon. I hope you do well in your classes, and pass your State Boards. GOOD LUCK!

KareBear0609 · Jan 20, 2011

One thing that I can say is the class will teach you everything "by the book".. when you get out there and start working as a CNA, you will see that is hardly the case. There is NO WAY you could possibly do everything by the book for 16 total care residents in an 8 hour shift.. it just doesn't happen.

yousoldtheworld · Jan 20, 2011

Congrats!

And yeah, that's the big thing. Learn well in class for your test, but don't be shocked and appalled when you go to do your clinicals and the aides are rushing around, maybe dropping a dirty linen on the floor here and there, etc. You'll soon understand. :)

thenameismac · Jan 20, 2011

I am so excited to start and so happy for you as well. I start today and I couldn't be more nervous (and terrified). I just hope that we can both do well and come out as CNAs. Lol. Good Luck to you.

AzDeb · Jan 20, 2011

Congratulations and good luck in joining the world of CNA's!! I am a fairly new CNA and one of the posts about learning by the book and finding it different in the real world is SO true! You'll do great and you'll learn a lot in class. If you learn what's in the text book and practice your skills, you'll have no problem passing your state exam. I did learn one thing recently......working in a LTC facility was not for me. I became a CNA not for the paycheck but because I have a heart full of compassion and wanted to care for the elderly physically, emotionally.....every aspect. The facility I worked at was chaos! We had anywhere from 12 to 16 residents in an 8 hour shift and it was rush, rush. I've moved on to home health care where I can give one on one care and give everything I have to give to someone who is in the final chapter of their life. So really search your heart and you'll find your niche after you graduate and get your license.

Again, congratulations!!! Best wishes! :yeah:

Ev1987 · Jan 20, 2011

Congratulations, and remember to study, study, study for the course and state exams!

thenameismac · Jan 20, 2011

EV1987, you said to study, study and that's what I plan to do but I keep hearing and reading that it's all common sense blah blah blah. I am stressing because it's going to be so much reading. I like to read, take notes, and make sure that I understand by constantly quizzing myself. It's time consuming already but am I doing too much or do you think those who said it was super easy are just different types of learners? I would like to learn things by the book and I want to be the best CNA I can be and be well rounded so I don't want to just learn what's going to be on the state exam or whatever. I want to KNOW in the ins and outs of my job even if I won't need it.

Ev1987 · Jan 20, 2011

EV1987, you said to study, study and that's what I plan to do but I keep hearing and reading that it's all common sense blah blah blah. I am stressing because it's going to be so much reading. I like to read, take notes, and make sure that I understand by constantly quizzing myself. It's time consuming already but am I doing too much or do you think those who said it was super easy are just different types of learners? I would like to learn things by the book and I want to be the best CNA I can be and be well rounded so I don't want to just learn what's going to be on the state exam or whatever. I want to KNOW in the ins and outs of my job even if I won't need it.

Everybody has their own way of learning. Many steps to the cna skills are not basic common sense. You need to practice, train and study those skills. As a cna, you should know the resident's/patient's/client's rights. You should know HIPAA violations, and you should know basic nursing terminology abbreviations. These are reasons why nurse aide courses exist. My best advice to pass the written and skills exam is to... STUDY!

Queen Tiye, CNA · Jan 20, 2011

thank you for the advice and support . . . i'm all smiles right now. thanks for the forewarning about bracing myself for the reality of ltc as compared to classroom preparation.

this excitement is invigorating . . . i'm so hyped about the priviledge of caring for someone else, to possibly even be there at the end of their life.

a cna's role is so vital to these patients . . . i just don't understand how some states get away with paying so little for such a huge responsibility. :nurse:

yousoldtheworld · Jan 20, 2011

For me, the actual concepts WERE common sense and to be honest with you, I just skimmed over most of my reading (give me a break, I was working full time at the time, as well), but the steps you're required to learn are the part that can be tricky. While most of the steps aren't anything complex, you don't normally think about each step you take when you do something, so it can be kind of weird to have to remember to do something step by step, in the right order.

I just made index cards with the steps for each skill on them and memorized the steps that way. I also made a card with the basic resident rights, types of abuse, etc. To me, things like Hipaa only required one real read-through.

Not saying that's the ideal way, but I did get 100 percent on the written part of my test, so it worked for me. The main thing in my opinion is actually PRACTICING the skills. That was the challenge for me, because i get super nervous when I'm being watched doing things.

Only you know your learning style, though. There were several people in my class who failed the written test. People learn differently. If it makes you more comfortable to study a lot, then by all means, study a lot! You'll probably be more comfortable at test time.

thenameismac · Jan 21, 2011

Even though I'm the OP I would still like to thank those who responding to this thread, even thanks to the OP for starting it. Everyone is really supportive and encouraging and I am just as exciting to soon be a PCT/CNA whatever you call them...Lol. My first day yesterday wasn't too bad and I find that my reading pays off because I was able to follow along a bit better than most and the prof doesn't go over everything that's on the powerpoints. She says we have to read it in the book. I am just way too excited beyond words to begin this journey.