AriesPanda

Thank you so much! I appreciate your help! My first clinicals are in Family Health (I believe first clinical rotations are in a Nursing home, I'm a CNA, thank goodness I'll have a little clue as to what I am doing...I think...LOL)

I have a friend who cringes and cannot STAND the word "placenta"...so naturally we stick post-its in her belongings with the word "placenta" written on it..

Hi Sister & Brother Nursing Students! I just rec'd my acceptance letter for Fall 2011 Clinicals. What information from A&P and Microbiology will I reference most frequently? I plan to spend the next few months really brushing up on my knowledge. My first thought is hormones and glands, I figure they are very important to know... What else? Thank you! Aries

You might feel that way, and I might feel that way (if we were celebrities - we'd probably both be the friendly kind)! But for the nurse who asks for the photo she is lacking professionalism. If you have ever been to a restaurant in NYC it is usually a "headshot" photo donated by the celebrity (and often signed), not an actual picture of them eating or drinking in the restaurant, so there is usually a difference betwwn a candid and a headshot in a restaurant.

I agree. An acquaintence of mine is a professional photographer who volunteers her time and production skills as a postmortem (or terminal) infant photographer. She provides her services and is "on call" with a local maternity ward. She has taken pictures of terminal (too premature/ill/etc) newborns, as well as stillborn baby photos for the families to keep a picture. She does this from a place of good, as she lost a baby at birth and wished desperately to have more than a lock of hair and a memory of the baby, so now she provides this service completely free. There are plenty of resources on this - it is absolutely NOT the same thing as posing with a celebrity so you can brag to your friends. It can serve as a tool to benefit the patient/grieving family to have a special picture to remember their loved one, this is/can be, a coping and healing tool. There is nothing unprofessional about gently offering this service to a grieving mother who may want to remember her lost baby. http://www.newsweek.com/2009/01/30/family-portraits.html

I agree completely, I think professionalism is the most valuable asset anyone can project at work. I've been to taverns that have pictures of celebrities who drink/eat there...never a hospital. It is just in poor taste to do so.

GREAT ADVICE! After my first week as a CNA I was cornered by a colleague who yelled about another coworker infront of residents. I wrote it in my journal. I have 4-5 pages in my journal with stars on them which identify it as a work-related entry. I use this journal mostly as "gratitude" diary, but since I keep it dated and write in it daily-weekly, I was told document everything that is a concern for future reference. You will find a lot of managers buffer administrators from everything negative. It is amazing - a manager/supervisor may be harsh, even having stated to others they have the worst staff...yet to admnistrator that same manager/supervisor will speak as though they have perfect staff with not a trouble in the world --- in order to make their managerial skills look stellar.

Hang in there and gut it out. I am a new CNA and nursing student. The #1 thing I've learned (after very similiar experiences as you - including a timesheet error my first pay!)..nursing staff eat their own... They're testing you and trying you...the longer you stay and keep plugging away the better...hang in there...when someone equally (or more) 'green' than you comes along they'll have new prey...then promise yourself to be a supportive nurse and colleague.

Great scenario discussion, thank you.

I realize this thread is from 2006, but find it incredibly helpful! I am interested in finding both an educational/research journal and a more student-oriented journal. Thank you!

HI All! Thank you so much for all the replies! I spoke with the LPN in charge of my department. She did explain they used to start waking at4:00am, but state law restricts it to 5am. Only recently (within the past two months) did they begin to wake at 5am. We are expected to have everyone finished by 6:30am. I pass meds, and can usually get 4-6 people ready in that time. We have a handful of people with meds, and a handful who get treatments (creams), realistically going quickly I can get meds/treatments completed within 30-40 minutes (assuming I adhere to all the rules pertaining to med pass, which I do). The LPN said she didn't expect us to completely finish with everyone, but they do expect 16 of them ready by 6:30am (of those 16, 12 are full assist with dressing, 4 are self-dressing). Once she broke it down for me it seems far more reasonable that we can meet that expectation. I think one of the replies mentioned someone will always complain on the next shift...I think that is more the reality of what I am seeing, some people just cannot be satisified! Thank you all!

This is my first CNA/PCA job, and I have nothing to compare it to except CNA clinicals (during which I cared for no more than 3 residents at a time...pure luxury! I had time to take residents for "walks" and talk to them extensively, etc.). I don't know if my current situation is how every facility runs, or if it is just this facility; I have nothing to compare it to. I have an LPN friend who wants me to apply for a position in her Dementia unit as a CNA, I would be reporting to her, she tells me her facility is nothing like the facility I am currently in, but I just don't know what to think. My current facility has outstanding state and Dept. of Welfare ratings (by outstanding, I mean Perfect - Deficiency free). I have never been one to back down from hard work or high stress situations, but something about this situation is bothering me tremendously.

Hi, thank you replying. I really appreciate your help. Thank you for sharing your experience. One thing the PCA I work with taught me was to lay out clothing during our q2h rounds, the other thing we do is add soap to the washclothes and lay them beside the sink, along with a drying towel for each resident so we have quick access for washing. If we do not make beds or brush teeth the LPN who comes on duty will document that it was not done (they do spot checks to make sure the toothbrushes are wet). The AM shift is always mad at us for not having everyone up and ready at the table. It is miserable, and the only thing I do not like about my job; the HR rep has told me she has heard positive reviews for me, but the daily frustration from AM shift is upsetting for me. They remind us every time that everyone used to be done, or only two residents were left unready. I do have to pass the 5am meds (but there are only 5 residents who recieve 5am's, the rest wait until 7am). I expected a little bit of competition between shifts, as I am aware that is not uncommon in shift work, but this is frustrating, I just dont see how we can adequately meet the expectations. Reading your reply was oddly reassuring. I could skip washing residents, but that isn't fair to them, and I couldn't live with my own conscious. One detail I was given regardin the issue, they used to get residents ready starting at 4am, and now pushed back to 5am. I also rotate in the Assisted Living section of our facility, there are 3xs as many residents, but only 5 that require am care, it usually takes 90 minutes just to get them ready. Although our Demensia unit residents are able bodied, they are in need of direct care for dressing, if we leave them alone to dress, they will not dress.

Hi! I am doing the same thing, I am pre-clinical, but working as a CNA/PCA. I am obsessed with infection control, but also find rings annoying. I am getting a small wedding symbol tattoo on my ring finger. I have nurse friends who have noticable tattoos, but in clinicals they will ask you to cover it with a band-aid. (Although, I personally question the value of a band aid worn on a finger to hide a simple tattoo, versus infection control...hmmmm.) Coincidentally (and to my own benefit) I have several friends who work in H.R. at hospitals, having asked themm about tattoos, they said rarely does it play into their decisions (unless it is obviously offensive). The common response I get when asking is, "The current climate does not find tattoos offensive, and one would be hard pressed to find new graduates who do not have tattoos, noticeable or otherwise." (When you get your tattoo please post a picture!)

Hi! I am a Nursing student, and also a CNA/PCA in a Dementia unit. I have faced Alzheimer's in my own family, but realize my own experience is limited and deals with a text book case of Alzheimers. After working in a Dementia unit for a few weeks I realize Dementia and Alzheimer's affect different people in different ways. What Dementia/Alzheimer's books do you recommend? I am interested in both informative books, biographies/family experiences, etc. (I would also appreciate a book written from the experience of a Nurse or CNA who worked/works in Dementia care). I have to also admit, I love my job so much more than I expected and want to be knowledgable on the subject. I am not even clear on the difference between Dementia and Alzheimers. Thank you, Aries

Hi All! I am a PCA in a dementia unit working 11pm-7am. Throughout the night we do toileting rounds/brief checks, paperwork, cleaning, laundry, etc. At 5:00am we begin to wake our residents (we have 20 who need to be woken, 16 of them also need assistance dressing), we have until 6:30am, when first shift comes in we need to do report and assist with seating for 7am breakfast. There are two of us and we cannot seem to have everyone ready in time. But I''ve been told in the past everyone has been ready in time, so obviously we are doing something too slow! I just want to have peace and happy staff when they arrive at 7am, instead of coworkers who seem unhappy that everyone is not ready. I think it is the fact that we are two new CNAs on 11-7 (both of us are fresh out of school). Here is my routine: wake resident, assist resident to restroom, assist resident with sitting on toilet (all of our residents are mobile, most with walkers). As the resident sits on the toilet I remove their clothes, and brief. If it is a male resident I shave him while he is on the toilet. I then wash the resident (face, under arms, peri area), apply deoderant, then dress them (fresh brief, clothes, socks, shoes), brush their hair, then assist with brushing teeth. It takes me about 10 minutes/resident to complete this. Once they are ready I have to direct them (and often physically walk them to the sofa to wait for breakfast). What can I do to speed this up? I also am a med tech and pass meds from 5:00-5:30, so reality is just one PCA is on the floor until 5:30, when I hop in and start to assist. I am a very new PCA, I finished CNA school just over a month ago and this is my first job. Within three weeks of my new job they certified me as a med tech so I can handle the am meds. Thanks all! I really appreciate your help. Aries

Hi! I am a CNA working as a PCA as well. You've brought up a very good question I had not thought of, that a CNA must work (at least where I live) for 8 hours/year as a CNA to stay in good standing on the state registry, as well as 12 hours of continuing education/year (which can be done online, etc.). I will ask my HR department how exactly that works!!? I had not thought about that 8 hours of work as a CNA, I have no idea if working as a PCA will translate to the state equally. I work in an Assisted Living and Dementia Unit, but we also have a skilled care facility. I know our H.R. department will have an answer, once I find an answer this question I'll get back to you!

Thanks for your input! Yes, the room is private, and the patient is in the hospital. The first day (or two) that she was in the hospital her room at the LTC facility was cleaned thoroughly by staff and the windows were all left wide opened (the weather here is no higher then 50 degrees)...the next day the door was closed and the sign was posted. (The patient remains in the hospital.) I would think if it was just to keep her personal belongings safe it would have been handled like every other hospitalized patients room - the door would be locked and just housekeeping would enter to clean. My guess is something like c. diff which requires sporicidal cleaning, I did notice the "shared shower room" had bottles of sporicidal disinfectant which I had not noticed prior to this situation (that could just be coincidental).

Hi! I hope someone can enlighten me. I I saw a sign on a hospital door "Report to Nurse's station prior to entering this room." (The room is empty, as the resident is still in the hospital...it's been at least a week.) My curiosity has the better of me (I am a pre-nursing student); why would a sign like this be posted? I assume this is an infection control issue, would something like c. diff result in such a posting? Thanks! Aries

Lalo, Did you end up applying during the May-June window? And did you hear back on your status? Thank you! (I am at HACC Gettysburg and will be in similiar shoes in Fall 10)

Thank you for replying! I have since found out that the 2.5 rule won't apply (thank heaven). I picked up on the "protecting their own" vibe...I debated going to another school, but wow...nothing beats the education HACC RN students receive! I have all my sciences yet to take - they will all be HACC classes, as well as, two additional pre-reqs. Thank you so kindly!

Oh my goodness, I hadn't thought of using a thermos for my oatmeal! Thank you for the great idea. I will run out to the store tomorrow to buy a soup size thermos.

that sounds like fun!!! lol

OOPS. Nevermind! LOL I just noticed the orientation was July 6! I can honestly say there is nothing wrong with that, let her explore the campus, talk to the campus security, check out the facilities while you are in orientation. I work in a position at a University with over 2000 incoming freshman each fall. At Orientation there are MANY parents who attend. Yes, there is the helicopter parent stereotype, but there is also just the concerned parents who want to be a part of the experience, not control it. A lot of the parents end up chatting while the students "do their thing" it will be worth it though, when she sees you buying your books and uniform - it is a moment of pride for her! Let her go with you, she'll be out of the scene soon enough! :) And I promise, you won't be the only one with a parent!