mindyfromcali

I've worked LTC in three facilities so far and none of them have had dedicated CNAs to just showering. All places have had designated shower days for certain Residents, whether it's 2 or 3 days a week. Certain ones, I guess, prefer AM or PM. We ha...

I'm really sorry that has happened to you. I'd be pretty upset too, especially if I had kids and their safety to be responsible for.

I worked PM shift for a while. So you come in at 3ish, for you it's 2:30. If your facility does PM shift showers, I would knock those out before dinner, because they're likely to refuse when it's colder. Then you probably should toilet the ones th...

I work night shift so my barrel is right outside the door :). If i know it's a big ugly BM mess, though, I usually bring a trash bag in to receive stuff by the Resident on the bed.

You don't have to necessarily do everything they need right when they ask. Just check the light, see what it is, and ask them if you can come back in a few minutes. Sometimes all they need is a medication and you just have to tell the nurse real qu...

Have you tried talking to other CNAs who work with the same Residents? There may be a method to the madness. I know when I come across a new assignment, or am working someplace new I ask a lot of questions. You can even check the charts to see if ...

A clipboard is good if you have the time to carry one around, but I find even just writing all of their room numbers on a piece of paper and ticking off for each type of care I give is good enough. I even still do it, because I just started working ...

Okay so maybe you CNA veterans can help me figure this one out. I have three years experience, two in LTC and one in acute. I have a male Resident who mysteriously gets urine on the side of the drawsheet. I always check his sheet on both sides befo...

Certain Residents have them if it's part of their care plan, but it's generally discouraged in my facility. I've worked in facilities that have tons of them though.

In LTC we don't have disposable chucks all the time. Thank you for the responses. I actually observed him able to reach the brief area and stuff last night, so I think he is maneuvering the brief around after I leave. Silly Residents!

Sounds like a good plan. I'm working at my third SNF and basically it sounds like you aren't using all your skills like the others have said.

If there are infection precautions on a patient, and they have a certain type of mask outside of their room, you use that. If the cart has more than one type of mask, and you don't know what the patient's condition is or what the infection precautio...

I've been doing this nearly three years, and the above poster is right about stretching. Sometimes just doing stretches can really make all the difference. 12s would only hurt me if I wasn't a sitter, and I was actually on the floor. Running aroun...

Wow that's really bad. BIG hug!! If you can, look for somewhere else to work. I would look at how the facility is rated, it makes a difference.

I've worked all the shifts, and it depends on your preference. If you can keep up, go with AMs, the day does go by super quick. PMs do have more behaviors, but it's less of a rat race IMO. Keep in mind for AMs you have to bathe them, get them out ...

Everywhere I've worked it's 7am, unless it's the VA. I'm not even sure when their morning shift is, though, because I only worked there on PM and nights.

Oh ok, that sounds pretty chill. I worked home health for a few months a while back and had to do medication reminders as well.

We get put into these situations all the time, and then blamed for the outcome. What I've learned to do is take everything with a grain of salt. They can't have it both ways. Nurses ask me to do stuff all the time that is "out of my scope of pract...

I knew a PCA at the VA hospital I worked at when I was in the registry who was a RN and had passed the NCLEX, but couldn't find a RN job. This was about a year ago, but it isn't uncommon, and there was another hospital I worked at with LVNs who had ...

I've never seen a CNA call a code. I've actually been in one and had to run for the crash cart and grab a bunch of stuff the doctors/nurses needed for the patient. But there's so many people in the room there is no room for anyone to be there who i...

Ya we know already. You don't have to yell.

I think the OP just feels frustrated because they were looking for some emotional support. If you read back on the posts some of the replies can look a little judgmental. That's sort of the reason I haven't been posting too much on this site. Ther...

I think it's helpful. As a CNA, the nurses who have CNA experience tend to be better at bedside care. It's probably not going to help you with everything you need to know as a nurse, but definitely will help become comfortable with patients. I've ...

I cried every day when i got home from my shift my first week as a day shift CNA. I still don't prefer working that shift in LTC. It is doable, and it does get better, but you have to learn the residents' habits and how they all fit together in a s...

Um I think I might have before. Know all your vitals thresholds. Like normal ranges of Temp, pulse, BP, respirations, O2 sats. Know all the stuff basically that you learned for your CNA. Most of it if i remember right was common sense. One hospi...