Blueroses91

I live in GA. I make $9.00 an hour working night shift. Day shift CNAs make min wage.

As mention before a nursing homes offer free training sometimes. You should also check out the red cross.

In addition to reading and defining terms, there should be some Q&A's at the end of each chapter that you can fill out. They should cover the main points of the chapter. It could be helpful to go over those as well.

I work night shift. We don't get anyone up or dressed unless that resident is already awake and confused or if a resident wants to wake and get dressed. Dayshift arrives at work at 6:30am. Most of them complain about my shift and how we don't ever get anyone up, but why should we? We already wake these people up every 2hrs. I'm surprised they get any sleep. Why should we go around last rounds and wake everybody up and get them dressed? Especially when many dayshifters spend 30mins talking and drinking coffee. Yes, I know not everybody does this. Of course if they ask for help getting someone up or to get someone dress I'm happy to do that. But no, I'm not going to get them up before then. These people need as much sleep as they can get.

A CNA has a very limited scope and the skills you learn are much less intensive than being a nurse. However, I will tell you that working as a CNA will help you recognize skin breakdown, the begining of a pressure sore, ect. It's very valuable experience. BUT a CNA skills are mostly ADL oriented. Knowing how to deal with pts and being comfortable with them is important but it isn't going to really help you pass your NCLEX. Ok...if you work in LTC this is how it is... Day Shift: Very busy, no one will have time to help you if you're slow. The nurses are very busy as well so it'll be hard for you to observe their technique and ask them questions. You have to be quick and efficent. You'll be doing showers, getting people ready for breakfast, lots of heavy lifting. No down time at all. 2nd Shift:Also very busy. Towards the end of the shift you'll have a little bit of down time to rest. The nurses however won't. You'll be doing showers, feeding dinner, getting people ready for bed, then doing last rounds to make sure everybody is dry. 3rd shift:Slow shift. A good opportunity to develop technique and to gain speed. The nurses will also be a little bit less busy and you may be able to interact with them more. You would mostly spend time turning and changing. However, some resident's stay up at night and many are more confused at night. You'll have to learn to deal with that effectively.

Earn more as in money? Most of the time 2nd and 3rd shift has a higher hourly wage. Also they get the benefit of shift differentials.

I'm a CNA on 3rd shift (night shift) I love it. I'm a night person and a newer CNA. Night shift is helpful when you're just starting out. There is more time to learn and develop your technique. True, it's rather slow and it can get boring but if you don't feel certain about your skills it's a great shift to start on. The nurses are usually not on your back as much either b/c management isn't there getting on to them. I have worked all shifts and I have to say night is the best for me. Day shift is very busy and you have to be fast or you will get left behind. The other CNAs don't really have the time to help you out too much nor do the nurses. You really have to hold your own. 2nd shift is also very busy until the last hour or so. I've never worked exclusively with rehab patients so I can't really comment on that. However I enjoy working in an LTC facility. You have time to bond with the residents and in doing so it makes the work you do even more meaningful. The downside is that you have alot of residents assigned to you at one time and that can get tiresome.

Imagine how I feel! Plus the print tops are full of spirals and big mismatched polka dots. Then to top it off the colors fade super fast. They always look spotty and dirty. Makes a girl feel special walking around in that!

Trust me it helps alot! And it is also very practical for real life application. Alot of the people you will take care of may like it when you explain what you are doing to them. It'll make them feel more comfortable and aware. And if you don't have anyone to practice on then play pretend...Get a stuffed animal or a dummy...They should have a lab at your school with dummies. It isn't the same as a person obviously and you may feel a bit dumb, however, it's better than nothing. I wish you all the best!

What I'd like to say to the resident that has hit call light for the 22nd time in the past hour(True story): "Only God can help you now."

Fushia and lime green scrubs. Yeah. It's rough.

Practice, practice, practice. Practice with classmates and friends. Flash cards can be helpful as well. Also, Youtube has quite a few videos that demonstrates a simulated skills test. You may find that it helps to watch someone else do it and it'll give you an idea of what it'll be like. Conversation with the "patient" shouldn't be that important come test time. Just remember to be polite, explain what skill you'll be doing on them, and address them as Mr. or Ms. ect...In fact that'll help you with your skills! If you explain the steps out as you do them it benefits you and your pt will feel more comfortable. Good luck!

In my area (rural south ga) the pay scale ranges from min wage to about $12.00. I personally make $9.50 working 3rd shift. I make $10.00 on weekends. I believe 2nd and 1st shift is $8.50 an hour.

Poop is gonna be the least of your worries. I've only been a CNA for a few months and I've been peed on, gotten BM on my scrubs, had people wipe themselves then grab all over me, bloody beds to strip...it's nasty, hard work. And I love it. I'm going to nursing school and while I'm excited I will actually miss having as much pt contact as I do now. Being a CNA or a PCT is so much more than cleaning up poop. Even if you feel that is all you the entire shift. The difference between a good CNA and a bad one can be as big as whether or not a person gets a gaping pressure sore, or something as small as adequate fluids. It's a very important role in patient/resident care. Trust me if you know how important what you're doing is it makes it easier to overlook how unpleasant some of the aspects of the job can be. Good luck!

Thank you everybody. I made it through the night and no one turned into a pile of dust! As the shift went on I became less afraid to get in there. I think it's going to take me awhile to get over this nervous feeling. However, I really enjoyed my shift. My mentor said I have the makings of a great CNA which made really happy. Again, thank you everyone for your answers. It makes me feel a bit more at ease.