KB24

Have fun.

I've been at my current job since the summer of 2010.

Management at our facility requires two CNA when you're using a sit-to-stand, or hoyer lift. You'll be terminated if they see you using a machine without help because that's the company policy and a state requirement. The nurse or the nursing manager on shift has to see you and your partner use the machine on the patient. I work with a good group of co-workers. We only have one lazy CNA who doesn't help out the other CNA's and he has the easiest group on the whole floor. I became friends with a lot of my co-workers because I was always willing to help out anyone even if you were new to our facility. The new employees love me because I always help them and explain to them what each resident in the their group likes to do and what time they like to go to sleep.

I work with a nurse that makes our life at work very miserable.

Samland in Chicago? ******** was my CNA instructor at another school and I believe she still works at Samland in Chicago. She's a great person and a very good instructor.

I got hired a couple of weeks after I passed my state exam. I applied at my current job because my friend got a job there and told me to apply. I had one interview with the DON and she hired me on the spot.

The 3rd shift CNA's have to get up 5 residents each before the first shift CNA's arrive at 6:50 am to get assignment. You better have all 5 residents up because the morning nurses and aids will get mad if you don't have your people up.

You can make over $16/hr at a hospital working as a PCT.

My advice would be to only take one class per quarter/semester if you're struggling because you need to spend extra time studying. College A&P is not the same as A&P for high school or A&P for an LPN program. You better not drop out and give up because quitters never win. You can always take the class again for a better grade in the future.

My advice would be to get a Blackberry and use BlackBerry Messenger. BBM uses data instead of text when you send a message and you can send a message to anyone in the world.

Casual clothes is fine because I don't think they're going to make you work or shadow someone on your first day. Your first day of orientation is usually spent filling paper work, getting to know management, you get a tour of the facility, they give you the rules for the facility, and the manager or whoever is in charge of each department talks about what they do.

Don't worry what the CNA teacher has to say or think because you won't be seeing him after you pass the class and your skills test. I hate to break it to you, but your peers and co-workers at work are going to be saying a lot worst things and doing a lot worst things when you aren't around them. I had the nicest CNA teacher and I still keep in contact with her and a few of my classmates.

The night shift is the easiest shift and the most boring shift. You usually only have a couple other CNA's with you on the floor and you have more residents than 1st and 2nd shift. We have to get up 5 residents before the first shift CNA's arrive.

Yes, I think you have the job. It would make no sense for a nursing facility to only hire one CNA at a time because of the high turnover rate as a CNA. Every hospital or nursing facility in my area always hires more than one person, when they hire someone for an open position.

People should call to follow up on their application because it shows them you want the job and you don't have anything to lose by calling them.

Another thing I had trouble with is learning the residents names because they moved us around to different units. Really hard to remember people's names when you only see them once every 3-4 weeks.

We had this problem in clinicals for my CNA class and we had to hide supplies from other people because they would use it if they found it. When I got hired as a CNA in the same company where I did my clinicals, but a different facility in the same company, the DON made it a point during orientation that we would never have this problem. We have plenty of supplies to do our job and we can always get more supplies downstairs, if we need to get more supplies. I think people should complain to the DON or administrator if they're having problems at work because most of the times the supervisors don't care, are too busy, or forget to follow up on the problems.

Sink or swim. The CNA's at our facility are left on their own after they're done with orientation and the CNA's that have been there a while don't have time to help out the new CNA's. I felt lost and confused on my first day alone because I was still learning the routine and wanted to make sure I did not drop a resident.

Congrats on being certified. I was trained for 3 days and I had 11-12 residents on my own on the 4th day. You can always ask for a few more days if you feel you need more training. One of the big things you're going to learn when you start working as a CNA is time management because you're always going to be busy with your residents and you need to make sure you have enough time to do all your tasks.

I know exactly how you feel because I graduated this spring and started my CNA job this month. I only had 3 days of training and working a different unit every shift. Ask your fellow co-workers if you have any questions or need help. It took my friend a couple of months to really learn the routine and she's a great CNA on our floor.

I showed up for work on Friday afternoon and the morning supervisor talked to me because the night supervisor told her I didn't do my job. I told the morning supervisor it was my first day on the floor by myself and I wasn't supposed to be working that side of the unit by myself. The night supervisor made it seem like I was being lazy and didn't do my job. I'm not covering for anyone in the night shift anymore. I was actually doing the night shift a favor by working because they were going to be understaffed on the night shift. She said something bad about me in a different language in front of me to another nurse when I was a leaving. We have a company policy that all employees have to speak English when they're working, but certain nurses and management get away with whatever they want because they're friends with management. I really like the DON and ADON because they're always nice to everyone and you can tell they care about the employees and patients.

I was also mad because she didn't help me when I needed help instead she talked with the other RN's for most of the shift. I only saw her when she passed out meds.

Nah, just frustrated how the RN on the unit expects me to know everything and she's not willing to help me when I have question.

I don't think I'm going to like being a CNA in a nursing home.

The nursing staff was very thankful for the donuts and coffee. Thanks everyone.