LaterAlligator

LaterAlligator

geriatrics, dementia, ortho

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All Content by LaterAlligator

  1. What SHOES do YOU wear?

    LaterAlligator replied to tammy_zeidan09's topic in Medical Assistant, CNA/MA

    New Balance running shoes. I have one regular pair, and one that's supposed to be "toning" or whatever (they don't have that gigantic rounded sole like the Skechers ones do). I love them. They're...

  2. What do you think about universal workers in LTC?

    LaterAlligator replied to Moogie's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    I'd be curious to try this in a setting like some of you have described, with small pods of patients and great ratios. The only experience I've had with it was in assisted living, where I was working...

  3. can anyone explain how this works?

    LaterAlligator replied to BXmetro's topic in Medical Assistant, CNA/MA

    I think anyone that's asking for money is a

  4. Peri Cares

    LaterAlligator replied to jlenamae's topic in Nursing Student Assistance

    Looks like I'm in the minority, but I like washcloths better, unless the pt has very fragile or already broken down skin. I think the slightly rougher texture does a better job of actually getting...

  5. Cheesy Activities in LTC

    LaterAlligator replied to Jo Dirt's topic in General Nursing

    At the dementia care facility I work at part time, there's a very active "Garden Club" that the residents really enjoy. They bring in dirt and pots and the residents sit at the table and plant...

  6. Any other cold hearted nurses out there?

    LaterAlligator replied to sweet~revenge's topic in Patient, Colleague Relations

    I'm with you. I'm coming to acute care from a background in a dementia facility, so I'm accustomed to patients fighting me on every single thing - oral care, brief changes, transferring from...

  7. I feel so embarrased and feel like harrased...

    LaterAlligator replied to neeke816's topic in Patient, Colleague Relations

    Or when one who you have to be SBA for (dementia patient) decides that since you walked him up to the toilet, he should probably grab your hand and try to place it on his genitals. Sheesh. I said...

  8. New Grad RN, can I work as a PCT

    LaterAlligator replied to Hope32's topic in First Year After Licensure

    I don't know, Hope, but have you considered applying for non-hospital nurse jobs? Like in LTC or home health? In my area, those seem to be much easier to get hired at than in the

  9. What's your weird quirk?

    LaterAlligator replied to Florence NightinFAIL's topic in General Nursing

    I hate listening to machines beep. If a dynamap, IV, or a circulation device is beeping in a room as I walk by, I'll usually march in there and fix it whether it's my patient or not. If I don't know...

  10. You know it's gonna be a bad day at the home when

    LaterAlligator replied to DixieRedHead's topic in Geriatric, LTC

    You know it's gonna be a bad day when you arrive, find out you're short-staffed, and then can't make it all the way through report without interruption because there's a fall on one hall and a...

  11. Sometimes it's hard to tell a drug seeker from a patient in pain.

    LaterAlligator replied to tiroka03's topic in General Nursing

    The drug seekers are irritating to me for several reasons: 1. They continue to state pain, complain, and refuse to participate in physical rehab or even to do the tiniest things for themselves...

  12. CNA Job-Hunting Tips

    LaterAlligator replied to SugarBabe99's topic in Medical Assistant, CNA/MA

    I was hired as a caregiver, because that facility doesn't require you to have your CNA to work there. They have a pay differential if you have it, but every non-nurse care staff is titled "caregiver"...

  13. CNA Job-Hunting Tips

    LaterAlligator replied to SugarBabe99's topic in Medical Assistant, CNA/MA

    Re: #5 about giving meds In any situation, your employer will tell you explicitly what you can and cannot do with medications. For instance, in my first job as a non-medical home caregiver, I was...

  14. Do you like being a CNA?

    LaterAlligator replied to tammy_zeidan09's topic in Medical Assistant, CNA/MA

    I love my job(s). I work in acute care at the hospital 75% of the time, and as a medication aide in a dementia facility 25% of the time. I've always liked the hands-on, helping people aspect of the...

  15. Anyone else feel like a robot reciting customer service scripts all the time?

    LaterAlligator replied to rntj's topic in Patient, Colleague Relations

    Yep, all of this is true where I work - it's a magnet hospital, we do AIDET, hourly rounding, etc. It's okay to some extent; as a CNA my shift overlaps the RN's shift change, so I do try to say...

  16. Best one sentence handoff report

    LaterAlligator replied to emtb2rn's topic in Emergency

    "Room 15 is less nuts today, she doesn't think we're trying to kill her and her blanket isn't being used as a helmet

  17. Share The Weirdest Reasons Patients Push The Call Light

    LaterAlligator replied to RN06-NP09's topic in Nursing Humor

    Pt with altered mental status d/t alcohol abuse called and asked for milk, which I happily brought her, helped her get the head of her bed up so she could drink it. Left and was helping another...

  18. How to change resident with broken leg or ostomy bag?

    LaterAlligator replied to Noob_to_Nursing's topic in Medical Assistant, CNA/MA

    If someone has a leg brace and I need to roll them, I usually put a pillow between their knees before turning them so the brace doesn't hurt the unbraced one, and use the draw sheet underneath to help...

  19. Your pet peeve of the week

    LaterAlligator replied to fuzzywuzzy's topic in Medical Assistant, CNA/MA

    This one is just petty, I know, but there is a male nurse on my floor that never ever wears a dang undershirt under his scrub top, which means we are all constantly treated to the view of his many...

  20. Dealing with noncompliant client?

    LaterAlligator replied to Carolinathe3rd's topic in Medical Assistant, CNA/MA

    If they have dementia or other cognitive problems, I would get a helper to hold their hands/prevent them from injuring me or themselves with combativeness. If they're 'with-it' and refusing, I'd ask...

  21. Getting rid of sitters!?!?

    LaterAlligator replied to Loloberry's topic in Medical Assistant, CNA/MA

    Absolutely, restraints are no substitute for a 1:1. At the nursing home I worked at, we never had the staffing to do a 1:1, the best option we had was to call residents' family members and beg them...

  22. CPM Placement

    LaterAlligator replied to pawnotesRN's topic in Orthopedic

    Another tip someone gave me (which I haven't tried out yet) is that if the person is heavy, grab one of those small slings and use the overhead lift to hold their leg up while you position the machine...

  23. Restraining patients

    LaterAlligator replied to LinnetLegs's topic in General Nursing

    When I worked in a dementia facility, we were restraint-free. The closest you could do was put someone in a recliner so it was a little harder for them to get up and fall. At the hospital where I...

  24. Volunteer at the hospital before applying for a CNA job??

    LaterAlligator replied to Tranquila's topic in Medical Assistant, CNA/MA

    It might help, but they might be mainly interested in CNA experience, in which case your best bet is to get certified, go work in a nursing home for 6 months to a year, then apply at the hospital....

  25. CNA Orientation...how long?

    LaterAlligator replied to Z3P3G3's topic in Medical Assistant, CNA/MA

    Most places I've been orientation lasts a week or two. It depends on how they organize it; you might have one shift for each "run" in the facility, or you might just have a certain number of days in...