MissMcCoy

The wait will just make your success that much more sweet! I live in the country so there is no way I can go to school in the city right now. I have been doing an online course to become a Nursing Attendent. I am almost finished. I have a job working in a group home and I have an interview with the local hospital this week. I am hoping to gain some experience and the money I make will just go back into my nursing education. Im going to start doing Practical Nurse courses in January as they can also be done through distance study. Then once my children are grown I can take the time for myself to go to the city and FINALY go for a bachelors in nursing.

What kind of paitent load do you have? What area are you working in? You should ask the CNA's that change x3 at work for some tips. Im sure they are full of advice! I just work in a group home I just remind my clients to use the washroom on a regular basis... Then I have one fellow whom I change usually 3x by the end of my shift. I have an interview in a LTC facility at our Hospital this week so if I get the job I would be intrested in hearing some time saving tricks!

At the facility that I did my practicum at we would cover it. Take it to the bathroom empty it in the toilet and then take it out into the wash room where there was a bedban/urinal washing machine...Kinda like a mini dishwasher.

I am in the same situation. I have not been in the work force for the last 7 years due to being a stay at home mom. I just went back to school to become an aide. We are half way through the course and I have been applying all over the place. I just got a job in a group home, which I LOVE. However I just got called in for an interview at the hospital (in LTC). I am kind of excited as it is the experience that I want before going on to nursing school. It is also a big foot in the door for getting a job as a nurse once I am done with the education. My issue is I have NEVER been interviewed for a job at a hospital. It is so important to me I don't want to mess it up! I want to go in prepared and ready for what they could toss my way. In my last interview (Where I got the job) they asked me a question about when I had to make an important decision... I was like uggghhh... Even as a mother of two I cannot think of having made an 'important' decision! haha. Anyway I would also LOVE anyones advice on hospital setting interviews!

I can't believe how quick people are to pass blame to save their @$$. Stuff like this gets me so scared! I am so sorry that you found yourself in one of these positions. I am glad that it worked out well and that tx nurse learned a darn lesson!

I applied and applied and applied to any position that poped up... Now I have a job I LOVE and I just got an interview in the local hospital. Just keep getting your name out there. Even if you think...Ehhh Im not qualified enough...Apply anyway!!! Youll find something! Keep your head up! :)

hummmm.... You know in my area this is what legislation is: Giving insulin is a restricted activity. You CAN give insulin IF The patient is stable The out come is predictable You have to be taught the procedure You have to be supervised to know that you are competent You have to be directly or indirectly monitored. (Being able to reach an on call nurse is enough) If my memory serves me right I do believe that it also has to be pre-drawn insulin. Becareful if anything happens it will be your butt! You know we have the right to refuse unsafe work.

Ohhh That could make sense. I am in small town Alberta. The rest of the hospital is normal its just that small CC wing. They also have home care attached to the hospital. Thats who I was going to apply with but they were closed up for the day so I just went right in the hospital.

My school provided scrubs that we had to wear to lab and clinicals. We had to bring a wack load of stuff to labs. Everything from a tooth brush to a bed sheet. So that we could practice skills. The only thing we needed for clinicals was the school scrubs. The best place to work is where ever you can get a job working as a CNA. Usually its LTC. Rack up the experience and then move on or further your education. I was shocked to find out all of the stuff we COULD NOT do. Although if there is a stable paitent with a predictible outcome and you are trained and delegated the task by an RN or LPN then you can preform other tasks that you could notmaly not do. Like giving insulin. I did not need to have my firstaid with CPR... Although I should get it updated just for my own good (mine expired years ago). I don't think doing the CPR course on line is a good idea. Good luck!

I honestly don't know. I have an interview at a hospital in the continuing care section. Any other LTC facility is at least an hour away. When I look up the facility it sounds like the CCC. "Our continuing care services are designed for those who can no longer be cared for at home or in an assisted living facility due to illness, injury, frailty, or other limitations" It also says "The level of services offered by each facility can vary." I guess I truly wont know until the interview. I just wish I had some insight. Ill have to sit down and come up with a bunch of questions that I want to ask them. I wonder if I could do a shadowing to see how everything works?

Whats the diffrence? Is there a diffrence? Do the residents in the hospital setting require more complex care? Or is it just a government facility vs. private facility?

Record and report for sure!

Keep looking in at marks they tend to go on sale. I have gotten a few decent pairs at walmart. They are not as flattering as marks... But they are cheap.

Yes, the union protection is on the pro's side of my list. AHS has alot more pro's then con's so I think thats who I'll go with if it all works out in my favor. Another hiring freeze! I thought they were just tooting their horn about offering a tone more nursing positions... Go figure.

Maybe I complained too soon. I got an interview. I did it both ways. I went into the hospital AND I applied on the website. More then once... my guess is they are sick of me!! haha Kinda crappy though I just got a great job that I love!! AHS just offers so much more $$$$..... I am torn.

Oh my goodness I just had this reply sent to my e-mail.... Hello, Thank you for your application to Alberta Health Services. At this time, we are requesting that you forward a copy of your resume to be considered for this posting. Regards, Human Resources Both my e-mail AND cover letter were attached at the bottom of the e-mail that they had sent me *Shakes Head* I just copied and pasted them back to the top and said sorry I thought I had attached them when I sent my application through the AHS website. Could be a god honest mistake, but right now all I can think is MORONS!

Yeah just trying to get my foot in the door. I did go right into one unit and applied there. The nurse I talked with was really nice and she took me to the manager, who was also very nice. Maybe its my casual hours that are holding me back... although its restricted I'm pretty flexible... Such a shame that things look to be more of a popularity contest....

Anyone actually get a call back after applying? My goodness! I have applied for so many Attendent jobs and not once call back. I even applied for a job in laundry (It makes more then the group home I am currently working with) and nothing. I really dont think that many people could be applying as its a pretty small community... I have to stop and wonder if they are just placing adds for the fun of it.

When I go into clinicals as a student I always try to be an extra set of hands. Do common sense stuff before being asked. Never try to tell staff that they are doing things wrong... If they are doing something other then how you were taught just say something like "I've learnt that best practice was to ______ Could you watch me and let me know what you think?" IF they were doing things wrong or cutting corners it gets them thinking about being a better example without you comming off as an annoying student.

Hello, I have next to no experience working with people who have developmental disabilities. I am going to start in a group home next week. The clients are adults with pretty severe disabilities. I would really like some words of wisdom before I start training. I am scared that my fears and drawbacks may show through. I really want to help these people. The experience will be great. I am just hoping I can deliver the best client care I can and that this fear with in myself will dissolve. Thanks MissMcCoy

I was paired up with a better woman today. She kinda pushed me to do care which was a huge help. I was with a different set of clients today. They were just was colorful as the first ones I was placed with. We are doing our DAL practicum right now. I got placed on a dementia unit because its the most like DAL that they have. I cant wait to do the acute care Practicum to kind of compare and contrast.

...I made that sound like I was done... I have only done the first day!

Well I had them and I was soooo nervous. I did not really do much... I was sooo scared to help dress some of the clients that were stiff and in pain. How long did it takee you to get use to toileting and bowel care? Its such a personal thing.... I found it easier when there family was around because I could see what they liked to talk about and such... I hope I start to get use to it all! I wish we had more then a week to get usse to it... We do have our 4 week clinical but that is not untill november/december.... Ahhh Sorry it feels good to talk about this in a group of people that do the samethings

ANND BREATHE..... Im so scared, I have to say. Well its a little mix of everything. I think my excitement kinda trumps it all! Im going to have to read through the forum because I know there is a lot of first day tips floating about in here!! Wish me luck! =D

I needed a job to pay for the PN courses. HCA jobs pay more then what I could make anywhere else. Once I drive into town working a "regular" job is just not worth it. I figure the that gaining a little bed side mannor skills will also help me. I know that the HCA education touches base on alot of the most basic stuff....Nothing indepth, but it is all there. We just got through infection control. I am hoping having th HCA under my belt once I get into the swing of things at school will help me out. Even if I have never done a procedure I will still have been there watching/helping as it was completed.