Ericm

I know this is an old post, but I just wanted to say that Kash Career College was great for me. Their hours were good, they give you the same training as anywhere else, and it's only $1k for the whole thing (plus scrubs). I graduated and got my certification a little over 2 months later. The RN administering the test complimented my work, and I believe everyone from our weekend class graduated. Plus, you get to do your clinicals at Gramercy Court, so that is a definite plus if you've been to any LTC facilities in Sacramento...

A short post to get things back on track, I did end up getting a job at a facility in August. It was difficult to find someone hiring without the experience necessary, but it is possible. It might be the fact that I took the job at the in-home care agency and could say I was currently employed with a reference that could be contacted. My advice to anyone looking to work as a new grad would be go out and apply everywhere, whether or not you would want to be there for more than a few months. Once you get a job, update your resume and put it in everywhere you can. That's what I did, and I am now currently employed at a great facility. I can't say it's guaranteed, but it couldn't hurt. Also, the bigger the gap in your work history, the more of a "risk" you are to a potential employer.

I will say first off that there is whole section on this site devoted to male nurses if you haven't already seen it. However, since it has already been posted, I'll answer to the best of my ability (and maybe a moderator will move our posts to the right place). Secondly, you (and anyone else) posting directly (I assume) to me can always PM me and I'll try to get a response as quickly as possible. So here goes: I would say there is a definite difference, and it's extremely noticeable frequently. For starters, people are generally shocked to see a male CNA to begin with. I've had people (including several people who were interviewing me for a job) ask me why I'm a CNA to begin with. This is usually followed with a question as to whether or not I've considered medical school or some other "typically male" position. Also, I have a son who has come home saying (on numerous occasions) that the kids at school have said to him that I can't be a nurse because I'm a male, so I must be a doctor and he's just confused. Granted, he is 6 and attending public school... At my facility, I tend to get treated quite differently, but I'm not exactly sure why. Let me explain. I get at least 5 different requests for assistance with transfers, turnings, dressing, and lifts a day from (mostly) female co-workers. Though, this may be due to any number of things. I'm 6'6", can lift quite a bit and I'm usually one of the people who aren't physically exhausted after a shift. Also, I tend to be the one walking around asking other CNAs and even the LVNs if they need or even want any help. I don't mind holding someone on their side while the LVN changes a dressing on a bedsore for half an hour or changing an extra person or two because one of the other CNAs are wrapped up with a shower. Also, I've only worked there since the end of August, and usually new hires are asked to do a lot more than those with seniority on any job. Maybe it's just a coincidence. I'm honestly just not sure yet. On a different note, there are several residents (male and female) and family members who request a male not work with them, both LVN and CNA. Sometimes there are also issues with residents accusing a male of having acted inappropriately, so the facility requests that males don't go in the room for any circumstances during changing, dressing etc. or have a female present if it's non-invasive such as bringing them coffee or passing a tray. Another thing I see sometimes is that females are used to working with exclusively other females. Hence, a lot of personal female discussion tends to happen in the break room whether or not I'm there. Sometimes there are "female only" occasions that I'm not invited to (nor would I want to attend). I'll leave out the details on this one... The last thing I'll say on this matter (though I'm sure there is a lot I've not even touched on) would be that once it is established that you're a male nurse, you generally have to work past the stereotype (if you're not, like myself) that all male nurses are homosexual. I'm not sure why sexual preference has anything to do with any profession, but it almost always applies when it comes to nursing. And if it doesn't happen at work (which it doesn't for me) it does happen elsewhere. It doesn't really bother me, but some people take great offense at their sexual orientation being expressed incorrectly. Hope that helps! -Eric

Obesityhelp.com is the best resource online. Without knowing the focus of your research, I would HIGHLY recommend that you look at 5+ year post-op patients for long-term data...unless you are only interested in the "honeymoon period" effect of WLS. I am 7+ years post-op and would be more than happy to help you.

Just out of curiosity, may I ask why?

The only response I can really give is that it's obviously the facility's policy to use gait belts, so that would be a yes.

It is extremely difficult to get a call back without that experience (catch-22 anyone?). I got placement in an in-home caregiving agency. I'm not getting as many hours as I would like currently, but it is the only organization that will waive the experience requirement for a CNA cert. that I have been able to find. For the hours I do have, the pay is phenomenal, I just can't expect full-time work. Also, it gives me time to volunteer in the E.R. at a hospital and expand my current search for jobs to include places that don't show up on google searches. On a side note, I heard that some mental health facilities will take new grad CNAs. I'm not sure if this is the case universally, but it pays very well and I believe qualifies under acute care experience for other places like hospitals and correctional facilities that will stop your application process and reject you at the "months of acute care experience" checkbox. I've also heard that these facilities were a nightmare to work in though, so keep that in mind. EDIT: @meggiemarie: I'm not sure about the lengths of other programs, but mine was about 2 months. I will say that what you need to consider would be whether or not the site gets their clinical hours. I'm not certain if it's as big of an issue there, but in Sacramento a ton of schools aren't getting their clinical hours on time, which makes the course run 2-3x as long. I think 4 months at ROP (as I'm pretty sure they get their clinical hours without fail) would be better than a 2 month program that has you wait an extra 4 to get your clinicals... I hope this helps, and I'll try to check on threads I post in more often!

Funny you should say that, I was just getting on the thread to say she did exactly that. She hasn't told me if her replacement showed up yet, but she's not planning on sticking around another night!

Right, she is not an RN. She is a NA, and it seems as though she is being asked to do things outside of her SoP. In fact, we were told explicitly not to do certain things she is being asked to do. The employer said it would not affect her NA status if she did something because as a "caregiver" you are not under anybody's medical license and they don't hold you to the highest "certificate," but "license." Family is "present," but it seems as though they are uninvolved. I have zero idea what kind of medical care she receives, but it's apparently not nearly enough. So yes, I was asking more about the second group of questions (a little anxious when I typed them as she was on the phone with me at the time) as to how overnight/long shift nurses de-stress when providing exhaustive levels of care to someone with dementia who requires constant care as well as injections, medications, and other things. Also I was asking if anybody might have any advice for her being in that situation (waking up every couple of hours to check her blood sugar alone would be tough for me, I don't do well on little to no sleep).

I've got a question. A close friend of mine got hired by an in-home caregiving company that doesn't have RNs on staff, and gave her a 24 hour shift. Within the evening of her first shift, she called me asking me for advice on how to keep herself and her patient safe during the process (she's filling in for another person who normally does the shift and had about a half hour to become familiar with the care plan). She is expected to fully care for a total dependent who has a multitude of diseases and ailments and doesn't receive care from a medical team. My questions would be: What should she do? What can help the situation? Is she at risk? Does anyone have any advice? Is there anything she can do to de-stress herself in this situation? (I apologize if I put this in the wrong thread, I'm not very familiar with this site as of yet)

happy2learn & Zookeeper3: Thank you for the responses, especially such quick ones! I absolutely understand that the facility/company/otherwise would be what dictates the appropriate response. However, as one of the companies I'm working for is non-medical in-home without a medical team in some cases, I was wondering what the legally appropriate response would be that would not jeopardize my Nursing Assistant certification. Also, to sum up my understanding of your advice, you're recommending that the most appropriate thing to do if it's a complete obstruction is to in essence climb on top of the bed and apply abdominal thrusts to the best of my ability? In the case of softened food where it would be aspiration/drowning, how does that change the circumstance?

I would like to state that if the program you're in doesn't show up on the list, it is absolutely nothing to be concerned about. I went to Kash Career College (a vocational school in Sacramento) and was certified as a Nursing Assistant on June 16th, 2010. I didn't honestly believe it was a "real" school (even up until I was ready to take my test at the American Red Cross, to be perfectly honest) but it absolutely was. I think if there's any question as to the validity of a school or program you're in, the best route to go would be to contact the organization you will be testing through and ask them before it gets too far and you find yourself $X in debt and a wasted X amount of time. Also, a very good site to look at as far as CNA training and otherwise would be: CNA Courses in California | Nurse Aide Training Programs CA The site includes more than just CNA classes available in California, by the way. Hope this helps.

I'm new to the healthcare field, and I'm interested in how nursing responsibilities/scope of practice vary from department to department. Moreover, I'm very interested in what nurses feel is most rewarding and challenging about working in their given departments/areas of specialization. Also, why did you choose your department in the first place? What were the factors that made you decide to not only work in that aspect and specialization, but continue to do so after you began? The reason I'm asking this is because as of August I'm going to be volunteering at Methodist hospital in Sacramento, and need to choose a department. I know that I would like to be in a hospital setting versus any of the other available avenues as I do progress in my nursing career, but any information I can gain before I commit and move further would be of major benefit to how I end up taking my steps. Thank you.

Hello, I am a new Nursing Assistant in California and just came from an AHA BLS for healthcare provider course, and some thoughts and questions were raised from application in the setting of a long-term care facility or home health environment regarding choking. 1) If I am feeding my patient in bed and they begin to choke, what should I do? 2) If my patient is on comfort care/hospice and on a soft diet, would that change my medical action/response? 3) As I will also be providing in-home care without a licensed nurse present, what is my legal obligation in either previously mentioned scenarios? Thanks.

Hello, I am a newly certified CNA (as of yet have not been employed) who is eager to advance his medical education. Eventually, I would like to become an RN. However, as I have a 6 year old son and a family to support, I feel that gaining licensure as an LVN would allow me to comfortably support my family monetarily and provide for the next logical step toward RN. I will point out that I'm not getting into nursing for the money. Rather, I want to have quality patient contact that gives me the same feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction that my CNA clinical hours gave me with more responsibility. Therefore, I am looking at the most cost-effective/expedient avenue toward becoming an LVN without any college credits? Have any of you graduated from LVN training programs in Sacramento? If so: 1) Which programs? 2) What was the cost? 3) How long did they take? 4) Is LVN the right licensure, or should I pursue a direct entry RN program? 5) Do any new grads/newly employed LVNs in the Sacramento area have advice for someone just coming into the field? Thank you all in advance, Eric