GhostOfTheSun

I don't know what its like in a LTC setting, but in the hospital I work in it is VERY busy. At the most I'll have 8 patients (which isn't that bad). I have to get vitals 3x a day (sometimes more if they're getting a blood transfusion, chemo, etc), assist with toileting, bathing, changing linens, process new patients, escort patients out, and of course post mortem care. I thought 12 hours would be a long time, but trust me....sometimes it seems its not enough. Atleast one of those 8 patients always end up requiring my undivided attention ALL day. Also I think I would prefer a LTC setting because you get to know your patients. You get to know your patients in a hospital setting too......but by the time you get all their quirks down the doctor sends them home and then you have another new patient to get to know.

So far in the last week I've had 3 pt's die on me, and we hadn't even got them onto the hospital bed before they died. If you don't like working on the dead then don't work on the Oncology unit. For some reason other units seem to think that we're good at dealing with the deceased so they ship pt's who are on their last few breaths to our unit so that we get to watch them die. Nice of 'em, eh? Theres no real easy way to get used to it. The hardest part is hearing the families crying or screaming. THAT is what stays with you, not the pt's death. Also remember that when a pt dies they let out a death rattle. I knew that the first time but it still kinda creeped me out.

I thought a 12 hour shift would be a long time but it actually isn't. You feel it more once you get home and sit down then you do at work. However, slow days are the WORST.

So far I've only been a CNA for about a month. Ever since I got out of training I have been constantly receiving phone calls from my boss asking if I could come in. At first it was just one phone call a day. Now its grown to 5. Our job description says that we only have to work 34.5 hours and be considered full time. Its almost as if she's expecting 46 hours out of us. I mean thats honestly the only way I can get her off my back is to work overtime EVERY week. If not, I get calls starting at 5am wanting me to come in. She seems like a really nice person but...I kind of think this has gone too far. I mean I'll do whatever I can for my co-workers when I'm at work......but if its my day off then don't bother me. Anyone else have this sort of problem? Any suggestions?

46 is not too old at all. In fact, this one guy I know where I work used to work in Housekeeping for years. Then he became a CNA around......I'd say he was between 45 and 50. Now its been two years and I just saw him wearing nursing scrubs last month. Go for it

I took my state skills exam last week. I had to do Vitals, washing hands asepticaly, peri-care male, partial bed bath, and....shoot, I can't remember the last one. But the nurse that was testing me was pretty nice. She told me that if I felt I missed a step I could go back and re-do it and that it wouldn't be counted against me. I was so nervous thru the whole thing but she went easy on me.....I think. I still haven't got the results back. Just PRACTICE. And hopefully they won't make you work with a broken bed and "pretend" when the bed is raised or lowered

Currently I'm taking classes to be a CNA (my state exam is on the first of November) but yesterday my instructor was talking with me and he said that he's able to read people pretty good after 25 years of being an RN and he said judging by my personality I would be best working in either the ER, Critical Care and/or Intensive Care units. What does he mean by that? I know I could have asked him but I was a bit suprised considering I'd never given those units much thought. Next spring I'll be going to school to get my RN licence but I haven't given much thought as to where I'd really want to specialize in. But I recently heard that the ER has one of the highest turnover rates and burnout. I don't know why I'm posting this. Its just ever since he said that its been digging into my skull and I'm beginning to wonder if maybe he's right? Anyone here have experience in these areas. Is jumping into those units a bad idea?

I don't think hospitals encourage people to come to work sick, but they definitely will NOT discourage you from doing so. Points, writeups, etc. I work in a very large hospital and I can't tell you how many times I've seen nurses puking into garbage cans right outside of PT rooms, or look as pale as snow. Most will tell you they either a) can't afford to take the time off, or b) have too many points or write ups. I would think that since we ARE there for patient care and helping them get better is our priority so calling in sick with a legitimate signed excuse from a MD shouldn't be punished but......hey, we don't work in Administration do we I saw another post here somewhere in regards to someone getting written up because they got in a car wreck and didn't call in? Yeah, same thing happened here. The girl got into a 3 car wreck a BLOCK AWAY from the hospital within an hour of the start of her shift. She got 6 points (16 and you're terminated) because she didn't call in because she suffered from whiplash and had to be checked out by EMS and do a report with the PD. But I guess if we ever get thrown 50 ft from our cars and are bleeding gallons of blood we better remember to make that call! No, not 911 silly! You're supervisor! Totally unrelated to illness, but I remember during the winter season last year we had a huge snow storm and one OR Nurse that lives far from town got snowed in. So, Security was sent in a AWD truck to retrieve her for her shift. But when her shift was up? No one took her home. She was stuck there at the hospital until the snow was clear....5 days later.