ElsaKay

The first three days with my Danskos, I brought other shoes and changed in the breakroom at lunch. They take a bit to wear in, but now I have almost zero foot pain at the end of a 12. However, for some people they just don't work, so don't torture yourself trying to break them in for weeks if it's just not for you.

I am a CNA, and I am using this job to put my husband through school. What comes next for me, I don't know. I really like my current job as a hospice aide, but I will not be doing this after he graduates. For one, I don't think my body could take it. A person can be a compassionate and competent CNA without wanting it to be a lifetime career.

Perhaps you do have the fitness at 60 to do this, and if there is a 70-year old doing this job, I salute you. However, I am 24 and have been an aide for a little over a year now, and I feel like I've aged ten years. Despite your best intentions, perfect body mechanics aren't always possible. By month six my back never stops hurting, and now it's my knees. If I made it to 60 still fit and spry, I wouldn't want to blow that on this kind of job at that age. However, I do think others are correct that being a Home Health Aide may be a good fit for someone older. I love taking care of people, but I don't know how long my body will hold up doing this. Currently transitioning to hospice care, which may be easier on the body.

My advice would be jump right in with your preceptor (person who is training you). Don't just passively observe. It's far better to try things for the first time while someone's watching and can immediately correct any mistakes than it is to wait until you're on your own to try it. Also, it will make a better first impression.

I hesitate to ever criticize family unless it's something of dire, immediate importance, like, "Oh, let me help you please" when an old, frail family member is trying to help their spouse with a transfer. Instead, I'd say something in a cheerful voice like, "No one's going to hurt you. I want to take good care of all my patients."

I would ask what the nurse/patient ratio and aide/patient ratio is. Also ask what type of patient/resident you will be working with...long-term residents, short term med/surg, lots of psych issues? I think that it is only appropriate to ask about pay/benefits info after you have been offered the job. That is when the power is in your hands, and you have the bargaining tools. AFTER you have been offered a job is when you should ask about days off, insurance that's offered, hours available, how often you can be expected to be called off, possibilities for raises, etc.

I get a lot of anxiety at work, feeling like I have to do everything for everyone at once. I often get overwhelmed, and have to use a few strategies to cope. 1) You can only do what you can do. You are one person, you can only answer one call light at at time, clean up one person at a time. 2) Don't hurry. It will feel like you have to, as you help one person and two other call lights are going off. Oh well. Do your best with that person, and then move on to the next person. There's nothing more you can do. 3) When nurses/family bark at you and try to pull you five different ways, tell them when you will be able to help them. Saying things to a demanding nurse like, "Right now I am helping Mrs. Anderson with a bath, then I need to order a meal for Mr. Smith, and then I can help you with XX," goes a long way to setting boundaries while still being a helpful aide. 4) Remember that you are at a 24 hour care facility. I get overwhelmed towards the end of shift because I want to clean everyone up one last time, but by the time I get to the last person, the first person is dirty again, or I don't even make it to my last person. It's 24 hour care, the work never ends. Don't expect to finish your shift with perfection. There's always more to do. 5) Ask questions of friendly nurses and aides instead of assuming.

I am a relatively new CNA. I have noticed that most of my co-workers who have been working this kind of job for many years take pain killers and have permanently painful backs. I am pretty scrupulous about lifting from the knees, proper form, etc, mostly because I am familiar with some weight-lifting technique. However, does anyone have any tips for avoiding back pain and back injuries?