blwilliams10

I am a male CNA and I am also going to nursing school. My best advice is be mindful of body language, I have only one time been asked if I could get them someone else to do their care. Even with that they were still willing to let me do it but just preferred someone female.

1. As a male CNA/nursing student I do notice I get hit on by staff and PTs male and female. My best advice is just take the compliment and change the topic. You don't want to get your personal life mixed with your professional life. I'm 20 years old and have also noticed a lot of the older female staff takes a parental attachment to me if they know me very good. 2. Yes this is a very good compliment, I have gotten it before and it makes me feel good and know I'm doing the right thing. 3. I'm not female so couldn't say anything on that, but I know that most everyone likes to work with me because I can help with lifting. 4. That is route I'm going to school and I like it.

At my facility we can wear solids or prints, and on pay day we can wear jeans if we want. I choose not to wear jeans on pay day because I don't want my jeans to get ruined, and I don't wear anything beside solids that come in one style because as a male I have about 15 choices on scrubs lol. What I would love to get but have never been able to find even on the web is like the 1960s style orderly uniform with the buttons on the top.

In Missouri you can work 4 months unlicensed then you are out. Most places won't touch you though unless your already licensed.

I've got 4 pairs for work and about to pick 2 pairs for nursing school.

It depends on the shift. I run my whole unit which is 26 beds on a locked psych unit by myself at night, which can suck if things get crazy. But someone gotta do it, I'm in nursing school and specializing in psych so it is good by me at the end of the day.

You don't want your PT to know you are taking a resp rate because they can change it. What I do is act like I'm filling in my charts while actually using peripheral vision to count. Also you only need to count for 15 seconds and multiply by 4 unless it is an abnormal pattern then you will have to count a full minute. Eventually you become a master of this technique and it is really easy. Just experiment and find what works best for you.

Basically the things to check are they fully on, are they the right size, and if they are a male the member needs to be pointed down and centered. Also if they are changed q2h they are less likely to run out of room and spill over.

- Am I too old to get into this type of work, as I see mostly younger people doing this that are planning to become RN or LPN. No not at all I work with two aides that are in their 70s. Who are in the top 10 workers in my facility. The average age is about 40-45. - I see that the pay is low to start, but after years of working do you get to a decent wage? I will be honest we are very underpaid, but a lot of places offer differentials and over time you can make a decent wage. - Hospitals seem like they are tough to get into. But if you do, do they pay better and would they offer to pay or help pay for furthing your education? Hospitals are the hardest place to get on with, the positions are coveted and a lot of CNAs apply for them. They in general pay 3-5 dollars more an hour than LTC, HHC, etc. and the benefits are better such as tuition reimbursement. - If I got the CNA, what other jobs could this experience help me get besides a Nurse. I just don't think I have enough time to do all the schooling. Well with this one there are a few routes you can go. Once your are a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) you can take an additional course and become a Restorative Nursing Assistant (RNA) or you can take an additional course and become a Certified Medication Technician (CMT). Both of these require working as a CNA for 6 months and then an additional course. Those are the direct branches from CNA. You could also enroll in a Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) program which is 13 months and then after that take an LPN to Registered Nurse (RN) program which is about 12 months and become an RN. Or you could straight to RN school which is about 24 - 36 months and become an RN. If you go to RN school after you finish your fundamentals of nursing class you are able to challenge the CNA state test and become a CNA. There are also other branches higher up but this is the basic ones.

I work in LTC on a locked psych unit and love it. It is hard, but just remember speed comes with time, everyone was in your shoes at one time, and don't take things personally. I have been working in LTC 3 months now and I am just now getting my routine set and getting fast. The people who are the fastest either have been doing this for a while or they are skipping stuff. Trust me though skipping stuff is NOT good, it causes behaviors, resident morale is lower, infections, and a lot of other issues. I know a lot of people who skip peri and oral care but really it only takes a couple extra minutes and the residents are a lot happier after they get it. Also remember some residents will be mean to you. I have one resident who will literally punch me, slap, scratch, bite me but as soon as they are up and in there W/C they will take my hand and kiss it. I have had one resident tell me you don't know what you're doing, you just got to roll with the punches and keep going. People get angry when you are violating their personal space and get combative but you can't let it effect you or your care level because once it is done they will be happier.

Evening shift would be the best place to go to. On NOC we do a lot of lifting and turning and on nights the facilities staff less so your ratios are way higher, I think right now I am about 1:25 on most nights and on good nights 1:18. Evenings are not as bad as you have very few showers to do, and then it's just dinner pass and putting people to bed, and the ratio is about 1:12 and as good as 1:7. Days could be possible, but keep in mind you will have a handful of get ups to do, but also the ratios are the best 1:10 and as good as 1:6. Now these ratios are my facilities and they do very, but I'm just trying to show you will be a lot more independent on nights and the shift involves a lot of lifting.

I work 12 hour nights either 6p to 6a or 10p to 10a. My best advice is just don't think about the time too much just know when you have to do stuff and pace yourself. It will fly by and you will be headed home before you know it.

Amazon.com is the best place, that is where I buy everything besides my scrubs and shoes. Gait Belt - Prestige Medical $10 Sphygmometer (BP Cuff) with case - Prestige Medical $22 Stethoscope - This one is up to you, I am in nursing school so I bought a higher quality one because I use mine a lot. I use the 3M Littman Lightweight II which is about $45, but if your just going to be using it for CNA class you could get away with a Prestige Medical one which is about $10. On Amazon I just seen that they offer a combo of the stethoscope and cuff for $30. As the previous poster said you most likely will never be required to bring your own to your work place. However I can't tell you how many times having my own stuff at work has been a life saver (sometimes literally) just because in an emergency I know where my stuff is at. I also do A LOT of vitals so me having my own stuff is nice because I know it very well and I know it works.

You will be good to go once your a CNA. Home Health is one of the many areas a CNA can work in, it's actually a really good area to since you have a lot of flexibility in your schedule. Good luck :)

I am a CNA and in NS, and can say it is hard no matter what to get a job as a new grad. Rather CNA, LPN, RN, etc. it's a matter of liability for the facility to hire a new grad. Just keep trying Home Health is a great place for someone in NS since you have flexibility in your scheduling. I work in LTC personally and like it which I think is a little easier to get on with.

I buy my scrubs locally so I can try them on before buying a new style to make sure I like how they fit/look. Cherokee is my favorite brand, but males also have a more limited selection so you will have a lot more styles and brands to choose from. But once you do find a style you like Uniform Advantage is pretty good store online and they have a print catalog also. Just watch shipping costs, while scrubs cost a couple dollars more for me to buy locally the shipping online usually makes ordering online more expensive. There is a topic about V/S going on right now, and I am surprised at how many states don't have CNAs doing BP anymore. So I would wait on getting that stuff, but if your in Missouri I can safely say go ahead and get it because you will have to know it for the state exam, and it's nice to have to practice at home. Plus in some facilities we take BP/TPR so it's nice to have your own equipment because you know where it all is, plus it is easier to get used to using the same tools. I wouldn't worry about a thermometer though as the facility will have their own and will want you to use it. I did forget to mention a Gait Belt is one thing you will always need, your program may supply it as part of the class. If not I ordered mine from Amazon for $10 and have never had a problem with it. KDSkyy44 nailed it on the watch type to get, I also ordered mine on Amazon for about $10-$15. Good luck to you in your class, and remember to take it day by day.

The only thing you will need for sure is: Scrubs Good Walking Shoes Black Ballpoint Pens Scrap Paper Things that are nice to have: Stethoscope Sphygmomanometer (BP Cuff) Watch Other than that you will get everything else you need on the job, and as said wait on getting scrubs/shoes until you start because you may need a specific color.

In my state (Missouri) we are required to know how to take V/S as part of our state exam; BP/TPR is always on our tests. It just depends on the facility on how often the CNA is the one taking V/S.

I'm a similar build and personally like Cherokee's scrubs.

At my facility our RNAs do V/S once a week, and then if a resident is on daily monitoring then the CMTs usually does them daily. On my shift (noc) the CNAs do them during emergencies since it is usually just two CNAs and one LPN. The CNA will do them while the LPN prepares paperwork/treatments/other things for the situation. Other than that the CNA will only do them if asked to.

Congrats on you interview. I'm not sure why they want you to wear scrubs for an interview. I would take it as a good sign though. Also there is no certification for PCT. At my local hospital PCTs are a mix of CNA, EMT, and those in NS. Although Transitonal Care PCTs have to be a CNA. My interview experience was just a standard interview why should we hire you, why do you want to be a CNA, what's your goals, etc. Then they tell me about the company, the facility, give a tour, and do paperwork.

I was scared when I started as I had never worked in this field at all. I was scared all the way until after I worked by myself for the first time. It was then I realized that I was okay, I had learned a lot and to not be afraid to ask questions. I believe you can conquer your fears :) After being a CNA I say that I feel more confident in my RN program now that I am used to working with people at this kind of level.

I wouldn't recommend it as said that can break gloves and scratch residents. Honestly I would try to avoid anything on the lower arm down. It's an easy way to transport bacteria around as it is hard to properly clean it.

It really depends on you facility, but here is my night. (I have around 20 residents assigned to me) 2145 - Clock on, get report 2200 - Pass ice water/linens 2245 - Put the last of the residents to bed (we have a few that like to stay up late) 2330 - Get soiled linen barrel/cart ready to go 2345 - Break 0000 - Bed checks/repositioning 0100 - Charting 0200 - Bed checks/repositioning 0245 - Lunch 0400 - Bed checks, start getting residents up 0530 - Take trash out and empty soiled linen cart 0545 - Give report 0600 - Clock out I have call bells to answer, residents wandering, other random things that come up as well. Also people pass away/get really sick late at night more frequently than any other time so I have to deal with those situations on a fairly regular basis. It's a great shift in my opinion, very manageable once you are orientated to the residents and that amount of work load.

Congrats!