murphybrown

Just a quick update to congratulate my friends J and S on their letters, look forward to seeing the both of you on the 6th of December!

Well, no news is good news right? Anyway -- I heard a classmate today say the letters went out and that there were 23 students accepted with everything done, and 12 more that had 1-2 prereqs in progress -- no idea how true this is. Who are you taking for HED002? I have that class this semester also.

Agreed. A week would be better. Two even more so. Although this depends on what type of patient you will be taking care of. Are their any recent surgical interventions like hip replacements? Are you taught how to move this type of patient? While CNA school does teach you a lot about the particulars, ADLs and such, it does in no way prepare you for real-world working environments. You will likely feel very slow, like you cannot get everything done. You may feel sad, frustrated and even want to cry at times. This all depends on how many residents you are trying to care for, their respective levels of independence, and how helpful your coworkers are. Don't feel bad if you feel slow -- these feelings tend to disappear after 2-3 weeks and actually getting your own sense of time-management and how to plan your shift's activities. Biggest thing, don't ever be in such a hurry that you leave a "fall risk" patient alone in the bathroom, and don't use hoyer/marissa or any type of lift by yourself. Best of luck to you in your new job :) I hope you do fantastic!! Edit: One other thing to be aware of - some residents (most) have their own set routines or expect things to be done in a very specific way, like getting in the bed from a different direction, or being positioned in the bathroom in a particular manner so they can ambulate to the commode. It takes time to learn all these things, and honestly is something that is an ongoing process with discharges/new admissions and being floated to different areas. It's a huge challenge, know that going in and reward yourself for a job well done :)

Congrats!!! Enjoy preparing for the first day of class, but don't forget to enjoy yourself before classes start -- it will be a while before you get to rest :)

I work for HCR ManorCare in California as a CNA while going to school. Some of the CNAs have been there for twenty years, others, like me, not as long. I have heard some horror stories about some HCR facilities, but some are very good. What you said about rehab -- these types of patients can actually be much easier to contend with rather than Alzheimer's units etc. Most rehab pts are able to do at least some of their ADLs on their own, while demented pts are obviously not so helpful and often capable of making your job take a little longer. I agree with what has been said on this thread -- you were working a busy facility with a full load and during a shift that should have been reserved for someone with more experience. It is easier to start out on PM or NOC than it is a day shift where you have many pts to get up, fed, and on their way to therapy. Wonderful that you got a new job, and hopefully your exposure at HCR will help you in your new job by being able to handle a full load and prioritize your activities. And just think, you already know how to empty/clean a colostomy bag now :) What you probably experienced there was something common in many facilities -- more senior CNAs are often not so nice to newbies, gossip starts then mob mentality sets in and the majority seem to be "against" you. As you progress throughout your career, keep this in mind -- and do what you can to help the newbie :) Best of luck to you.

Am I really the only applicant on allnurses for spring? Where are you guys :)

In California, you will need to enroll in a CNA program again. There is a small window of time if your certificate lapsed to recertify, but you have no valid CNA certificate and recertification does not apply. There are other reasons a recertification would not suffice, such as the CEU requirements and the need to have worked at least 1 day being supervised by licensed nurse or physician. Regardless, a skill refresher would be highly recommended since you "never got to work in the field" -- there are just things that become second nature to a CNA that is actually working vs. one that has not yet worked in a hospital or other facility. I wish you well in your endeavor to get certified again and hope you find a good place to work once you are a CNA. Besides, if you ever decide to go to LVN or RN school -- many colleges are now requiring applicants to be CNAs, so once you get that certification -- make sure to keep it active. --best wishes

Greetings, I'm wondering if there are any other applicants lurking/reading that have applied to the Spring 2014 LVN cohort at Mission College in Santa Clara, CA. Have you heard any news as to when they will be mailing out acceptance letters? Care to share your TEAS-V or other details? Me: I got a 72 on the TEAS-V, have done some of the recommended courses.