yellow_crayon

As a person who is both not an NP and not American, my opinion may not be very helpful here. BUT, as a former foster child who lived in multiple foster homes with people from various backgrounds, I feel that I may be able to offer my thoughts. As a kid with a traumatic background looking for stability and acceptance, the last guardian I would want to have is someone who mentally and physically couldn't take care of me. The second part to this is that I wouldn't want a guardian who also couldn't take care of their own health because they couldn't do something as simple as maintain a relationship with a primary care practitioner. I understand that in the US many people have to pay for primary care, but if they can't afford health coverage I'm confused as to why they think they could afford to be a foster parent. Aside from that, I think simply "going with your gut" (with very little medical info) on someone you don't know could be potentially dangerous for the child. You might be impeccable at reading people, but 5 mins still just isn't enough. Like you said, people lie. In the end you seem to be apprehensive about the whole process, and I think that's a good thing. Again, since I'm not an NP, I can't give advice on how to handle it on the job. I can only speculate on what I would do if I were in your position given my experiences being directly in the system. If it were me, I would just refuse to sign the papers at all. If they really want to become a foster parent, they will have to take the steps needed to be eligible, such as establishing a long term relationship with a health professional. It's the very least they could do to prove that they are a productive, healthy adult when the responsibility they are taking on is so serious. Sorry for the wall of text!

Thanks for the info! That's great to hear. I was hoping someone would have positive feedback about the job as I'm actually quite excited about the prospect. If you don't mind me asking, did you get your training as a CCA at Sask Polytech? I am moving from Ontario to Saskatoon and won't be able to check out the school before attending. If you didn't, never mind the question. I just thought I would check. Congrats on graduating from the practical nursing program!

You can get a graduate degree in public health, epidemiology, medical anthropology, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and other health related areas. Programs usually range from two to three years, so if you decide not to go the nursing route (and don't mind extra schooling), your options are still endless. If not, then you can get a general job in something where the employer only requires a BSc or BA, but I wouldn't count on this. You'd be competing with everyone else on the market who went the general science/liberal arts route as opposed to a professional degree.

Just wondering if anyone here has experience working as (or with) a continuing care assistant (especially in the Saskatchewan area). I am currently finishing up a degree in Anthropology and am planning on eventually applying to a second entry program, but I want to work for a bit first and gain some face to face contact with patients. Given this, I am seriously considering enrolling in a CCA course. So for any CCAs out there: How did/do you enjoy the work? What were some of your duties/did you get to do nursing related tasks such as taking vitals etc ? Do you feel that experience with patients in LTC prepared you for nursing? (if you went on to pursue nursing) For those who have worked with CCAs, any info you could provide on your experiences with them would also be appreciated. Thanks!

I've been trying to reply specifically to people's comments but it seems they are showing up out of order. I apologize. I'm a total newbie at this and I'm still learning the forum. Everyone's comments so far have been really helpful, though. I'm hoping to figure this out soon so I can reply appropriately.

It's reassuring to hear that the kind of exhaustion I'm describing isn't common to all nurses. I just don't want to find myself physically and mentally drained after only one year, but it sounds like proper life management and a work/life balance would counteract that. Thank you for replying. This definitely gives me some perspective when considering this as a career option!

Thanks for the reply. OB is actually one the areas I'm (at the moment) most interested in. This could change after I get actual experience, but it's an area that I find interesting. I'm assuming that some nursing specialities are more exhausting than others (emotionally, physically, mentally, etc). Do you have any tips on how you deal with mental/emotional burnout? Thanks again :)

So, I've been a long time lurker and just recently decided to start an account so I could get an answer to this question. I'm seriously considering going to nursing school (I already have one degree) but I've noticed a trend on these forums, and in general, that's got me a little worried. From what I've read, most nurses who work directly with patients seem to talk a lot about how utterly exhausted they are ALL THE TIME. It paints the picture of a very stressed out, caffeine drinking, health care worker with little time for sleep or a personal life. I'm sure that this is most likely an exaggeration...or is it? Forgive me for my ignorance. I'm fully aware that nurses work very hard and have A LOT of responsibility, but being outside of that world, I'm not sure exactly how tough it really is. I'm very interested in medicine and the idea of direct patient contact, but not at the expense of my physical health or my sanity. As a nurse, would you consider yourself to be "pushed to the limit" in the way I described above, or have you found a balance? Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.