A.M. Wolf

We all work in different places, so there are going to be specific pet peeves for each of us. But my universal one is simply when patients are rude to me, which happens a lot.

Well, where I live, they mostly call CNAs "care aides." The biggest thing to learn is how to be fast, especially in the long-term care setting. Either wear a wristwatch or a nurse's watch and always be acutely aware of the time and how to maximize it.

TIME MATTERS. Be fast. Be efficient. Get a wristwatch you like. Use it. Always be acutely aware of the time.

I did do a search but could not locate anything that I found useful, but perhaps I just wasn't looking right. My problem is that even on eveningshift my body is still on dayshift sleep schedule and I lie awake at 4 am as though I had to get up for a dayshift.

I'm going from dayshift to eveningshift. Usually 2 to 3 days followed by 2 to 3 evenings. My problem is that when I go from days to evenings, my nights sleeping after evenings I still wake up at 4 am and can't get back to sleep again.

Greetings friends & colleagues, I work as a CNA on a dayshift / eveningshift line. My goal is to sleep at least 7 to 8 hours every night. Lately, I am frequently tired, irritable, anxious, and depressed. I think shift work disorder is eating my brain. What are your best practices for getting good sleep on a rotating shift schedule? What are your strategies for coping in the best way possible? Could you recommend any online resources or publications? Could you recommend any OTC medications? Thank you!

Greetings everyone! I was looking for recommendations for the best shift work calendar app for Android. I would strongly prefer to pay for it if it means a better app with no advertisements. Any suggestions? Thanks!

Well, first things first. DO NOT HAVE CHILDREN. Humans are an invasive species by every definition, we do not need more help destroying the planet. My feeling that if you did "start a family" you will be less likely to pursue nursing school. Children are a huge financial commitment. Neither you nor your fiance should feel pressured by society to have children merely because that's what it thinks people should do. Enjoy more freedom without children! What is your current health care designation / occupation? Perhaps you could save money before you start school? I concur with your perspective ABSN program. Working would be detrimental to your performance and well-being in the program.

I am not sure. Health care can be a passive aggressive environment, so it might be best to keep your long term career goals just to your friends and family. Competitive? It is competitive, depending upon the school, to be admitted to a nursing program. I would not pursue a nursing program that is not competitive. A good idea is to find a hospital or facility you would like to work for and ask human resources where they hire from the most. As far as being in nursing school, groups will (probably) form, often around ethnicity or national origin. But unless your school has a graduation cap (only a certain number can graduate in a year), there is enough room for everyone at the finish line. What made me different from some other students when I was in school is that I saw my class as one big team that should work together to help everyone be successful. My class was, unfortunately, not always this way, but I was always striving to make it so and not dissuaded by others who did not share the vision. Hopefully your class will be a real team.

That's a tough one. I can't think of any CNA position that would meet those requirements. I often forget what actual day of the week it is because my schedule is all over the place. Is it possible to temporarily stop being a CNA to focus on school? I realize that this may be difficult depending upon your life situation. However, if you have supportive parents or a supportive spouse (or both), it can be done. I'm very thankful to my husband for supporting me so well while I was pursuing school.

Are you in the "United" States? Are you a member of a union?

As health care providers, we should always take a humanist perspective and believe in people as people for people. As human understanding grows and changes, so must society along with it. And as the great David Lo Pan said, "You were not brought upon this world to 'get it'".

I'm not going to ask what exactly you were doing, but it's very very important that we are always on our best and most careful behavior at all times. We cannot afford any criminal charge. That being said, have you spoken to a lawyer about your charge? Perhaps there is a way to get it expunged? It may be useful to speak with someone in HR at potential facilities to know if this charge would affect anything. It is a misdemeanor and not a felony after all. As you are a student, perhaps there is a free or low cost legal society in your area? Perhaps there is an instructor you trust who could provide some perspective?

That's a tough one. Maybe you could stick up for the residents in a non-confrontational way? Something like, "Oh now Nurse So-and-So, I know you don't mean that! Mrs. Distinguished Resident is a proud of his Japanese heritage!" Mocking residents is not acceptable, as is being anything less than supportive to our coworkers. Is there an ethics hotline? Who is the person over the Director of Nursing? If nothing else, perhaps you could talk to your Chaplin for advice? Or is there a nurse that you know you can trust?

Greetings! Dedicated CNA here needing to replace his worn out pair of New Balance walking shoes. I was thinking about just getting another similar pair, but I have the feeling there's probably better shoes out there. I bought the New Balances specifically because they were white (required at the time) and had an all-leather exterior (easy for wiping / cleaning). But here's the thing -- nowadays they don't necessarily have to be white (though traditionally feminine colours are a plus) and the number of times I've had to wipe foreign material (feces, vomit, etc) from my shoes has (fortunately so far to this point crossing fingers) been zero. So my thought was maybe get something that breathes better? But in my previous experience, finding good nursing shoes in male sizes is tough. So I'm looking for recommendations. Your advice is greatly appreciated!