:typingHi, I plan to take cna classes as soon as possible. I am sooo excited! I just cant wait to do what I feel like I was put on this earth to do, And that is help people! I luv it!:redbeathe I have so many questions! first, I just found out I had to have a background check which is I've already started on. I was wondering what else will I need. such as shots, scrubs and other stuff to get me started. second, I want to know Is the cna test easy and after passing it how soon will i receive my certificate? 3rd, I would like to know. what shifts do you all think is the best shifts to work? I am used to working overnights, and I feel that overnights would be better, considering that I would think that most of the residents will be asleep. I think the morning shift would be hardest for me because I am not a morning person at all!!! I would also like to know. how many days a week and hours a day do cnas usually work? And last but not least, I would like to know, is it possible to catch any serious infections or diseases from patient? oh, yeah a few more questions.. Do anyone think its possible that a cna can get a job in a psychiatric hospital? And also I'm 21, Are there many young cnas around my age? Who do you think employers are most interested in hiring? Younger people or older? Sorry so many questions. but I felt it would be easier than making many threads and trying to keep up with them all. Thanks for any answers your able to give!!
Maybe it is a state to state issue. Here in NY, were not allowed to access the patient's charts. The only thing we have access to is the patient's care plans. At the end of our shift we have to fill out our CNA accountability sheets.
and, you won't always be told, that's why you MUST stick to the rules, wash wash wash, use your gloves, that's what they're there for, and get hep vaccinations.
Maybe it is a state to state issue. Here in NY, were not allowed to access the patient's charts. The only thing we have access to is the patient's care plans. At the end of our shift we have to fill out our CNA accountability sheets.
So in NY you aren't responsible for charting? Do you have some other sort of log that you keep, and is that considered a legal document? *curious*
I am a relatively new CENA-I started work in an LTC in December. I work the 3-11 shift & I work 8 shifts in a
2-week period. We have ADL books that we have to chart in at the end of our shift. In these books, are information regarding the elder such as how they transfer, what their diet is, thickened liquids?, dentures or teeth, etc., as well as information regarding their diagnoses. If an elder is determined to have MRSA, VRE, CDIF, where isolation precautions need to be followed, we are informed-verbally by the nurse, but also a cart with gowns and masks is placed outside the door and a sign that says "Please see the nurse before entering the room", so there are plenty of ways to know if you need to take extra precautions. However, you definitely want to follow standard precautions with each elder/patient/resident you care for.
As far as working the midnight shift and it being easy, this is not always the case. We have several elders who don't sleep at much at night and are awake for a large part of the midnight shift. This is called Sundowners. They do not always stay in their room, and many times it is safer for them if they are out in the living area where you can watch them better. This is especially true for those elders who are a fall risk. They may try to get up without your help and could potentially injure themselves. And like a previous poster said, you still have to make rounds and check that your elders are clean and dry several times on that shift. In our facility, the midnight shift is responsible to get up a certain number of elders before the day shift starts.
Don't get too worked up about whether you think you can handle this. You sound like you are going into this for the right reason-to care for people. The elders I work with appreciate us for helping them. It is very fulfilling knowing that you there to care for them and are able to make their day a bit better by providing them with the best care you can. I treat each of my elders as if they were a member of my family. If you start with that, the rest can be learned. As I was taking my CNA class, and even as I interviewed for my current position, I was told that anyone can be taught the skills necessary to do the job. But you can't teach someone how to be a caring individual. That is something you have to bring to the job.
I agree, And its not like I'm really freaked out about being around a person with aids. It was that I thought all the patients would be old and I didnt think that Aids really existed in really old people. but like someone posted "thats not true."
Quite honestly the only thing that really freaks me out is when the patient has something like the stomach flu or influenza. I've gotten both off patients and have been a very unhappy Casi.
Equinox_93
528 Posts
Also- we are taught *how* to chart- which would be pointless I'd think if we weren't to have access to the chart... *confused*