Tell us what was your first day as a CNA like...?

Nursing Students CNA/MA

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:pumpiron: :welcome: Hi Everyone,

I wanted to start this thread because for 2 years I had My CNA License but never used it because I was employed as a Legal Clerk at a company that was close to my job and it was physically easy ( mentally draining) and I also took the course to see if I wanted to be a nurse. Well since then I still want to be a nurse and decided to quit my Job and become a CNA while Im in nursing school.

I will be honest, I never used it because I thought the work would be so hard. When I was in the CNA Program I saw 1 CNA get 12 patients in a LTC.I was terrified and thought I could never do this:uhoh21: . I finally conquered my fear and started working last week. The first and second day it was easy, I was a sitter for a ALZhmers pt( evening shift).I thought hmm its not that bad. Then today I worked the AM shift with 8 patients, and I thought uh no can I do this:smackingf . Mind you ,when I do my AM's at school I have only 1 patient and it takes me forever( I see some nurses and CNA laugh at us students because the time we take) to that one. I dont know what happened but superwoman came out of me today:pumpiron: and I acutally took care of those 8 people and was told I was doing I was doing a little more than I should.Not to mention a guy who had diarrrea all day and had to change him 4 times today.The nurses thanked me and told me that I was nice to work with. This was a very big and proud moment for me, because it shows when you come face to face with your fear and have determination you can do it!!

Im intrested to know anyones first day story.....

Specializes in LTC.

My first day was just a blur. I was so lost trying to remember everything!

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I am not a CNA, yet, but I have heard you can put something like mentholatum under your nose to help with awful smells. I am going to make sure I have that in my pocket at ALL times. :lol2:

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Specializes in CNA, RN Student.
I am not a CNA, yet, but I have heard you can put something like mentholatum under your nose to help with awful smells. I am going to make sure I have that in my pocket at ALL times. :lol2:

Are we really not allowed to breathe through our mouths? I've always breathed through my mouth instinctively in public bathrooms, when changing my kids diapers, when in an area where an odor is not favorable. Nobody can ever tell that I am doing, I've become a pro but I did hear one of my instructors say no...but I missed the reason why. Why can't we breathe through our mouths?

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Specializes in Med/Surg < 1yr.

Although I'm just a CNA trainee at an LTC facility, I think the reason you can't breathe through you're mouth is that you would not be able to "smell" if something is wrong. For example, my mentor had me take a sample of poop from a resident's diaper because the smell was horrid and she said it smelled of C diff (sp?). I was breathing out of my mouth so I couldn't tell you what it smelled like and wouldn't have known to check for that.

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Uh oh. I was planning on breathing through my mouth for the yucky stuff. I also instinctively breath through my mouth when changing my kids' diapers or enter a stinky public bathroom. I always laughed at my husband who would change a diaper and be gagging the whole time. I'd always ask him why he doesn't just breath through his mouth. :lol2:

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Specializes in CNA, RN Student.
Uh oh. I was planning on breathing through my mouth for the yucky stuff. I also instinctively breath through my mouth when changing my kids' diapers or enter a stinky public bathroom. I always laughed at my husband who would change a diaper and be gagging the whole time. I'd always ask him why he doesn't just breath through his mouth. :lol2:

I just asked several of the CNA instructors at my school about this and they told me that we could do whatever we needed to do so long as it was in good character and not offensive to the patient. One of my instructors said that many students would put on a nice face and as soon as they were done with the patient, run as fast as they could to the bathroom to throw up. She said everyone is different and develops their own way to get through it. So, Bethany, since we are instinctive breathers, we are probably really good at looking like we are breathing normally and as far as I know right now, I'm going to have to do that for a while. LOL.

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breathe through your nose and you smell it, breathe through your mouth and you taste it.

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burn_out - you are right...about tasting the smell if you breathe through your mouth. I learned that today (my first day in a LTC facility that is part of my CNA class). It was a very hard day for me. There were three people who had fallen on the floor, lots of people that we had to move with Hoyer lifts, and lots and lots of people that had soiled themselves and had been laying in it awhile.

I sure wish I didn't gag so much. I was told it gets easier after the first day by one person. Several other folks told me it takes about a month. They also said they couldn't eat much for that time period.

I guess I am going to just try to take this one day at a time and do the best I can. I am a little scared, but I feel heartened by reading the writings of folks that post here. I think that if others can handle it, why shouldn't I be able to? I am going to try. :)

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Specializes in Geriatrics.
breathe through your nose and you smell it, breathe through your mouth and you taste it.

I agree with you very much on that. i found I lost some weight because I can still taste the poop in my mouth and that is the nasty-ist thing that you can taste.Im use to smelling by now and my gag reflex has calmed down a little, but better than the beginning of CNA school

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Specializes in LTC, cardiac, ortho rehab.

im an lvn but heres what i do regarding the smell of poop. carry around some vapor rub in your pocket, apply some under your nose and wear a mask if you want. the mask keeps the smell in.

dont forget to report any foul smelling poo to your nurse!

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Not my first day as a CNA, but first day on my own as a Med Aid I had a patient fall, hit her head, had to call 911, the whole bit. I was so scared I would get fired, though I wasn't even in the room during the fall.

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I just remembered first day as an NA had pt have diarrhea all over the floor so bad my trainy gagged and she had to leave the room. But I was a champ and cleaned everything up.

First day in ALZ ward I thaught one pt was litterally going to kill me. Combative, hitting, biting, ....

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