I had the pleasure of working with two students the other day and I wanted to share some insights. From one tech/CNA in a hospital to other CNA students.
1.) Don't ask me about your break. If you are to get one just tell me you are going but don't ask me when you get it. I don't know. Plus it makes me think that you are lazy if you are asking when you get your break.
2.) You will see things in real life that are not taught in the classroom. This is a big eye opener. Please don't second guess these tactics unless a patient is being put in direct harm/danger. Patient safety is always number one but getting things done in a timely manner is number 2. Safe and quick is our motto.
3.) If you find yourself waiting new instructions or assignments, keep yourself busy by answering call lights. People will love you to no end for doing this simple task. This is also a good opportunity to learn teamwork. It doesn't matter if the call light is a patient of yours or not, it is everyones responsibility to answer them, even students.
4.) Attitudes can be hard to take, especially in a stressful place like a hospital. Please don't take anything personally because 99% of the time......IT'S NOT YOU AT ALL.
5.) If you really want to learn from the person you are with......talk to them about time management and prioritization. This is one of the hardest things to learn. Ask the person you are working with questions about how they plan their day and make prioritizations. Ask them what a typical day is like for them.
6.) I said this above in a round about way but the number one thing you should do in clinicals is ASK QUESTIONS!!!!!!! Why this? Why that? Why now? Why her? Why him? Where is this? What do I do when? How do I handle_____? Should I do _____? What do you want me to do? How can I help? Why do you do this procedure this way? What are you looking for when you are doing a bath? Can I watch? If someone has a line or a drain you have not seen before.......ask what it's for.
7.) Talk to your patients and ask them questions. Especially when it comes to transfering, lifting, or turning. Most of the time they can tell you exactly what they need from you to get from the bed to the chair or anywhere else. It's so easy to focus on the tasks and forget about the person. If there are two of you there rolling someone, ask the patient how they are doing. The patient will appreciate you taking them into consideration. If the patient looks scared, reassure them. Little things like that go a long way in creating trust with your patient.
Use your time wisely and learn all you can while you are a student. This is the best time to do so because in the real world, you may not have a chance to ask or sit down and read something but for now you do have that luxury.
Good luck to all the students out there. We need more people to do this job and we do appreciate you!
