What do you do at the cna clinicals

Wyocrazy_CPhT · Oct 11, 2008

i just started my clinicals at a nursing home from the practical nursing program, and the first full day of working was hard for me.

at a nursing home, you will be giving baths, feeding them, changing their clothes, and doing what ever needs to be done. my first day was on the 9th of october, and i was a little nevous.

i am at the nursing home that my grandmother lived and died at. :crying2: it will be hard for you, but as one of my instructors told me, "we are starting there cause they are the easiest to take care of." we get to "practice" on them before moving on to the hospitals.

i made many of the residents day just by stopping in their rooms and talking to them. they are the nicest people in the world. granted some will cuss at you, but you just have to remember that they aren't in their right minds, and it is possible that they would never say those words when they were younger. i had a little lady that wanted to go to the dq, so i acted as if we were getting in my car and i took her to "dq". i took her to the dinning room, but in her mind we was at dq and she ordered herself a milkshake. and the cooks got her one. i just think of all the elderly people there as either my grandma or my grandpa and take care of them as if they were. they can't help how their bodies are. one asked me,"why does god not go ahead and let me die?" i sat on the side of her bed, and we talked and i told her that maybe god thinks you haven't fullfilled what he wants you to in your life. she was my grandmother's best friend when my grandmother was alive. and it hurts me to see her the way she is. even though she isn't one of the residents i am required to help, i am going to help her anyways.

i hope this will help you, i know it is long. but after starting college in 1995, and going from zoology degree to now nursing, i feel like i have finally found what i should have been doing from day one.

Wyocrazy_CPhT · Oct 11, 2008

A bed bath is when the cna or the nurse goes to the residents room and gives them a bath. they usually can't get up out of bed, so they get one while laying in bed.

Ambulation is when you get them up and moving around. It could be just getting them up from the bed to their wheelchair, or from bed to their walker and help them walk. Its not hard at all.

Any questions I will try to help ya out.

Ms. 2B*RN Mel-E-Mel · Oct 30, 2008

I did my CNA at Michael Reese Hospital. The school I attended is called Spectrum Nursing in Bolingbrook IL. I already didn't want to obtain a CNA cert/lic but I knew it would help me into a nursing program-so i thought.

Anyway....to me there's really no big of a difference then doing clinicals at a nursing home or hospital.

Basically you bath patients, comb their hair, assist in feeding them, change their "incontience pads"-DISGUSTING!! make beds and take vitals, record input and output.

Some patients were nice, but some were mean. I had a patient that was strapped to the bed because of a mental disorder, by the way we worked on a med/surg floor. On this type of floor, you can see anything. THis patient was CRA and Z! This patient would spit, growl you name it this patient did it. THere was another patient that had severe decubis sores roughly 5 inches wide 6 inches deep according to the wound care nurse.

There was another patient who was terminally ill with AIDS and cancer this patient had a biospy and was missing part of their skull this is just to name a few issues.

If your clinicals are at a hospital or nursing home be prepared for the worse and it won't be soo bad. But after doing my clinicals I knew exactly where I DID NOT want to work.

I hope I didn't scare you....but it's over soo quick ....before you know it you're done.