Howdy,
I think of all the jobs I have had that CNA is one of the hardest job for the least wage. This view may have come from the lack of workers in my Nursing Home. I would commonly have between 10 to 15 folks a night. This included feeding dinner, taking them to their rooms, toileting them, evening snack, vitals, toilet again, prepare them for bed, picking up the room, check/change their Depends, put them to bed, chart, recheck/change Depends before signing out for the night. This was a typical four hour evening shift. For the life of me, we could never figure out how to spend quality time with the resident, i.e. being there surrogate family, and get done with out cutting corners. Tempers ran hot and more than a few characters were assassinated. The turn over and burn out rate was less than a month. I lasted about six months but after switching to night shift (aka: the easy shift) for my last month I was through. Forty residents times six to seven Depends changes a night per resident plus vitals and house cleaning and charting and ...you get the point. Instead of gaining the hands on pt experience I really wanted I ended up on potty patrol, so I have switched to a volunteering internship at a local hospital working with physical therapy and I also donate time at a local voluntary community clinic (No Federal $) so now I am able to work with a variety of healthcare workers. I admit that I feel sort of guilty about leaving the NH because when I was there I knew that at least my res. where fed, cared for and keep clean and dry but the mental drain after six months and the non-living wage really wore me down. But then again the things that I have learned about the US healthcare system, elderly people and their families, death, and myself are all worth it.
Sorry for the long windedness...
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BSD
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Work under the assumption that you will be happy one day
