@MonkeyDLuffy777 Welcome to healthcare. The moment your hand hits the glove it's no longer your hand, but a high power precision cleaning machine. I remember telling this to someone who was asking about being a volunteer in the ER. But you will learn how to technically clean someone rather than the notion of just throwing them into the bath/shower.
- Wash basin, chucks, drag/pull sheets, gown, linens in case you soil them.
- Wash inside out and make sure you always wash private areas with a clean surface.
- First seat opportunity to observe different qualities of rashes within the rectal area. Calazime is your best friend.
- Are you a male? Welcome to elderly female guest population. Want to know what it's like to attempt to provide care to a patient population that has their eyes on you? Excellent chance to work on your patient interaction skills.
- Don't get scared if you notice they have an erection when you're cleaning them, it's normal. They're just happy to see you.
- Always ask for an assist if you are uncomfortable with cleaning someone with a G-tube or respiratory tubing. You can tell if the culture in a care facility is piss poor if they intermittently throw you in with hard patients with no assist. These are places you don't want to be in.
***Not all nursing facilities are the same: day nurseries, long term care facilities, assisted living, rehabilitative care and a variety of others all provide different levels of care. The more independent the resident, the less taxing work for you. Do your due diligence during an interview and feel out the location. Ask them how many hoyer lift patients (completely dependent/immobile) the facility has and what the CNA to resident ratio is on weekdays v. weekends.
