Yes, sadly, another prison reference. But a valid question. When we get a new resident, I want to know why. Are we getting them well enough to go home? Can they not take care of themselves, so are in for a long stay? Are they just here to die?
I'm surprised at how many times I ask a nurse this and they answer me with, "I don't know."
How can we effectively take care of a resident if we don't know what they're in for? Going back to the prison thing, you can bet the warden knows what each of the inmates is in for. They need to know in order to effectively house and, possibly, rehabilitate the inmate. I argue that we are in the same lake, if not the same boat.
I intend to start being more proactive in this. If the nurse doesn't know, I'll go and read their history myself. I may just be a pill pusher and a butt wiper, but I think I can do both jobs better if I know what the goal is.
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3 comments:
Very good! I just had a family member really upset, complaining about a cna not knowing anything of her mother's medical condition. I had to get with the nurse and asked why she didnt communicate to the cna's info on their residents. She said she did. Well, found out it was a floater, a cna from a different hall helping that morning, and she didnt really know anything about the resident. BUT...her mistake was to ask the daughter: "what's your mom's condition?" Oh my...
Doris
K. Tree. I have enjoyed reading your comments. I am 60 and am entertaining thoughts about becoming a CNA. Do you think I will be mistaken for a resident? Would people actually hire me?
Thanks for stopping by Rick and Doris.
Doris, customer service is a huge part of the job and that means managing the customer's expectations. Sad how we blurt things out in a hurry before we think. If she had explained that she was floating and hadn't worked with the resident much yet, the daughter would have been more forthcoming and less upset. 'Course, I don't need to tell you that, but I hope someone told the CNA so she won't make the same mistake again.
Rick, the two most important questions you have to answer are: Is your attendance good and can your body take all the walking and lifting? Other than that, age should not be a problem. I work with CNA's that are gray haired like the residents. The residents seem to "cotton to" them better because they are closer in age and can better relate. I imagine having some of these tattooed and pierced Aides taking care of you is more disconcerting than having someone closer to your age do so.
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