As a CNA, which stands for a Certified Nurses Assistant, student at Mt.Vernon, I spend half the day in either a classroom or at the nursing home. Then, I spend the rest of my day in classes. In CNA class the goal is to have the skills, knowledge and behaviors needed to become a certified CNA.
During the day we have a dress code that requires wearing royal blue scrubs Monday through Friday, except on Tuesdays, which is pink scrubs or business casual. This means I wear the same thing throughout the whole week.
We also have to have short nails, wear our hair up, and no tennis shoes or any shoes that allow liquid to leak through. This especially goes for the nursing home when helping residents with going to the bathroom or showering. CNA students do not want to have things getting in the way or, something like pee getting on their shoes, which would mess them up.
CNA students work and shadow at the nursing home until late December. My daily routine this week starts off with me packing my scrubs for the day. I go to morning weights, then at 8:00 a.m I leave weights and drive to the nursing home with my friend, Leah Wisker who is also in CNA.
Then when we get there around 8:30 a.m, we sign in with our teacher, before going to assigned sections. Next we meet with CNA or any nurse there and see what they need help with: like getting residents up, dressing, showers/bed baths, or any residents that need help feeding. Around 10:50 a.m we leave the nursing home to head back to school for the third block.
At the nursing home we practice and use the skills that are needed for the state testing to become CNA certified. Many are able to take care of residents in ways that the residents themselves cannot do, like going to the bathroom, showering, eating on their own, changing clothes as well as talking and connecting with residents as well.
I am in memory care this week which is for residents suffering from dementia, Alzheimer’s disease or any sort of memory loss. Most of the residents are very sweet and funny. It can be difficult to talk to them and ask them to do stuff, but I personally really liked being with memory care residents.
Next week I will be in another section of the nursing home. I will miss being in memory care, but I am excited to meet other residents and meet other people’s needs.