I Use To Be A CNA and I loved It

This was many moons ago when I took a few month course to be able to take care of people and help out nurses as needed. I was certified through the state and went straight to work in a nursing home.

Each day I would take care of an elderly person's needs. Feeding, bathing, dressing. I loved it and would get to know every one of my patients. They were just like my grandparent and I took care of them as such. I came on my shift and got the rundown on what happened on the shift before and if there had been any changes to a person's medications or personal care needs that we needed to address. We as CNAs were taught to never touch any medication because we did not know what it was and what any interactions or anything about the person’s medications they were already on. That was only for the nurse. We only knew about med changes to keep an eye out for any changes in them with the med change.

I would get on shift check each person to see if they needed to get up, if they were not up already, change and clean their depend if they needed. One thing I had always told a new person when doing any personal care to a man or woman down there. They like it just as much as we like it. They are highly embarrassed and rather not have someone else clean them if they could do it themselves.

I would take vitals, meaning check their heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure for those that were being monitored that closely. At supper time we would take those down to the dining room that went down there to eat. Then come back and feed the ones that stayed in bed. After they would eat they would use the bathroom and take showers to get ready for bed. A lot would sit up in the day room to watch tv until bed or their shower.

The nurse would go around passing their night meds. After they had gotten their baths and meds, it was off to bed. The more coherent ones would sit up watch tv in their rooms or read. Others would just lay and sleep. I would have to write everything down in charts that happened with each patient that afternoon/evening shift. No computers back then.

If you are thinking of being a nursing assistant of any kind. This job is so rewarding. You get close to your patients. Take care of each one and entertain them if need be by playing cards. You get to know the things they use to do, what they use to do when they were younger. So you grow a bond. I even took care of alzheimer’s patients. A lot of those patients were mentally no longer there but I still did my best to make sure their last few days were not terrible being in a nursing home, away from their families, and not even remembering their families.

I think the hardest part of the job was the death. I only took care of the elderly when I was a CNA, even though I could have done a lot more. Watching the ones I grew close with pass on was not easy at all. My first death was not as hard as my second death. After that, it got easier. My first death her whole family had been there with her until her last breath. But my second person was harder because she had to do it alone with a bunch of strangers in and out checking on her and no family coming to see her, not even once to say goodbye. That put me in tears for her and I prayed that never happen to me.

It was still a very rewarding job knowing you are doing good in the world and taking care of those who can not take care of themselves. I would suggest anyone who can handle changing a child's diaper, do this type of work. I for one wish I could still work in this field but my back says I can not chance to lift anyone anymore.

Hope this helps answer some questions. Any more questions feel free to ask, I am an open book. 😊

©Kerrie Gutierrez-Diaz 2022 All Rights Reserved

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