My life as a CNA...

I am currently employed at a Care and Rehab Center as a CNA: Certified Nurse Assistant. For those of you that don't know the REAL job description for a CNA, let me paint a little picture for you: you will be called to come in at all hours of the day. Annnnd the night. You will never, ever recieve holidays or weekends off because people are always going to be sick and need help. On a daily basis you will give showers, help pass trays and feed people, take vital signs, get people dressed, take them to the bathroom at least 3 or 4 times, make sure they are taken to all appointments, make their bed, change their bed, pick things up, change oxygen tanks and concentrators, walk with them to rehab, chart, and any other small or large task that they feel that they need done. Repeat all of this for 20 other people for a minimum of 8 hours a day. People will complain and wine and fight you. Sometimes even physically! You will be YELLED at for things out of your hands that don't even relate to you. You will have to play "catch up" on almost a daily basis because the shift before you didn't have time to finish everything. On any given day you will have some (or all) body fluids on you or your scrubs. Diry old men will not only make you feel raped with their eyes, but sometimes will even go for grabbing at your body. And you better believe that they will make nasty comments! If you want to feel completly overworked, underpaid, exhausted and not the least bit appreciated, then the CNA job is for you!

But you also get to literally be somebody's hands and feet and eyes and ears. You will sit on a 94 year old woman's bed with her as she sobs, crying out that she's sick of being alone and ready for heaven. You will work in the Alheizmer's Unit and be soooo excited when 1 of them remembers something from the day before. You will get lots of kisses on the hands and face. You can walk into a room that is a disaster, to a person that's having the worst day of their life and 1 hour later walk out having turned their day around. You will sit with old women that talk about how amazing their husbands were and old men that teach you about guys side of marriage and what to hold out for. You will get to feel the incredible spirit of death and the peace that finally comes to people with it.

Ever left your job, screaming, contoured and spasming? In an ambulance? Let's just say it's not been the highlight of my time there. Coming back though, I have never felt more appreciated! Everybody from nursing, to rehab, activities, kitchen and housekeeping. Thanks for everyone's concern and phone calls! And THANK YOU to Lynsie Brunt who came to the ER and brought me this rose and some candy! Sometimes CNA life surprises you and you make friends with some really good people. I LOOOOOVE my job! :)