CNA Nursing Assistant: Do You Want an Easier Workday?

Do you enjoy being a CNA, but the pay could be better?
Do you like the residents and wish you could get them better care?

Believe me, I understand. Being a certified nursing assistant is one of the most rewarding, yet frustrating jobs on the planet. Worst of all, most people really don't understand what you do or what you tolerate to make it through your day.

* Here are 7 quick tips to help make your workday a little easier:

* 1. Treat Residents Like Guests.

When you change your view of the residents, it makes it fun to be around them.
Pretend you own the nursing facility and all the residents have come over to rnvisit you and your family. Make them as comfortable as possible and give them rnyour best food. When you pretend they are only staying for a little while, your rnworkload doesn't seem so hard.

* 2. Read Inspiring Quotes and Books Before & After Work.

Positive words are very important in a very thankless job. When you feed rnyourself good thoughts you give yourself the power to change your mood and rncreate a world inside of you that others can't touch. Build your strength in rnpositive thinking so you can get more out of your everyday experiences.

* 3. Listen to Soothing Music during Breaks & Lunch.

Music soothes the soul, so let it soothe you. Listening to soothing music can rnmake the difference between getting a promotion and working with no rnrecognition at all. You will become more relaxed and your mind becomes clearer,
so you can handle all the daily tasks and activities. Just remember, all personal rnmusic devices should be put away during your working hours.

* 4. Don't Share Stories

As a certified nurse assistant you are trained to share your challenges with your
RN or fellow certified nurses when you want to discuss a particular resident, but
I'm telling you "NO...NO...NO" When you share your feelings with others,
sometimes your words get misunderstood or changed. Even worse, sometimes rnyour words are reported to the RN and you get written up for something you rnmay or may not have said. In this case, the best thing to do when you need to get rnit off of your chest, is to vent alone in your car or keep a writing tablet to write rndown how you feel.

* 5. Don't Use Anything Belonging to the Residents

Depending on the shift you work, you may have emergencies come up from time rnto time which require you to use the phone, a pen, a pencil, a piece of paper, a rntissue or something. Please don't ask or use the resident's things. Let me explain rnwhy. Residents are very particular people. They may offer to help you one day rnand then get mad with you the next day because they really didn't want to help rnyou. Sometimes, they offer to help you and then tell the RN that you took their rnstuff. Or, sometimes you may use a pen just to write something down and forget rnto give it back to them, so they accuse you of stealing to the nurse. These are just rna few examples of what could happen, but here is what you should do:

-make sure the resident is safe, -excuse yourself from their room, -handle your problem, -get back to them when you're done.

* 6. Track All Work time.

Many CNA's trust the time clock to keep accurate data for them, but the clocks rncan breakdown sometimes and you will want to make sure you get paid for any rnand all work time that you have performed. Keep a personal log book of regular rnhours, overtime, holiday time and in-services for your protection.

* 7. Smile

Smiling is uplifting. When you learn how to smile through your days you will get rnso much more out of your work experience and the world will give so much more rnin return.