Perspectives of a Certified Nursing Assistant

CATE RISER – October 14 is World Hospice and Palliative Care Day. According to the Worldwide Hospice and Palliative Care Alliance, it is a day of recognition to support hospice and palliative care efforts worldwide. Palliative care is a specialized medical care that focuses on optimizing quality of life for people suffering from serious illness. It is a complex field of care which is often misunderstood. In hopes of gaining a better understanding of long-term and palliative care settings, I interviewed Claire Roembke, a UGA student and certified nursing assistant (CNA). Below, Roembke shares her experiences caring for residents across a wide spectrum of health and abilities. If you have considered or are considering working as a nursing assistant or patient care technician, hearing her perspective may help you decide whether this important position is a good fit for you.

Introduce yourself! What are you studying? Do you work currently?

My name is Claire Roembke and I am a third-year student studying nutritional science on the pre-PA track at UGA. Currently, I am working as a certified nursing assistant at a nursing home in Athens that offers assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing.

What got you interested in working as a CNA? What was the certification process like?

I got my CNA certification through my high school. We had a three-year pathway that focused on anatomy and physiology as well as clinical applications, and at the end of the pathway, we had the option to take a written test and skills exam to obtain the CNA license. I wanted to gain healthcare experience, and while I was pretty sure I wanted to be a physician’s assistant one day, I wanted to get my foot in the door. 

What does a typical day at work look like?

When I come into work, I get my assignment for which patients I will be caring for that day. This is usually between 4 and 9 patients. I usually go into my patients’ rooms and introduce myself, letting them know that I will be their CNA for that particular shift. After that, the work varies based on what unit I am placed on: assisted living, memory care, or skilled nursing. For example, if I am on skilled nursing, I will take vitals like blood pressure, pulse, temperature, respirations, and oxygen saturation when I come in and then attend to the residents on a scheduled basis. On assisted living, it’s a bit different because many of the patients are independent in their daily activities and only need help with certain tasks.

What do you like most about being a CNA? What is the most rewarding part of your job?

My favorite part of being a CNA is forming relationships with the residents. They show so much appreciation for the things that we do, and it is really rewarding. Connecting with residents’ families is also really great. When you get to know the families, they know that they can trust you to care for their loved ones.

What is the hardest part about your job?

The hardest part is dealing with residents who can be more problematic in their behaviors. Even when a patient gets physically or verbally violent, you have to put your emotions aside and remember that they depend on you for their care. It gets complicated when you are taking care of a physically aggressive patient because you have to think outside the box to find a way to still get done what needs to be done while keeping yourself and the resident safe. It can also be difficult to feel a lack of appreciation from those “higher-up” who have little hands-on experience of the situations CNAs experience daily, and therefore have a hard time understanding the challenging work we put in. The job can also be very physically demanding.

What do you think is important to keep in mind when caring for a patient with dementia? 

One thing that is really important is to protect their dignity. Some people take advantage of patients suffering from dementia because they do not remember things as well. Again, you need to go out of your way to be creative in how you get things done. It helps to try and make activities fun for them, because they have a hard time understanding why they are in the facility doing the things they are doing. 

If you could give a piece of advice to someone who is starting a job as a CNA at a long-term care facility, what would you tell them?

It takes a long time to really learn how to be a CNA. When you actually start working, it feels completely different from the classes you take to get your certification so there can be a big learning curve. Burnout is also important to keep in mind, so don’t feel guilty for taking a break or working less hours if you feel like it is taking a toll on you mentally. Also, make sure you are spending time with friends and family outside of work and just taking care of yourself in general!

What misconceptions do you think exist surrounding palliative care settings, and what do you think people should know about long-term care?

I feel like geriatric care isn’t seen as an “exciting” field by many aspiring healthcare professionals and tends to have a negative connotation. When you work with these patients or residents, you are helping them perform activities of daily living, which is such a raw form of patient care that isn’t seen in many other fields. 

How do you feel like you have grown as a worker/care provider during your time as a CNA? Have your perceptions changed?

I have definitely become more resilient in that I do not take things as personally anymore when I go through difficult situations at work. My skill set has grown a lot since I started working as a CNA. I also have developed strong ties to the residents that I have gotten to know. When I started, my attitude towards work was to come in and just do my job, but as I have developed relationships with the residents, I feel a responsibility to advocate for them and their needs as much as possible.

How do you feel your experience(s) as a CNA will help you in your future role as a healthcare provider?

I feel like my experience as a CNA has stressed the importance of individualized patient care and treating every patient as an individual rather than just another person to care for. Also, in terms of how to speak to patients and their families, this job has been very helpful in improving my communication skills.

Copy Editor – Elizabeth Vaitl

Photography Source – https://www.allnursingschools.com/certified-nursing-assistant/