Bowel movements and bodily fluids to me, are the least challenging aspects of this job.
It is grueling, stressful work, with serious, constant pressure from the administration, the nurses, the residents and most of all, many families who consider nursing and rehab. faculities snake pits, but put their loved ones in our care anyways, because they do not want to care for them at home. It is extremely stressful to work at breakneck speed from 7:00 until 3:00, all the while trying to cope with residents with manic depression, dementia, and other mental disabilities. Families can be really hard on CNA`s,as they should be to some degree. But many of them fail to realize that their loved one is not the only one who is in our care. Some of their expectations are unreasonable.
Nursing facilities are a business, and the bottom line is money.There is always a lack of supplies, struggles with laundry and dietary, and dealing with co-workers who have decided that they are not getting paid enough, so they are not going to give 100%. This affects everyone as a team. It is an apathetic, unprofessional attitude, and I find it to be rampant in nursing homes.
This is a job where you have to care about giving 100%. You have to be able to identify with the residents, and want to preserve their quality of life, and their dignity. You mean everything to them, and it calls for alot of compassion and humility on your part.
We all deserve a higher wage. Hopefully we all will be recognized in due time, and rewarded.We are truly doing God`s work in caring for these precious souls, who can be so cantankerous and abusive towards us.
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