Tag: Nursing Assistant

Ways to Show Appreciation to Nursing Assistants

Nursing Assistants work very hard to offer a contribution to the medical field. They work hard to help patients meet their basic needs. They also offer comfort and support. They work one on one with patients, getting to know them better than the other medical staff. They use this knowledge to make things easier for the patient as well as to help the other staff do what is best for the patient. In addition, they work with Nursing staff, often assisting with anything that comes up at a moments notice.

While most Nursing Assistants are happy in their role, they often do feel like they are taken for granted. The do so much behind the scenes that often the patients and the employer dont realize all that they contribute to the overall goals of the medical facility and the medical profession as a whole. There are several things patients, staff, and employers can do to recognize the efforts of Nursing Assistants.

Many patients and their family choose to send a simply thank you note or letter to the Nursing Assistant. Often, this heartfelt thank you is more than sufficient. It can often help a Nursing Assistant stay motivated, knowing what they do really does make a difference for many people. A simple gift of candy, flowers, or a gift card can also be a great token of appreciation for someone who offered so much during your time of need.

Many Nursing Assistants do not feel appreciated by other medical staff, especially the Nursing staff they work directly under. Too often Nursing staff only point of what a Nursing Assistant didnt do. This needs to be addressed, and verbal appreciation needs to be expressed towards the efforts of Nursing Assistants. Another great way to show appreciation is to ask Nursing Assistants for their input regarding patient care and include them in discussions about how to handle particular patient issues. This will definitely make them feel appreciated and valued.

Employers need to work hard to make Nursing Assistants feel appreciated as well. With them being is such high demand, they need to work hard to keep those quality workers they already have. In addition, their attitude towards the issue will often set the tone for other medical staff.

Employers can extend appreciation to individual Nursing Assistants or the profession as a whole in employment newsletters. These are often well read materials that pertain to the medical facility and can be distributed monthly or every pay day along with your check. If your facility participates in Medical Appreciate Week, then it is imperative that the Nursing Assistants feel honored during that time as well. Some employers offer raises to Nursing Assistants based on their performance as a bonus to recognize their efforts.

It is important to understand that Nursing Assistants dont enter the profession looking for recognition. They sincerely want to help others the best way they can. However, being over worked and under appreciated it a mix that leads to stress, burnout, and often leaving the profession. Medical facilities need to take the opportunity to inform other staff of all the duties Nursing Assistants perform. Other staff and the facility need to work hard to make them feel as important as any other staff member.

This misconception will lead to a continued shortage of Nursing Assistants to help patients and other staff. That being said, it is definitely to the advantage of the staff and facility to make sure Nursing Assistants feel welcome, appreciated, and an intricate part of the team.

Support Groups for Nursing Assistants

Working as a Nursing Assistant can be very fulfilling. It is a great feeling to know you spent your day helping others. However, with this job comes a great deal of stress and frustration at times. This is due to short staffing so there is too much to get done, issues with other medical staff, and dealing with terminally ill patients or those who have died while in your care. All of this can start to take a toll on a Nursing Assistant, both physically and mentally. As a result, many Nursing Assistants suffer from burnout. They no longer find joy in the profession they were once passionate about.

To help you manage the stress and other factors that your job as a Nursing Assistant brings, support groups are a great way to discuss how you are feeling, both the good and the bad. It is a way to create relationships and receive support from others in the same profession. You will also have the ability to provide support to others in the group.

There are many ways Nursing Assistants set up support groups. It is very easy to put up a flier at work and ask those who are interested to come to a meeting. Make sure your flier addresses the group is only for Nursing Assistants. Many employers will support this effort, and offer you a meeting place. Make sure you discuss your reasons for wanting to establish a support group to administration prior to advertising.

Some groups meet weekly while others meet every other week. You can have established topics for each meeting or just allow members to bring to the table what ever they want. Make sure to set up ground rules for respect as well as prevent the meetings from becoming nothing but complaint sessions. The purpose of the support group is to help you stay positive, not generate the negative.

If your group of co-workers is very small, you might decide to set up a Nursing Assistant support group in your community, inviting Nursing Assistants from all medical facilities to meet together. You can select a central location such as the library. Often Churches will allow groups to gather in their facilities when not in use. You can also choose to rotate the medical facility that will host each meeting.

Online support groups for Nursing Assistants have become very popular. They allow you a level on animosity that face to face meetings do not. Also, your group will consist of people from all over the Nation, not just in your area. This can lead to learning new ways that work well for others that you can apply to your work environment. Online support groups for Nursing Assistants are free to join. They also dont require an effort being put into reminders for meetings, or securing places to meet.

It is important for Nursing Assistants to be aware of the dangers of stress and burnout in their profession. Having a reliable support system in place is a great way to offset the effects of stress and burnout. While our families and friends are often supportive of our career choice, they dont understand the depth of some of the challenging issues that happen for Nursing Assistants in their job.

Having a support group made up of your peers allows you a resource that is walking in the same shoes. If you are hesitant, give a meeting or two a try. You just might find it is exactly what you need to help you keep that level of enthusiasm for your job at its best.

Patient Abuse by Nursing Assistants

We have all heard horror stories of patient abuse by Nursing Assistants. This takes shape in many forms including sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, and theft. Most medical facilities Nationwide are taking precautions against such abuse occurring, including completing background checks. In some states, you cant work as a Nursing Assistant if you have any charges relating to domestic violence, harassment, or drunk driving because it is possible such behaviors can escalate in the work environment.

Many organizations complain that Nursing Assistants arent properly looked into because the demand is so great in the industry. As a result, some employers are lowering the background check expectations. However, many states are holding the employer responsible when such abuse occurs, so this will likely help to curb that process.

Sexual abuse charges by Nursing Assistants are taken very seriously. Such sexual abuse reports include allegations of inappropriate touching and sexual intercourse. It is most commonly found to take place with male Nursing Assistants with those they are responsible for bathing. It is the responsibility of Nurses to routinely make a surprise visit into the area where a Nursing Assistant is alone with a patient. This will help convey the message that their endeavors may be interrupted and caught.

Physical abuse by Nursing Assistants is often hard to prove unless it has been witnessed or bruises appear. Often this type of abuse is conducted by Nursing Assistants who are not satisfied with their job. They are easily upset, frustrated, and overwhelmed. Some abuse their patients as a method of teaching them that they think some of their behaviors are inappropriate. For example, some patients have reported being hit for soiling their clothes and bedding. This often goes unreported in elderly populations as they become very afraid.

Verbal abuse is one of the most common types of abuse by Nursing Assistants. It can be simple teasing, belittling, or threats. Often this type of behavior stems out of control issues and the desire to have a more important job.

Theft is the number one reported type of abuse by Nursing Assistants. In can include cash, food, jewelry, and even dietary supplements. In medical facilities, such theft can be hard to prove who did it because the patient comes into contact with so many individuals who work in the facility.

While most Nursing Assistants do their job with as much energy and work ethic as humanly possible, there are those who give the entire profession a bad name. It is sad when you think about it when is the last time a Nursing Assistant who did a good job made National headlines? Yet let one fall out of line, and you will hear it on the TV, radio, and the internet continuously.

The Nursing Assistant profession can be very difficult. It takes a very particular type of individual to be able to meet the requirements. Employers have a responsibility to protect all the patients. This requires money and time to be spent on extensive background checks and training. It also requires workshops and ongoing training for all staff members. Everyone should know signs of abuse to be watching for and how to report them. Abuse by Nursing Assistants will be prosecuted by law. Anyone going into the profession needs to be made very aware of that.

Nursing Assistants Dealing with Death

Nursing Assistants are a unique group of individuals who are dedicated to providing patients with the best possible care. They work hard to make sure their basic needs are met. They often go the extra mile to provide patients and their families comfort. They are trained to work hard, multi-task, and assist Nurses with any type of emergency that arises on any given day. However, their goal is to help others feel better. Dealing with the harsh reality of dying and death can be very difficult for Nursing Assistants to deal with, especially for those new to the profession.

Dealing with the issue of dying and death is relevant in any field of the medical profession. It is even more common if you are working in a critical care of elderly care facility. This issue should be taken into careful consideration before a Nursing Assistant accepts a position in such a facility.

Since all people view death differently, a Nursing Assistant will be exposed to many things going on during this time, both with the patient and with their family members. For those who are very religious, praying and possibly figures from their Church will be present. Others are afraid to die, and fight for every last breath trying to hold on. Respecting the wishes of the patient and the family is very important during dying and death.

There are those Nursing Assistants who are upset when they have to deal with dying and death. They feel this is not what they signed up for. They want to help people. However, Nursing Assistants can be a great source of comfort and compassion for patients and their families during those precious last hours. Do all you can to keep the patient comfortable. Often, their mouths become very dry. Even if they dont appear coherent, attempt to give them ongoing sips of water or ice chips. The lips may begin to crack, apply Chap Stick or Vaseline to prevent soreness.

Caring for dying patients requires you to remember details about them before they became so ill. For example, if a patient asked to be turned often because of soreness, continue to rotate how they are laying. Pay attention to their body temperature and adjust bedding, air conditioning, and heating as needed. A person will often become cold in the hours before death, so it is important to keep them as comfortable as possible.

Some signs of death Nursing Assistants should be familiar with include the loss of muscle tone, the slowing of circulation, changes in breathing, and blurred vision. It is important that the Nursing Assistant document such changes in the patients chart and immediately notify the charge Nurse of the situation.

While a patient is dying, the Nursing Assistant can help make the process easier for the patient. Adequate pain medications should be administered as needed to reduce the pain. Play the music the patient enjoys. Consider reading them a favorite book or Bible passages. Sometimes they will need extra comfort including someone to hold their hand. A Nursing Assistant can assume this role. Often, Nursing Assistants can rely on each other to help make the situation easier.

Many employers also offer counseling services if you feel they are necessary after dealing with dying and death of one of your patients. It is often easy to become attached to patients you care for on a regular basis. Your employer is well aware of this, and will want to help you feel better in your role as a Nursing Assistant.