On June 21st I began my adventure to becoming a CNA. Fast forward nine weeks later, and I am about to graduate from the CNA program at LCC :) I only have two more days of clinicals, and 2 more days of class to complete! It has sure been a tiring, yet rewarding experience.
CNA work is nothing like I expected. I knew that CNA's do all of the grunt work, but I don't think that I fully realized to what extent that grunt work would be. CNA work is both emotionally and physically draining. Through this experience I have learned more about what it means to really love others, how to be brave during times when I am outside of my comfort zone, and how to truly be patient.
My first day in clincals was probably the hardest day of them all. I had never set foot inside of a nursing home, so I had no idea what to expect. My teacher told us a little about them, but nothing could really prepare me for what I was about to experience. The first thing that I noticed when entering the nursing home was the distinct smell of must, cheap orange air freshener, and all sorts of human bodily fluids. Not a good smell as you might guess. It was dark inside and had an immediate feeling of gloom. I remember standing at the nurses station looking down the four long crowded hallways. People were rushing up and down the hallways with faces of shear exhaustion. Several extremely disabled elderly people sitting in their wheelchairs, some yelling, while others sat in silence. Inside I was panicking. Could I really do this? I had never been around so many sick people who looked so hopeless. Many of you who know me know that I am easy to get emotional, so it is to no surprise that the tears started rolling once I got into my car and headed home. I was not emotionally ready for this. This was a side of aging and sickness that I had never experienced before, and I think that many of us have not seen. A lot of the elderly in this nursing home are hardly ever visited by family or friends, and feel as though they have just been left there to die. It just absolutely breaks my heart. They feel as though they are invisible to society, and that nobody but the caregivers really care about them. I met one elderly woman who is one-hundred years old and is completely blind. She is still able to walk with a walker which is amazing! She is not diagnosed with dementia, so she is well aware with what is going on around her. She is one of the sweetest ladies I have ever met, and one of the saddest. She is completely embarrassed with the fact that she cannot take care of herself anymore. She hardly gets visitors, and she has lost everything she has ever owned. She repeatedly tells me that she wishes that she had friends, and that she just wants to go home and die. Gosh what do you say to that? She has every right to be extremely sad. I think most of all, this woman needs a friend that she can talk to. Someone that will take the time to sit down with her, hear her stories, and talk about life. This is something that so many of the residents need, and I suppose something that we all need in every stage of our lives.
I have been working at the nursing home now for 3 weeks and I feel much more comfortable with my job. I absolutely love the residents, especially the 18 pound orange tabby cat named Morris who snorts :) I will tell you a little bit about some of my favorite residents.
There is a woman who is 98 years old who thinks that she is 23 years old. I absolutely adore her. She has severe dementia and is very dependent on others for care. She loves to hold your hand over her heart, and she will just hold it for as long as you'll let her. One of the things that she loves to do is to drum the table and clap. She used to be a music teacher, so she can keep a good beat. I think that somebody should get her some bongos!
Another one of my favorites is a Ukrainian woman in her 90's. She loves her accessories. She wears her sunglasses pretty much anywhere she goes, and she wears a hat quite often too. She will just sit there and smile at you all day long :)
There are also some really cute old men as well. One of the men that I usually feed daily loves his grapes! He also winks at me quite often, and tells me that he loves me haha. There is also an old man that gives all of the CNA's little back scratches while they are caring for him. That is his way of thanking us for what we do. He's also one that will just sit there and smile at you all day.
It is these people, and knowing that what I am doing is bringing some sunshine into these people's lives that have helped get me through my clinicals. Seeing the impact that you are making on others is so rewarding. I absolutely love what I do. It feels right, and for the first time in awhile I feel like I am in my element, and it is so exciting!
I also had the opportunity to work for two days at the hospital with my class, and it was probably the coolest thing ever! I loved it there, and I am so excited to work at a hospital someday. It is extremely clean, organized, and there is a lot of light! I got to work on the surgical floor with all sorts of different people of all ages. It was nice to have a little break from the nursing home. I am definitely signing up for the next CNA 2 class which will allow me to work in the hospital!
Friday August 20th is my graduation. The nursing home is hosting the celebration for my class to show their appreciation of our work. There will be lots of food, and the best part is that I'll be getting my certification for completing my class, and will be ready to take the state board of nursing exam later this month! I'm ecstatic!
THE BUSKIRKS ARE COMING TO TOWN!!!! Every time that I get to see them is such a treat. My sister will be arriving August 16th, and will be here for 6 days. My brother-in-law will be here for 2 days and will fly in at the end of that week. It should be a fun week of spending time with the whole Adams family clan. I can't wait!
Another exciting event happening next week is my grandma's surprise 80th birthday party on August 21st! The whole family will be there, plus some of her closest friends. I'm really excited to see her face when she walks into our house. She thinks that she is just coming to a small lunch to celebrate my graduation, but little does she know we are celebrating her! Her real birthday is on September 17th, but this was the only time that the whole family could be there. It's going to be wonderful!
Today I have the day off from clinicals, and it has been refreshing! I woke up just before 10 am, ate my cinnamon toast crunch, and then went to run errands with my mother. We got all sorts of delicious fruits and vegetables from the local farm, and I have been downing the blackberries ever since we got home. Tonight my parents and I are going to the annual Scandinavian festival in Junction City. It is an outdoor festival that has AMAZING food, crafts, Scandinavian dances, and vikings walking around. You can't get much better than that!
Here's a picture from two years ago.
Now I am off to help the parents wash all of our windows, inside and out, and after I think I'm going to take Zoe to a dog park and let her play with some other dogs for a bit. I love summer days! Kind of reminds me of the song by Jerry Mungo "In the Summertime" minus the part about the Women haha.
These are the lyrics I love-
"We're no threat, people
We're not dirty, we're not mean
We love everybody but we do as we please
When the weather's fine
We go fishin' or go swimmin' in the sea
We're always happy
Life's for livin' yeah, that's our philosophy
Sing along with us
Dee dee dee-dee dee
Dah dah dah-dah dah
Yeah we're hap-happy
Dah dah-dah
Dee-dah-do dee-dah-do dah-do-dah
Dah-do-dah-dah-dah
Dah-dah-dah do-dah-dah "
Good song :)
Me and my fabulous hammock!
This is summer living at it's finest :)
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