"What Being a CNA Means to Me"

    My name is Lindsey Nutt.  I am a Certified Nursing Assistant to St. Vincent's Home.  I have been a CNA for what will be two years in July.  I started out working in the dietary department at St. Vincent's Home.  After about a year and a half in dietary I decided that it was time to take the next step in my education and become a CNA. 

    Being a CNA is not just a job; it is a part of who I am.  I have learned so much in this profession to carry on with me through my years.  When I first started as a CNA, I thought that taking care of the elderly would be easy.  I quickly learned this is a tough job, but also very rewarding.  I appreciate the people I help take care of.  I have the opportunity to lean more about the way our society was when my residents' were younger.  To take the time out and actually sit and listen to the residents' talk about their lives, is amazing.  A few of the ladies I have taken care of knew my grandmother!  To hear them talk about my family long ago is just wonderful!  It's something I would have never learned.  I appreciate how lucky I am to have met all of the people I help to take care of. 

    I have always heard people say that this career takes a special person.  I didn't really understand what that meant, and then I learned.  This career requires you to be patient, courteous, hardworking, honest, respectful, understanding, ethical, and much more.  You must acquire all of these abilities in order to do your job successfully.  Their safety and well being depend on me, and my knowledge of my job.  Being a CNA is not just physical care; it's emotional care as well.  You have to be available to your residents needs, no matter what they might be.  I work around the residents' schedule, not my own.  Initially, most residents do not want to come to a nursing home.  Some feel their dignity is being stripped away from them.  They believe they've come here to die.  I'm sure most of us (caregivers) could not even possibly understand what that feels like.  As a CNA I'm here to make the residents transition to the facility, as well as their stay, be it temporary or permanent, as smooth and comfortable as humanly possible.  We need to ensure that all residents are safe, well cared for, and respected.  I want them to feel welcome, and to be able to talk about anything that concerns them.    

    I am with my residents' usually five days a week, eight hours a day.  I see these people more than some of their families.  It is my job to enforce the safety and well being of my residents. As well as giving quality care and their rights.  I must try my hardest to put a smile on someone's face, remind them it will be okay, and that I am there for them.  Knowing that I am doing something that will benefit other peoples' lives is rewarding beyond recognition.

    It is important to leave my personal problems at home when I come in to work.  If my residents' see I am having a bad day, they too, start feeling down.  Maybe seeing someone sad reminds them of something in the past or recent event.  I do not want to cause any pain for my residents.  They have been through enough.  It is my responsibility to try to the best of my ability to enrich their happiness.

    Being a CNA is an emotional job.  I do my best to comfort people when times are rough.  I have had residents' that have lost their entire families, children, spouses.  It is tough to hear about their struggles.  When people I have grown to admire and love pass on, it can be very hard.  I try to think of all the good times, and the smiles.  Life is inevitable.  I am here to try and make the road a little less bumpy.  I have come to appreciate and understand that my residents' lives are in my hands.  As a CNA I make sure every aspect of care is met.  It is my responsibility to do my best in helping a resident meet their goals, and explore new challenging ones.  I am with residents' usually more than than other caregivers in the facility.  As a CNA I am the eyes and ears for the nurses.  I need to always look for warning signs for any problems that might be happening.  Any behavioral change, medical symptoms, etc.  I am very proud of my career, and take pride in my work.

    Being a young person in this profession can sometimes be challenging! Some of the new residents often ask me how old I am.  When I tell them 21, sometimes they laugh!  I do understand how they feel.  When I put myself in their shoes and think about a 21 year old taking care of me, I would laugh too!  You have to have a good relationship with your residents and they have to trust you.  You can't just be someone that helps them, you have to open heartedly befriend them.  That is when a good relationship forms, and being a 21 year old taking care of them doesn't really seem so bad!

    I do plan to continue on my path in healthcare.  Being a CNA has opened my eyes to ways of improving the world, all you need is a dream.  My job as a CNA goes beyond my job description.  It is taking care of people that have lived their lives, and are wise in ways, I will not learn until I am sitting in their shoes.  I love and enjoy my career as a CNA!