Vicki Erickson
One of the main reasons so many nursing assistants leave every year is that they don’t get enough orientation when they’re new to the job. I know because I had good mentors who trained me well, and now I’m working as a CNA mentor myself.
In my six years as a mentor, I’ve seen what a difference it makes to new workers to get a solid grounding. Even people who have done direct care before need time to get used to the new setting and the clients, residents, or consumers they’ll be working with there.
A lot of employers try to give everyone a week of orientation but often let that go by the wayside because someone calls in sick and there just aren’t enough people to do the work unless the new person carries a full load.
Those of us who have experience need to make time to slow down and teach new people. We need to nurture them, too. If someone you’re training does well, give them a little acknowledgement. I sometimes send someone a balloon with a snack that they like. And if they need a little more time, let the supervisor and the nurses know, so they can get a couple more days of orientation.
The new aides need to work at orientation too. I once had a high school girl as a mentee who would not listen to me at all. She just sat around and did her home work and wouldn’t even check on her residents. I had a real hard time with this, because I felt like I failed as a mentor.
But mostly when things haven’t worked out with a new aide I was orienting, it’s because we didn’t have enough time. We had trouble with one aide I mentored, and I think it’s because she and I only had two days together. I don’t think she was ready when they sent her out on her own.
Another new CNA got the full seven days, but for the first two days I was too busy to teach her properly, since we were the only two aides on duty. You really need another experienced aide on duty when one of you is orienting a new worker.
When you don’t give new workers enough time for training and you just toss them into the line of fire, no wonder so many don’t stay on the job. That’s not fair to them – and it’s not fair to the rest of us. We’re the ones who have to pick up the slack until someone else is hired, and then find the time to orient that new person.
So let’s make sure our new direct care workers get the proper orientation from the start. We need to keep more people in the profession, and we owe it to them and the people they’re caring for to make sure they know what they’re doing.
Vicki Erickson CNA/AC
Very well said Vicki!!! I couldn’t agree with you more. I have been in many of the same situations. I was also one of the new workers who were thrown in without adaquate training, but thanks to a wonderful experienced CNA I fell in love with the job. If we all take the time to train new workers adaquately from the start the whole system will be better off.
Bravo Vicki! I certainly remember being in both positions and the many times my frustration went through the roof. It is about time those in authority listen to those of you in the trenches(so to speak) It is especially important now to mentor new CNA’s in an effective manner with so many people looking at health care for jobs due to our economy!
Vicki, I was a peer mentor too, in a home based care setting. I agree with you 100%. Mentoring helps you stay in check as it helps new workers adjust to the job, the people they work with, the schedulers and supervisors, and how the agency itself works and what is expected. It also helps both sides in just talking to one another and letting the mentee know that they are not alone. I know I appreciated my mentor when I started. I was glad to be offered the chance to help new workers get used to their job. More workplaces should do this. Vicki, great article!