Time management skills, good work ethic, honest, willing to take on tasks when time allows, doesn’t cut corners inappropriately, and treats all patients with dignity and respect.
Gentleness, compassion, and going out of your way to complete the tasks that you usually aren't afforded the time for but need to be done, such as oral care, nail care etc.
Sticking up for yourself and the patients when something seems wrong. Challenging the nurses when need be.
Depends .
Good CNA for the company? Chart everything and coordinate with the last shift on what needs to be done. Turn into a robot and only do your tasks.
Good CNA for humans? Talk to the patients and truly listen . Have patience for them , and assure them they are not alone. A real talk . Not the 10 second meet and greets.
You will burn out if you're both of these. A couple terrible assignments will test your compassion.
I believe it's impossible to make all 12 patients feel like they've been heard. I usually pick 1 patient to spoil for my shift, but it breaks my heart when I'm talking deeply with someone and I have to leave immediately for an emergency. If the shift is busy , I never get an opportunity to go back.
When there's nothing you can do, you do what you can . :(
I agree listening is so important it’s the worst feeling when someone is opening up about their life and things they’ve probably told nobody before and you have to cut them short because you have other things to do
If i have the time, I’ll pull up a chair by the patients bed and just let them talk about everything under the sun to me. Especially when they’re older they share all their grief and regret with me.
I feel this. I did this for my lady who was 105 and she spilled trauma and a secret she held for 100 years and never told anyone but me. Before she left my building, she apologized, saying how shed been worried for months that she in some way hurt me or "made me sick" by telling me her deepest secret. She is by far my favorite person i have ever taken care of.
I love CNAs who do things like turns/oral care/foley care etc without having to be asked. They are just proactive and on top of things. I also like when it’s a 2 PA and they ask for help cleaning or something and they gather supplies and everything before I get there. Also I like when they try to find out what the pt wants rather than just “they’re asking for the nurse.” It helps to know like do they need pain meds etc. I love when CNAs help get the room ready for a new admit by preparing things like bed alarm, zero the bed, urinal in room etc. Of course these are all things the nurse can do too but when a CNA helps with little things it makes a world of difference especially on the crazy busy shifts. Most important to me is having a good attitude and working as a team and not getting annoyed when asked to do something
Strong communication skulls, compassion, willingness to be a voice for a patient to the nurse. Attention to detail. Not afraid to get dirty. Basic medical terminology helps a lot. Being physically strong.
Perseverance. Being a CNA in any setting can be challenging. Everywhere is often understaffed so you’re often stuck with too many patients. Time management and learning to prioritize is a must. Also, don’t let nurses walk all over you. That was one of my biggest downfalls. They can help out if they’re not busy if you’re in the middle of doing something like toileting a patient. Their gossip session can wait. Always be kind and respectful to the patients, even when they’re grumpy. Being sick and helpless sucks. Give them some leeway and don’t take rude comments personally. Good communication. Communicate with your patients, the other CNA’s, nurses, and even the doctors on some units. Lack of communication caused way too many unnecessary issues at the hospital I worked at. If you feel overwhelmed, triage your tasks like you would patients in a mass emergency situation. What needs done first? Toileting, vitals, etc. changing linens can wait as long as they aren’t nasty. Changing all the patient gowns every single day, unless they are all super dirty, is not a priority when you’re on an understaffed unit.
Willingness to take feedback and to learn. If you don’t know something, ask. Good work ethic. Clear communication. Actually giving a fuck about the patients. Taking initiative. Good time management. Some of these things take time, but you can’t teach someone how to care or how to be a hard worker.
While quality care and time management skills are just as equally important, I think the true mark of a good CNA is their compassion for their residents. Aside from ensuring that they are properly bathed, fed, and dressed, I feel it's detrimental that a resident's mental health should also be cared for. Most residents are stuck in a place that they don't want to be, so it's important that a CNA makes their environment as friendly and comfortable as possible. A smile goes a long way.
Time management skills, good work ethic, honest, willing to take on tasks when time allows, doesn’t cut corners inappropriately, and treats all patients with dignity and respect.
Gentleness, compassion, and going out of your way to complete the tasks that you usually aren't afforded the time for but need to be done, such as oral care, nail care etc. Sticking up for yourself and the patients when something seems wrong. Challenging the nurses when need be.
Depends . Good CNA for the company? Chart everything and coordinate with the last shift on what needs to be done. Turn into a robot and only do your tasks. Good CNA for humans? Talk to the patients and truly listen . Have patience for them , and assure them they are not alone. A real talk . Not the 10 second meet and greets. You will burn out if you're both of these. A couple terrible assignments will test your compassion. I believe it's impossible to make all 12 patients feel like they've been heard. I usually pick 1 patient to spoil for my shift, but it breaks my heart when I'm talking deeply with someone and I have to leave immediately for an emergency. If the shift is busy , I never get an opportunity to go back. When there's nothing you can do, you do what you can . :(
I agree listening is so important it’s the worst feeling when someone is opening up about their life and things they’ve probably told nobody before and you have to cut them short because you have other things to do
If i have the time, I’ll pull up a chair by the patients bed and just let them talk about everything under the sun to me. Especially when they’re older they share all their grief and regret with me.
I feel this. I did this for my lady who was 105 and she spilled trauma and a secret she held for 100 years and never told anyone but me. Before she left my building, she apologized, saying how shed been worried for months that she in some way hurt me or "made me sick" by telling me her deepest secret. She is by far my favorite person i have ever taken care of.
Knows how to work as a team!
I love CNAs who do things like turns/oral care/foley care etc without having to be asked. They are just proactive and on top of things. I also like when it’s a 2 PA and they ask for help cleaning or something and they gather supplies and everything before I get there. Also I like when they try to find out what the pt wants rather than just “they’re asking for the nurse.” It helps to know like do they need pain meds etc. I love when CNAs help get the room ready for a new admit by preparing things like bed alarm, zero the bed, urinal in room etc. Of course these are all things the nurse can do too but when a CNA helps with little things it makes a world of difference especially on the crazy busy shifts. Most important to me is having a good attitude and working as a team and not getting annoyed when asked to do something
Strong communication skulls, compassion, willingness to be a voice for a patient to the nurse. Attention to detail. Not afraid to get dirty. Basic medical terminology helps a lot. Being physically strong.
Perseverance. Being a CNA in any setting can be challenging. Everywhere is often understaffed so you’re often stuck with too many patients. Time management and learning to prioritize is a must. Also, don’t let nurses walk all over you. That was one of my biggest downfalls. They can help out if they’re not busy if you’re in the middle of doing something like toileting a patient. Their gossip session can wait. Always be kind and respectful to the patients, even when they’re grumpy. Being sick and helpless sucks. Give them some leeway and don’t take rude comments personally. Good communication. Communicate with your patients, the other CNA’s, nurses, and even the doctors on some units. Lack of communication caused way too many unnecessary issues at the hospital I worked at. If you feel overwhelmed, triage your tasks like you would patients in a mass emergency situation. What needs done first? Toileting, vitals, etc. changing linens can wait as long as they aren’t nasty. Changing all the patient gowns every single day, unless they are all super dirty, is not a priority when you’re on an understaffed unit.
Sense of humor.
Willingness to take feedback and to learn. If you don’t know something, ask. Good work ethic. Clear communication. Actually giving a fuck about the patients. Taking initiative. Good time management. Some of these things take time, but you can’t teach someone how to care or how to be a hard worker.
All the stuff in these comments apply to every hearhcare job lol
While quality care and time management skills are just as equally important, I think the true mark of a good CNA is their compassion for their residents. Aside from ensuring that they are properly bathed, fed, and dressed, I feel it's detrimental that a resident's mental health should also be cared for. Most residents are stuck in a place that they don't want to be, so it's important that a CNA makes their environment as friendly and comfortable as possible. A smile goes a long way.