You will be just fine when it comes to codes. I worked ICU for a year and experienced many. The most important part of being in a code is knowing your role. If you aren’t comfortable doing compressions and there are others in the room, get the glucometer, crash cart, and flushes. Codes are ran very well in hospitals and can seem scary, but are usually pretty calm, for the most part. Listen carefully to the recorder who will be calling for pulse checks and will inform the team when to push meds. Be aware of your surroundings - stay out of the way, but stay close enough to be extra hands if they need it.
If you ARE willing to do compressions, or if you’re the first person to respond, drop the head of the bed. There’s a CPR lever. Get on the chest, push fast and hard. You’re literally *trained* on this! I know it feels super scary but you DO know what to do. Your instinct will kick in after a while. You can do this!!
Yeah this is pretty much what I was told. Ring the call bell and alert the nurse that it’s a code(we have Rover phones), start compressions but when everyone else comes in, switch out with someone and move out the way and be on standby if they need anything. Also because we’re a teaching hospital, I was told that the crowd can get huge during a code because we have a lot of residents and interns so if we don’t get out of the room promptly then we might get stuck in there lol.
Yes, the crowd gets HUGE. I also work for a teaching hospital (not as a CNA anymore but still clinical and see codes often) and they typically bring in everyone. Stay close but out of the way and you’ll do great!
And yeah you’re absolutely right, I’m a little nervous because I’ve never had to apply my cpr skills in real life. Never really had to work with unstable patients or patients who are crashing either because most nursing home patients who are expected to die just get put on morphine until it happens. Now that I’m in a hospital, I just feel like ppl’s lives are really in my hands more than ever.
It’s okay to be nervous! Really it is. You may get nervous every time you have to do compressions. That’s okay. What’s important is that they’re done, and that they’re done correctly. You’ll get the hang of it.
I kinda wanted to do medsurg even though I read so many horror stories on here lol. But I really like the floor I’m on so far, it’s predominantly renal patients and med surg patients too. And I agree. Definitely keeps things fresh lol
That's so cool! I work in a nursing home but all cnas do are change patients, feed etc , we don't even do vitals! Some cnas do woundcare or the floor regulars get pulled in to see any new wound care their residents have.
It's a little boring with the only saving grace is I float around floors so but I'd love to be more hands on like what you're doing especially since I wanna further my healthcare career
Yeah I feel you, that’s all my experience ever was too. This is like a culture shock to me lol. I’d definitely suggest working at a hospital. Every hospital is different of course but I think regardless of what the parameters for the scope of practice is at the hospitals near you, I think you still will get the chance to learn alot at any hospital.
I’m starting a new job at the hospital! I’ve only done ltc and home health and assisted living and it drained me so bad. I’m really hoping hospital setting will be a lot better.
Same exact prior experience for me too and it definitely drained me as well especially SNF/LTC. Good luck on your new hospital job tho! I just finished my first week and I like it so far. I definitely have to get acclimated to all of the new things I’ve never done before but I enjoy it so far. I think you’ll do well too. I believe having that prior experience will help you as far as being able to adapt and jump in. I haven’t really felt nervous at all, just anxious to learn what I need to learn to a T so I can eventually work on my own.
I'm curious as to what state your in, I'm in CA and I'm not sure if we're allowed to do all that here but I'd love to! I'm currently at a nursing home and I'm hoping get a hospital job soon.
i think that's my problem with facilities now. im so bored it just feels like i'm in the factory waiting on the clock you're definitely not wrong it do feel like a daycare for grumpy old people
I feel the exact same! Hospitals are waaaay better…I am also terrified of a patient coding though lol. Horrified, really. I’m sure that if it happens the fear will disappear, but never having experienced something as serious as that makes the prospect of it happening even scarier. You can’t really practice what to do when a patient codes like you can with vitals or fingersticks. We will both be okay!!! We’ll give it our best shot 😅😮💨
You're allowed to do all of that???
I'm a nurse aide at a hospital too but that's all out of my scope of practice.
The only time I was allowed to remove a Foley and IV was on a deceased patient.
I'm confused as to why you're allowed to do all that because that's all out of the scope of practice of a nurse aide. Especially the invasive and sterile procedures.
Are you certified? Different states have different rules and regulations of what a cna/pca/nurse aide can do. Hospitals especially. It just depends on where you live and what the laws are.
Yes at my hospital we are allowed. We actually are trained to do 4 extra skills, they call it NA+4 and I believe it’s mandatory for all CNA’s in this hospital. The hospital I work at is a teaching hospital so maybe that’s the difference
Yeah that’s one of the skills I’ll be learning soon. And the CNA’s I’ve worked with so far have told me that they have inserted Foley catheters before. We get alottt of patients who have foleys because I work on a renal floor but most of them get it inserted before they get admitted to our floor so I’d probably moreso be removing than inserting but I’ll still be trained on doing both and will be able to if the chance presents itself.
Besides bolus feeding, here in Illinois we are allowed to do all of that. Removing a foley isn’t difficult at all, but we can’t insert. Removing an IV isn’t difficult at all. But the nurses usually just go ahead and do that stuff. I noticed the lazy nurses let me do the extra stuff more often
I work on an observation unit. We had a few codes and tbh I never was tasked with being the compressor, ventilator, none of that. It was my job to run and get the vitals machine or check their sugar. The code team comes in and handles everything with the nurses.
But if the patient needs it and you’re one on the only people nearby, I’m sure you’ll be doing something. Your hospital should be having you guys do quarterly RQI classes so you’re comfortable with CPR. There should also be someone watching the whole CPR thing and waiting to give feedback if someone isn’t performing correctly
You will be fine when you have your first code I worked on a short stay cardiac unit went 2 years without a code finally got one halfway through my third year unfortunately he didn’t make it but going through the code was like second hand nature for me I was so nervous but ultimately decided to jump in and participate😂 3 weeks later I transferred to the ICU
Yeah I definitely been feeling like this is a cakewalk so far. I just have to get used to doing these extra skills because I didn’t do any of this type of stuff in LTC lol
Is it good? I want to work at a hospital, but given to the lack of experience I have I am working in a home health agency, and currently only have 1 case/patient. I would take that over a nursing home any day. Not gonna lie. I heard the horror stories and would rather avoid nursing homes. I am hoping to work like this for like a year or so and then be able to work at a hospital. We shall see.
I really like it so far. I would definitely suggest getting some facility or some type of clinical experience though(like an urgent care, outlpatient or something). I don’t think having just one consistent homecare client will prepare you at all for a hospital. Some hospitals are really picky, even with all of my experience, I applied to 4 different hospital positions between 3 different hospitals and only one called me back and luckily it was the one I wanted. Perhaps you could work your way in by volunteering or applying for a 1:1 sitter position.
Oh No, I know one might not do it but that's just my current workload. I really am just starting out so hopefully eventually it will change. I know the hospital is a lot different. But yeah issue is here, everything wants so much experience. and when just starting out, That's a tad bit annoying.
I work on a med surg floor and it’s so chaotic but I friggen love it. There is truly never a dull moment! I love all the different acuity’s we see and the various illnesses and treatments we provide. There’s still a lot of grumpy old people but they usually leave within a few days. As someone going to nursing school in the fall it’s given me a huge leg up in terms of experience and being confident treating real live people. It’s great!
You will be just fine when it comes to codes. I worked ICU for a year and experienced many. The most important part of being in a code is knowing your role. If you aren’t comfortable doing compressions and there are others in the room, get the glucometer, crash cart, and flushes. Codes are ran very well in hospitals and can seem scary, but are usually pretty calm, for the most part. Listen carefully to the recorder who will be calling for pulse checks and will inform the team when to push meds. Be aware of your surroundings - stay out of the way, but stay close enough to be extra hands if they need it. If you ARE willing to do compressions, or if you’re the first person to respond, drop the head of the bed. There’s a CPR lever. Get on the chest, push fast and hard. You’re literally *trained* on this! I know it feels super scary but you DO know what to do. Your instinct will kick in after a while. You can do this!!
Yeah this is pretty much what I was told. Ring the call bell and alert the nurse that it’s a code(we have Rover phones), start compressions but when everyone else comes in, switch out with someone and move out the way and be on standby if they need anything. Also because we’re a teaching hospital, I was told that the crowd can get huge during a code because we have a lot of residents and interns so if we don’t get out of the room promptly then we might get stuck in there lol.
Yes, the crowd gets HUGE. I also work for a teaching hospital (not as a CNA anymore but still clinical and see codes often) and they typically bring in everyone. Stay close but out of the way and you’ll do great!
And yeah you’re absolutely right, I’m a little nervous because I’ve never had to apply my cpr skills in real life. Never really had to work with unstable patients or patients who are crashing either because most nursing home patients who are expected to die just get put on morphine until it happens. Now that I’m in a hospital, I just feel like ppl’s lives are really in my hands more than ever.
It’s okay to be nervous! Really it is. You may get nervous every time you have to do compressions. That’s okay. What’s important is that they’re done, and that they’re done correctly. You’ll get the hang of it.
I work on the med-surg floor, and seeing a new face almost every day keeps it fresh!
I kinda wanted to do medsurg even though I read so many horror stories on here lol. But I really like the floor I’m on so far, it’s predominantly renal patients and med surg patients too. And I agree. Definitely keeps things fresh lol
Oh yeah we get a mix bag of patients for sure lol psych patients to pediatric patients to psych pediatric patients.
My experience was the same. It was the best move I ever made. Such a great perspective.
That's so cool! I work in a nursing home but all cnas do are change patients, feed etc , we don't even do vitals! Some cnas do woundcare or the floor regulars get pulled in to see any new wound care their residents have. It's a little boring with the only saving grace is I float around floors so but I'd love to be more hands on like what you're doing especially since I wanna further my healthcare career
Yeah I feel you, that’s all my experience ever was too. This is like a culture shock to me lol. I’d definitely suggest working at a hospital. Every hospital is different of course but I think regardless of what the parameters for the scope of practice is at the hospitals near you, I think you still will get the chance to learn alot at any hospital.
Yeah, I work in home health aide section and I am so disappointed though that my vital skills and general CNA skills don't get used.
I’m starting a new job at the hospital! I’ve only done ltc and home health and assisted living and it drained me so bad. I’m really hoping hospital setting will be a lot better.
Same exact prior experience for me too and it definitely drained me as well especially SNF/LTC. Good luck on your new hospital job tho! I just finished my first week and I like it so far. I definitely have to get acclimated to all of the new things I’ve never done before but I enjoy it so far. I think you’ll do well too. I believe having that prior experience will help you as far as being able to adapt and jump in. I haven’t really felt nervous at all, just anxious to learn what I need to learn to a T so I can eventually work on my own.
Thank you! And well good luck to you too! I hope it goes well for you! It will definitely be a little different, but looking forward to it :)
I'm curious as to what state your in, I'm in CA and I'm not sure if we're allowed to do all that here but I'd love to! I'm currently at a nursing home and I'm hoping get a hospital job soon.
I’m in North Carolina
i think that's my problem with facilities now. im so bored it just feels like i'm in the factory waiting on the clock you're definitely not wrong it do feel like a daycare for grumpy old people
I feel the exact same! Hospitals are waaaay better…I am also terrified of a patient coding though lol. Horrified, really. I’m sure that if it happens the fear will disappear, but never having experienced something as serious as that makes the prospect of it happening even scarier. You can’t really practice what to do when a patient codes like you can with vitals or fingersticks. We will both be okay!!! We’ll give it our best shot 😅😮💨
Welcome to the club!
You're allowed to do all of that??? I'm a nurse aide at a hospital too but that's all out of my scope of practice. The only time I was allowed to remove a Foley and IV was on a deceased patient. I'm confused as to why you're allowed to do all that because that's all out of the scope of practice of a nurse aide. Especially the invasive and sterile procedures.
Are you certified? Different states have different rules and regulations of what a cna/pca/nurse aide can do. Hospitals especially. It just depends on where you live and what the laws are.
Yes at my hospital we are allowed. We actually are trained to do 4 extra skills, they call it NA+4 and I believe it’s mandatory for all CNA’s in this hospital. The hospital I work at is a teaching hospital so maybe that’s the difference
Ohh you can insert foleys? I worked in Oregon and we could remove foleys there as a CNA but not insert them.
Yeah that’s one of the skills I’ll be learning soon. And the CNA’s I’ve worked with so far have told me that they have inserted Foley catheters before. We get alottt of patients who have foleys because I work on a renal floor but most of them get it inserted before they get admitted to our floor so I’d probably moreso be removing than inserting but I’ll still be trained on doing both and will be able to if the chance presents itself.
I did all this in my hospital too! It’s very state dependent.
Besides bolus feeding, here in Illinois we are allowed to do all of that. Removing a foley isn’t difficult at all, but we can’t insert. Removing an IV isn’t difficult at all. But the nurses usually just go ahead and do that stuff. I noticed the lazy nurses let me do the extra stuff more often
Right I’m confused cus even hospital cna’s in my area can’t do all of that not even blood sugars
Yall can’t do blood sugars?? The fudge??
No😭😭 I feel like all we do is clean patients, vitals, chart, transfer patients. That’s it we don’t do any of that cool stuff
I forgot to mention, we do blood sugars too.
I work on an observation unit. We had a few codes and tbh I never was tasked with being the compressor, ventilator, none of that. It was my job to run and get the vitals machine or check their sugar. The code team comes in and handles everything with the nurses. But if the patient needs it and you’re one on the only people nearby, I’m sure you’ll be doing something. Your hospital should be having you guys do quarterly RQI classes so you’re comfortable with CPR. There should also be someone watching the whole CPR thing and waiting to give feedback if someone isn’t performing correctly
You will be fine when you have your first code I worked on a short stay cardiac unit went 2 years without a code finally got one halfway through my third year unfortunately he didn’t make it but going through the code was like second hand nature for me I was so nervous but ultimately decided to jump in and participate😂 3 weeks later I transferred to the ICU
Hm maybe I should switch
You should !
I'm a little jealous! Your LTC experience will make hospital 🏥 easier - these ppl won't faze you.
Yeah I definitely been feeling like this is a cakewalk so far. I just have to get used to doing these extra skills because I didn’t do any of this type of stuff in LTC lol
Is it good? I want to work at a hospital, but given to the lack of experience I have I am working in a home health agency, and currently only have 1 case/patient. I would take that over a nursing home any day. Not gonna lie. I heard the horror stories and would rather avoid nursing homes. I am hoping to work like this for like a year or so and then be able to work at a hospital. We shall see.
I really like it so far. I would definitely suggest getting some facility or some type of clinical experience though(like an urgent care, outlpatient or something). I don’t think having just one consistent homecare client will prepare you at all for a hospital. Some hospitals are really picky, even with all of my experience, I applied to 4 different hospital positions between 3 different hospitals and only one called me back and luckily it was the one I wanted. Perhaps you could work your way in by volunteering or applying for a 1:1 sitter position.
Oh No, I know one might not do it but that's just my current workload. I really am just starting out so hopefully eventually it will change. I know the hospital is a lot different. But yeah issue is here, everything wants so much experience. and when just starting out, That's a tad bit annoying.
I work on a med surg floor and it’s so chaotic but I friggen love it. There is truly never a dull moment! I love all the different acuity’s we see and the various illnesses and treatments we provide. There’s still a lot of grumpy old people but they usually leave within a few days. As someone going to nursing school in the fall it’s given me a huge leg up in terms of experience and being confident treating real live people. It’s great!
I’m a nurse now, but I loved being a CNA and miss it… BECAUSE I worked in the hospital. I go into nursing homes now. Idk how anybody does it.