CNA

It is amazing what one has to go through to become a CNA. You have to take a 2 month course. In that two month course it requires one month in class study and one month of clinicals. Clinicals are where you take the skills you have learned in the classroom and demonstrate them on residents. In clinicals, your skills are scrutinized by your teacher. I was the worst in class and finally finished my skills check list on my last day of clinicals.

This particular facility will hire you immediately after the class they offer is over. This facility offers the class for free. The class itself can run up to $1000 I've heard. They offer it as a service to the community. Mighty nice of those folks.

I was hired by the center and since then, almost 2 months, I have been told that the residents really like me (which it is rare that they like male nurses aides), and all of the staff likes me from my fellow co-workers all the way to the administrator. But that doesn't help you pass a test. You see, to become a Certified Nurses Assistant, one has to pass a certification test required by the state before a qualified observer who is an RN...at least.

The state test requires that you pass a written exam and are tested on five skills. One of the skills is handwashing, four others are chosen from a list of about 40 skills you have to have knowledge of and can demonstrate you can do them PROPERLY. One person who recently took the test was failed in one skill because she didn't put on the bed brakes for a transfer. Although she passed the other skills, she is required to take the skills tests over. Last Friday was my scheduled test date.

Driving to the testing site, I was thinking I have to put up with a lot of bullshit for this job. My biggest issue is how my schedule has been messed with. Since I've been working at this place (less than two months) 5 times I have shown up on days I was scheduled previously for to find the schedule had been changed and I was no longer working on that day. It doesn't rub me well to find when I come in to work that my schedule had been changed. There are other issues I have with this JOB (not the work), but that has been the biggy. I have to put up with all of this, and all of this stress about TESTING, for a wage that is not all that higher than minimum at the moment. I was thinking all of this driving to the test, which doesn't bode well for taking a test.

...And, after the testing was over, I could not honestly tell anyone whether I passed or not.

Shusli and I have been making plans for many various possibilities for our future together. One of those possibilities has been what we would do should I not pass the test. Honestly, I felt like I failed. You see...

At the test, I was told I had to take someone else's skills test because one person did not show up. This had the scent of my JOB, and set me off right away. The name on the skills test was crossed off and mine in its place. The observer handed me the written test with my name and ss# on it. We had 90 minutes to finish. At question 54 of 77, the observer informed me that I was doing the wrong test and had to do the absent persons test, requiring that I cross off her name and put my name and ss# on it and start over. She would allow me more time to finish should I require it. I SERIOUSLY felt like I was at my job. I still finished under the alotted time, but was unsure of passing. Some of the questions asked about things that we did not study and do not do. Some of them I answered as the best possible scenario.

My skills test was set up for 3:30, and I went home to nap and study. At 11am, the observer calls, interrupting my nap, and asked if I wanted to take my skills test now. Half awake, I foolishly answered yes. Heading down to the testing site, I am again thinking why am I doing all of this for making a wage barely above minimum, although a certification would raise that wage. Doubtful about my written test, groggy and without further cramming for my skills, there I am taking my skills test.

I felt I did close to adequate on all...but 1, and it only takes one..."perineal care," or, in layman's terms, "crotch washing." I was not offered enough towels and wash cloths required to do the job. I talked my way through it, though, and hoped that was enough, but upon leaving the testing site, I had more serious doubts than I did hopes.

But then again, a lot of folks have told me that I am "certifiable."

Oh yes! I got my results back a couple of hours ago, and yes, all those folks were correct, I am INDEED certifiable. I passed my written test with 88% and all of my skills tests. Now with this certification, many more doors are opened up to possibilities and plans Shusli and I have been discussing.

I am now a CERTIFIED NURSES ASSISTANT. I Love the work and hate the job. I'm told it is not a whole lot different in any of the nursing homes. I could gain more skills under this certification and get further certified to do things like work in hospitals, pass meds, give therapy to a limited extent, but we'll see. I could always go back to driving which pays more, less stress, but also less of the amazing treasure one finds working as a nursing assistant. So I have another skill I could use to find work and hopefully make the lives of others better when they find themselves in situations where they no longer have the independence they once enjoyed.

The future has been opened just a little bit more.

That's right folks! I am not only qualified, but STATE CERTIFIED to wash your ass should your life situation require that such a job be done.