I loved being in the office with all the providers, nurses, and management and learning how all of it works together and how everyone kind of depends on each other. Seeing how all my coworkers help each other out and try to get the best care for the patient was an awesome experience for me. I am a healthcare management major at Appalachian State University and it was a great experience to work in a doctors' office and work beside all these professionals. I learned so much in a short amount of time. It was a just a temporary position to help the facility with their workload after switching to a new system.
What I wish was different
Only thing I wish that had been different about this position is the atmosphere of the work environment. It's probably typical in any office to have your problems, but I saw first hand how burned out all the nurses were from their workload and that they didn't have as much help as they wanted/needed. I wouldn't personally change anything about my job description, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I just noticed something else I would change for the company as a whole.
Advice
To always speak up when you don't understand something. One thing that was a little stressful was finding times to speak to the doctors' about their medical records and what they wanted me to do specifically, but often times they are in the room with a patient. One piece of advice I would say is don't be afraid or intimidated by the professionals you work with, they are always very friendly and willing to help.
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Certified Nursing Assistant
April 2019 • Blowing Rock, NC
What I liked
I love working with the residents; they all have amazing stories to share about their lives and willingly tell me information about their health that lead me to care for them better. I also love working with my co-workers. The nurses at the Foley Center are extremely knowledgeable and were willing to answer any questions I have during my time here.
What I wish was different
The only wish I have with working at the Foley Center under Appalachian Regional is the ratio of CNAs to residents would be lower. I would love to spend more time with my residents since some of them get more lonely than others; with the current staffing, it makes it tough to provide excellent care and fair care to all, but still try to give the residents who are more lonely some time to just talk.
Advice
I would advise that being a Certified Nursing Assistant is hard work at times. You have to have a lot of patience and be willing to work with many different types of people. Also, the workload is manageable, but tough. It is not for the lighthearted, as CNAs are on their feet all day (or in my case, night).
