To celebrate the awesomeness of our caregivers and nursing assistants, I am giving away a $100 gift card to Amazon at the end of National Nursing Assistant Week. You can enter everyday and get some extra entries for doing some cool social media extras.
Contest starts tomorrow, June 13th and ends on June 20th!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Be sure to thank a caregiver or nursing assistant today!
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Monday, June 10, 2013
National Nursing Assistant Week!
National Nursing Assistant Week starts this week on June 13th and goes until June 20th. This year's theme is Nursing Assistants @ The Heart of Care.To celebrate how awesome and integral our nursing assistants and caregivers are, I am going to raffle off a $100 Gift Certificate. You may enter daily starting on June 13th and ending on June 20th. The raffle will be available via:
Facebook www.facebook.com/EssentialTrain
Twitter @EssentialTrain
and this blog.
To enter, use the Rafflecopter app on Social Media. Bonus entries for those who comment and share this blog.
Please be sure to find and thank a Nursing Assistant this week. It's also OK to buy them a cup of coffee or take them out to lunch. Without skilled and kind caregivers and nursing assistants, health care would fall apart as we know it!
Happy Nursing Assistant Week!
http://cna-network.org/
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
I Was Cured Today... Were you?
I am absolutely fascinated by the study and treatment for mental illness. For several reasons. #1 being that I am a sufferer of mental illness. I struggle with Major Depression and Anxiety. When my husband came home from his nursing program last year telling me he had to write a paper on anxiety disorders, I jumped up & down and said "I can help with that. I've got most of them!"
I also became very interested in it when a friend of mine from high school took her own life in 1999. I felt absolutely awful because I didn't understand her illness and often did not give her the kind treatment that she so desperately needed. I watched her parents cry at her funeral and sitting in the pew 4 months pregnant thought "I pray I never have to go through this".
So today something really significant happened. We got a new diagnostic manual. Today was the 1st day that you could get the DSM-5 (I've written an extremely brief and over-generalized history of the DSM at the bottom if you're interested).
I've been really watching this book and it's development for awhile. I've been uber-curious about it. That was made difficult because those working on it weren't allowed to talk about it, so updates were few & far between.
I've also been very curious because of the tragedies that we've seen that I have felt have come one after another after another. While I'm not a fan of guns and won't have them in my house, I can't shake the feeling that we are completely missing the point when we are focused on guns and not of the mental status of those committing these horrendous acts. I thought for sure that with the new DSM book coming out, it would start more intense dialogue about mental illness.
Yep... I was wrong. We're still not talking very much about it.
So I was cured today of a mental illness. Shyness. Severe forms of Shyness used to be considered an anxiety disorder (medical speak is 'social anxiety disorder'). This wasn't really removed, so to speak, but was revised and additional criteria was added. So now I'm normal.
I find this fascinating, hilarious and infuriating all at the same time.
I have an excellent counselor that has really helped, but my Depression is chronic and today was a bad day. It's hard to describe how painful and crippling major depression can be. I thought I was doing fine and then out of the blue, I feel terrible low confidence, crippling sadness and tears poring out of my eyes. I sit in bed and use my "tools" to talk myself out of the negative thought patterns and focus on my blessings and health.
And as I do this, I become so angry that I truly have no answers for why I go through this and why treatments are so hard to manage. Medications for me always caused me to be worse and suicidal. Meds just don't work for me and there's a lot of evidence that show they don't work for a lot of people.
The reason I feel so angry is because since 1840 when "insanity" was recognized as a mental illness, we are really no closer to effective diagnosis and treatment. So yesterday I was mentally ill and today my anxiety disorder is cured because a bunch of REALLY educated people decided that I was 1 symptom short of ill. huh????
It's great that we keep trying to get a grip of mental illness, but I can't shake the feeling that we are still missing out on:
Prevention
Diagnosis based on biology (not symptoms)
Environment
Deep Research
Social Stigma
Cultural influences
and more...
Why is it that in my very blessed life (healthy body, healthy happy children, amazing husband, mortgage paid, good friends, etc etc), I am still trying to deal with a period of intense sadness and I still break out into tears. What's wrong with my brain? Chemicals? Electricity? Thoughts? Emotions? What??? The DSM 5 doesn't give me that answer. If I had diabetes, I'd have that answer. I'd know exactly what is wrong down to the individual cells involved. I'd know what chemicals are responsible and what organs are malfunctioning. I'd know exactly what to eat and what medicine to take. With my Depression or my parent's addiction or my patient's schizophrenia... I get none of those answers and for someone like me THAT HAS TO KNOW, I feel like all this DSM stuff does is add to my mental illnesses.
So if you see me walking by... would you give me a hug? I'll be doing more research and writing new programs and it's going to be hard for me to get through these changes. Guess it might be time for me to make another appointment and go back in to learn so new 'tools'.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The DSM (Diagnostic Statistics Manual) is a book of codes and symptoms and resources to help diagnose mental illness.
The history of the DSM book is kind of a funny one. In 1840 "insanity" became an official illness. In 1917 the "Statistical Manual for the Use of Institutions for the Insane" was released and had 22 diagnosis.
The 1st DSM was released in 1952. This included 106 mental disorders and recognized "nervousness" and "personality disturbance" as mental illness.
The 2nd DSM was released in 1968 and had some minor word changes. It had about 180 diagnosis'. There was a reprinting of the DSM-II in 1974. This was really significant because of the emergence of gay rights and gay activism. The term "homosexuality" was replaced with "sexual orientation disturbance".
DSM-III came out in 1980. It included over 280 diagnostic CATEGORIES. Each category having several to many diagnosis'. In 1987 a revision removed "sexual orientation disturbance" and those wanting treatment for homosexuality were lumped into a category called "sexual disorder not otherwise specified." The focus at this time was not on homosexuality itself, but severe anxiety over one's sexual orientation.
The DSM-IV which is the manual we've been referring to up until today was released in 1994 with a revision in 2000. The DSM-IV started using "AXIS" system. Where patients are diagnosed on:
Axis 1 - All mental illnesses except 'mental retardation' (which has received a new name in the DSM5) and personality disorders
Axis 2 - 'mental retardation (again, so glad that name got changed) and personality disorders
Axis 3 - General physical medical condition
Axis 4 - Psychosocial and environmental factors
Axis 5 - Global Assessment functioning (which is a number scale that shows how someone is functioning with their disorder)
So today... We come to the DSM 5. We see a removal of the AXIS system and subsections of Schizophrenia added.
I also became very interested in it when a friend of mine from high school took her own life in 1999. I felt absolutely awful because I didn't understand her illness and often did not give her the kind treatment that she so desperately needed. I watched her parents cry at her funeral and sitting in the pew 4 months pregnant thought "I pray I never have to go through this".
So today something really significant happened. We got a new diagnostic manual. Today was the 1st day that you could get the DSM-5 (I've written an extremely brief and over-generalized history of the DSM at the bottom if you're interested).
I've been really watching this book and it's development for awhile. I've been uber-curious about it. That was made difficult because those working on it weren't allowed to talk about it, so updates were few & far between.
I've also been very curious because of the tragedies that we've seen that I have felt have come one after another after another. While I'm not a fan of guns and won't have them in my house, I can't shake the feeling that we are completely missing the point when we are focused on guns and not of the mental status of those committing these horrendous acts. I thought for sure that with the new DSM book coming out, it would start more intense dialogue about mental illness.
Yep... I was wrong. We're still not talking very much about it.
So I was cured today of a mental illness. Shyness. Severe forms of Shyness used to be considered an anxiety disorder (medical speak is 'social anxiety disorder'). This wasn't really removed, so to speak, but was revised and additional criteria was added. So now I'm normal.
I find this fascinating, hilarious and infuriating all at the same time.
I have an excellent counselor that has really helped, but my Depression is chronic and today was a bad day. It's hard to describe how painful and crippling major depression can be. I thought I was doing fine and then out of the blue, I feel terrible low confidence, crippling sadness and tears poring out of my eyes. I sit in bed and use my "tools" to talk myself out of the negative thought patterns and focus on my blessings and health.
And as I do this, I become so angry that I truly have no answers for why I go through this and why treatments are so hard to manage. Medications for me always caused me to be worse and suicidal. Meds just don't work for me and there's a lot of evidence that show they don't work for a lot of people.
The reason I feel so angry is because since 1840 when "insanity" was recognized as a mental illness, we are really no closer to effective diagnosis and treatment. So yesterday I was mentally ill and today my anxiety disorder is cured because a bunch of REALLY educated people decided that I was 1 symptom short of ill. huh????
It's great that we keep trying to get a grip of mental illness, but I can't shake the feeling that we are still missing out on:
Prevention
Diagnosis based on biology (not symptoms)
Environment
Deep Research
Social Stigma
Cultural influences
and more...
Why is it that in my very blessed life (healthy body, healthy happy children, amazing husband, mortgage paid, good friends, etc etc), I am still trying to deal with a period of intense sadness and I still break out into tears. What's wrong with my brain? Chemicals? Electricity? Thoughts? Emotions? What??? The DSM 5 doesn't give me that answer. If I had diabetes, I'd have that answer. I'd know exactly what is wrong down to the individual cells involved. I'd know what chemicals are responsible and what organs are malfunctioning. I'd know exactly what to eat and what medicine to take. With my Depression or my parent's addiction or my patient's schizophrenia... I get none of those answers and for someone like me THAT HAS TO KNOW, I feel like all this DSM stuff does is add to my mental illnesses.
So if you see me walking by... would you give me a hug? I'll be doing more research and writing new programs and it's going to be hard for me to get through these changes. Guess it might be time for me to make another appointment and go back in to learn so new 'tools'.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The DSM (Diagnostic Statistics Manual) is a book of codes and symptoms and resources to help diagnose mental illness.
The history of the DSM book is kind of a funny one. In 1840 "insanity" became an official illness. In 1917 the "Statistical Manual for the Use of Institutions for the Insane" was released and had 22 diagnosis.
The 1st DSM was released in 1952. This included 106 mental disorders and recognized "nervousness" and "personality disturbance" as mental illness.
The 2nd DSM was released in 1968 and had some minor word changes. It had about 180 diagnosis'. There was a reprinting of the DSM-II in 1974. This was really significant because of the emergence of gay rights and gay activism. The term "homosexuality" was replaced with "sexual orientation disturbance".
DSM-III came out in 1980. It included over 280 diagnostic CATEGORIES. Each category having several to many diagnosis'. In 1987 a revision removed "sexual orientation disturbance" and those wanting treatment for homosexuality were lumped into a category called "sexual disorder not otherwise specified." The focus at this time was not on homosexuality itself, but severe anxiety over one's sexual orientation.
The DSM-IV which is the manual we've been referring to up until today was released in 1994 with a revision in 2000. The DSM-IV started using "AXIS" system. Where patients are diagnosed on:
Axis 1 - All mental illnesses except 'mental retardation' (which has received a new name in the DSM5) and personality disorders
Axis 2 - 'mental retardation (again, so glad that name got changed) and personality disorders
Axis 3 - General physical medical condition
Axis 4 - Psychosocial and environmental factors
Axis 5 - Global Assessment functioning (which is a number scale that shows how someone is functioning with their disorder)
So today... We come to the DSM 5. We see a removal of the AXIS system and subsections of Schizophrenia added.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Book Club good for DSHS Approved Continuing Education
"Forty-six-year-old
David Ponder feels like a total failure. Once a high-flying executive in a
Fortune 500 company, he now works a part-time, minimum wage job and struggles to
support his family. Then, an even greater crisis hits: his daughter becomes ill,
and he can’t afford to get her the medical help she needs. When his car skids on
an icy road, he wonders if he even cares to survive the
crash.
But an extraordinary experience awaits David Ponder. He
finds himself traveling back in time, meeting leaders and heroes at crucial
moments in their lives—from Abraham Lincoln to Anne Frank. By the time his
journey is over, he has received seven secrets for success—and a second chance.
The
Traveler's Gift offers a modern day parable
of one man's choices—and the attitudes that make the difference between failure
and success."
Cost:
$55 - For the Book and a DSHS Approved Continuing Education Certificate for 4 hours (with successful completion of the course)
How it
works: Read The
Traveler's Gift by Andy Andrews. Follow
the chat on my blog once a week for
questions to discuss every week for 4 weeks.
This is
an amazing book and you definitely won't want to miss it!
REGISTER here to join the club.
Be sure
to email me with any questions or concerns!!
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Are you Afraid? I am.
It's Time to Look at Workplace Violence
http://www.king5.com/news/Resident-at-Stanwood-senior-living-home-shoots-employee-189741271.html
While I am sad and, frankly, nauseous, I am not surprised.
Long Term Care has all the risks of hospitals:
>Visitors/Families under stress
>Confused residents
>Overwhelmed staff stretched very thin
But Long Term Care also has some additional challenges when it comes to worker safety:
>No formal security
>Employees and Residents have more intimate relationships and Professional Boundaries get blurred
>A Home-Like environment that sometimes encourages residents to bring in guns or illicit drugs (I once had to shoo out not 1, but 2 prostitutes with drugs when I served my time as Director of Nursing)
>Less restrictive visiting hours
>Doors that are not monitored
This is not a new problem. I remember being 12 years old and my mother coming home early from her job as a Nursing Assistant. She was crying because a resident had grabbed her in a completely inappropriate place, held on very tight and smacked her so hard, her contacts came out and tore. That was 14 years ago.
I also remember what her response was and as I look back on the situation, I am truly sad at her response. Not because of her by any means. My mother is the strongest person I know. Because her response had nothing to do with the violence. It was a response that workers still give today because noone has any answers to this problem.
As a single mother with absolutely no dispensable income, her response was to be thankful that the nursing home she worked at was going to replace her contacts and pay for the rest of her day off.
She didn't talk about how the administration was going to take steps to reduce this violence. She took no extra classes on how staff could protect themselves. She wasn't invited to take part in a Safety Committee that specifically focused on Workplace Violence.
And... She went back to work the very next day. Just like Healthcare Workers today do.
I don't have any easy answers. Answers to Workplace Violence aren't easy to come by. OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) does have some suggestions:
1) Employers and Employees should develop and maintain a violence prevention program as part of the facilities safety programs
2) A Worksite Analysis should be done. A Step by Step common sense look at the workplace to find existing or potential hazards for workplace violence
3) TRAINING To make staff aware of security hazards and how to protect themselves through establised policies, procedures and training.
I think a HUGE key to reducing workplace violence is to have Management Commitment to safety and Employee Involvement in the policies, procedures and training.
Whatcha Think? Comment Below and tell me how you feel.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Force the Right Brain to Work
I really think that negativity among the nursing profession is an epidemic. It's not just Nursing Assistants and Home Care Aides. It runs rampant among nurses and doctors as well. There is a reason this happens.
It is our Left Brain. Our left brain HATES stress and wants everything to be comfortable and normal. It's the Right Brain that encourages us to be weird and wonderful.
So when someone around us complains, we have a tendency to go with the complaint because commonality in peer groups is peaceful and comfortable. If we were to disagree, that enters us into conflict (mild to severe) and conflict is uncomfortable.
So we have to be mindful in order to be true to ourselves. We have to tell our Left Brain to SHUT UP and allow our Right Brain do what it does best. Our Right Brain is just aching to debate and discuss and come up with amazing solutions to problems, but we have to shut up the very loud brain and allow our right brains to work.
Right now, I am getting ready to run 42.5 miles in the next 3 days and this is the biggest part of training I have done. I have learned that when I become a bit uncomfortable and stress my body, my Left Brain starts to come up with fake pains and reasons to give up and just starts a whining. I have learned how to shut that off by using a mantra (mine is a bible verse "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength". Yours might be "Shut it Left Brain" or "It's time to get to work Right Brain") and conscientiously switching gears and then switching your behavior.
This is the 1st of a 5 post series on negativity. I want to talk about and change negativity in 4 main areas:
Negativity towards ourselves
Negativity towards others
Negativity towards your employer
Negativity towards our profession.
I hope you'll come along with me on this ride. If you want more information on how to change your negative thinking, I suggest the following books (The running book will help you in anything because it explains so well why we think the way we do):
The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg
Mental Training for Runners: How to Stay Motivated by Jeff Galloway
The Traveler's Gift by Andy Andrews
Look forward to a Book Club worth 4 hours of DSHS Approved Continuing Education in February
Take the Stairs by Rory Vaden
Look forward to a Book Club worth 4 hours of DSHS Approved Continuing Education in April
It is our Left Brain. Our left brain HATES stress and wants everything to be comfortable and normal. It's the Right Brain that encourages us to be weird and wonderful.
So when someone around us complains, we have a tendency to go with the complaint because commonality in peer groups is peaceful and comfortable. If we were to disagree, that enters us into conflict (mild to severe) and conflict is uncomfortable.
So we have to be mindful in order to be true to ourselves. We have to tell our Left Brain to SHUT UP and allow our Right Brain do what it does best. Our Right Brain is just aching to debate and discuss and come up with amazing solutions to problems, but we have to shut up the very loud brain and allow our right brains to work.
Right now, I am getting ready to run 42.5 miles in the next 3 days and this is the biggest part of training I have done. I have learned that when I become a bit uncomfortable and stress my body, my Left Brain starts to come up with fake pains and reasons to give up and just starts a whining. I have learned how to shut that off by using a mantra (mine is a bible verse "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength". Yours might be "Shut it Left Brain" or "It's time to get to work Right Brain") and conscientiously switching gears and then switching your behavior.
This is the 1st of a 5 post series on negativity. I want to talk about and change negativity in 4 main areas:
Negativity towards ourselves
Negativity towards others
Negativity towards your employer
Negativity towards our profession.
I hope you'll come along with me on this ride. If you want more information on how to change your negative thinking, I suggest the following books (The running book will help you in anything because it explains so well why we think the way we do):
The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg
Mental Training for Runners: How to Stay Motivated by Jeff Galloway
The Traveler's Gift by Andy Andrews
Look forward to a Book Club worth 4 hours of DSHS Approved Continuing Education in February
Take the Stairs by Rory Vaden
Look forward to a Book Club worth 4 hours of DSHS Approved Continuing Education in April
Monday, December 17, 2012
OMG LOL Finally! At Last! YEAH!
When I-1163 was approved, we knew that all Continuing Education would need to be approved. Since the application for Continuing Education came out in April, I have been working very hard to get BINGO and Book Clubs approved. It's been a long process and I've learned so so much. Although it was hard, it was a really great experience. I learned about writing curriculum, working with the state and making compromises. I'm not being sarcastic when I say that it was a really enjoyable experience and I learned ALOT. Sure it was long and sure it was a lot of work. But patience is definitely not a virtue of mine and it was a good opportunity to learn how to be patience.
BINGO has been approved
I'm SO SO SO excited. I hope you are too.
BINGO has been approved
- A flat 2 hours will be given for each game played
- Students will need to pass a short test at the end in order to get their certificate (test and evaluation will be available online)
- All students who wish to play must register (online www.EssentialTrain.net, by email essentialtraining@comcast.net or by fax)
- Play the game for free, the certificate will cost $20
- The winner will get $50 and the certificate for free
- A flat 4 hours will be given for each game played
- Students will need to engage in the blog questions after each chapter assignment in order to get credit for the class
- All students will need to pass a short test at the end in order to get their certificate (test and evaluation will be available online)
- All students who wish to play must register (online www.EssentialTrain.net, by email essentialtraining@comcast.net or by fax)
- Cost of the classes will be $50 and will include the book and certificate
I'm SO SO SO excited. I hope you are too.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Classroom vs Online
There is a huge trend going towards online learning. It's flexible, its easy to do on your own, it's easy to meet employer requirements in the comfort of your own home. It's wonderful.
I personally love this move towards online learning and I love that anytime I have a question or want to learn a new topic, I can look something up online (often for free) and learn a new skill. It's actually what I've been doing a lot of to learn how to run a small business.
But I worry a little about online learning. Over the last week and a half, I've been teaching a group of awesome HCA's in a completely classroom environment and it's really rather awesome.
You get something from the classroom that you can't get with online learning. INTERACTION. You get to hear what others in your same situation are going through. You get to hear questions that you didn't even know to ask. You get to add your own stories and history to the learning and get immediate feedback from the instructor.
As a teacher, the classroom has been very revealing to me. Online, my students are in a whole other frame of mind, but in front of me, I get to learn about their challenges and backgrounds and experiences. This helps me to form new curriculum and learning techniques to reach more students.
The most effective learning technique for adults has shown to be a BLENDED approach. Most colleges have adopted a lot of classes this way. Part of the time is spent in the classroom and you get the interaction and the 1:1 with the teach and part of the time is done online in the comfort of your own space.
I'm a big fan of this.
What works best for you? Online - Classroom - Blended?
I personally love this move towards online learning and I love that anytime I have a question or want to learn a new topic, I can look something up online (often for free) and learn a new skill. It's actually what I've been doing a lot of to learn how to run a small business.
But I worry a little about online learning. Over the last week and a half, I've been teaching a group of awesome HCA's in a completely classroom environment and it's really rather awesome.
You get something from the classroom that you can't get with online learning. INTERACTION. You get to hear what others in your same situation are going through. You get to hear questions that you didn't even know to ask. You get to add your own stories and history to the learning and get immediate feedback from the instructor.
As a teacher, the classroom has been very revealing to me. Online, my students are in a whole other frame of mind, but in front of me, I get to learn about their challenges and backgrounds and experiences. This helps me to form new curriculum and learning techniques to reach more students.
The most effective learning technique for adults has shown to be a BLENDED approach. Most colleges have adopted a lot of classes this way. Part of the time is spent in the classroom and you get the interaction and the 1:1 with the teach and part of the time is done online in the comfort of your own space.
I'm a big fan of this.
What works best for you? Online - Classroom - Blended?
Monday, November 19, 2012
Ode to the Gait Belt
I so desperately want to write a poem, sing a song, enact a play that marvels at the benefits of a Gait Belt.
I was teaching a Individual Provider class last week. I came across "that" student. Every class has this student. The student who:
1) Knows Everything
2) Has been doing this for 20-30 years
3) Thinks this class is such a waste of time
It's OK. Every class has them and it's easy to humor this student. They don't bug me (well actually, they do, but that's my problem to work out). And that's not the point of this post.
This particular student announced to this class of 20 students that Gait Belts were only for NACs working in a Nursing Home.
If you remember a ear-splitting crack heard across Washington State, I'm hear to assure you that that sound was the sound of my heart splitting in 2.
Gait Belts are simple and easy ways of holding onto the client when doing a transfer or assisting to walk. They give the Home Care Aide a handle to hold onto. Even if the client is weight bearing and at relatively low risk of falling, you just never know when something may go wrong.
Their knees may suddenly give out
A cat may push them off balance (you know that cats do this on purpose, don't you)
An underlying infection may be brewing that would make them dizzy
Their blood sugar may be low
Their blood pressure may be high
Any number of things may be happening that you are not aware of that could cause even the most stable client to lose their balance and fall at any time.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE use a Gait Belt. They are your friend. They want to help. They want to be put to use.
BTW... If I ever need help and you use my pants to lift me and give me a wedgie, I'll kick you in the shins.
Use a Gait Belt!
I was teaching a Individual Provider class last week. I came across "that" student. Every class has this student. The student who:
1) Knows Everything
2) Has been doing this for 20-30 years
3) Thinks this class is such a waste of time
It's OK. Every class has them and it's easy to humor this student. They don't bug me (well actually, they do, but that's my problem to work out). And that's not the point of this post.
This particular student announced to this class of 20 students that Gait Belts were only for NACs working in a Nursing Home.
If you remember a ear-splitting crack heard across Washington State, I'm hear to assure you that that sound was the sound of my heart splitting in 2.
Gait Belts are simple and easy ways of holding onto the client when doing a transfer or assisting to walk. They give the Home Care Aide a handle to hold onto. Even if the client is weight bearing and at relatively low risk of falling, you just never know when something may go wrong.
Their knees may suddenly give out
A cat may push them off balance (you know that cats do this on purpose, don't you)
An underlying infection may be brewing that would make them dizzy
Their blood sugar may be low
Their blood pressure may be high
Any number of things may be happening that you are not aware of that could cause even the most stable client to lose their balance and fall at any time.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE use a Gait Belt. They are your friend. They want to help. They want to be put to use.
BTW... If I ever need help and you use my pants to lift me and give me a wedgie, I'll kick you in the shins.
Use a Gait Belt!
Sunday, October 21, 2012
HCA or NAC
On an almost daily basis, I get asked 1 question:
"Is a HCA a lesser version of a NAC"?
I may also hear:
"Are the HCA and NAC the same?"
"Is the HCA the 1st step to becoming a NAC?"
"What is the difference between a HCA & NAC?"
It's all different wording, but the implied message is the same:
'aren't they the same'?
The answer is a resounding "No."
The HCA (Home Care Aide) is different than a NAC (Nursing Assistant Certified). 1 is not a lesser version of another. 1 is not a "first step" to another. 1 is not better than the other. They are different. The focus of both is different and from one another. Both are very much needed in Nursing and a loss of one or the other would be devastating to Long Term Care.
Both have a shared set of skills:
Handwashing ~ Bed Baths ~ Transfers ~ Catheter Care ~ Fall Prevention, etc.
HCA's are much more focused on care in the home. Their role is not a highly medical one, but a highly supportive one. They support the person's strengths in the home environment (which may include Assisted Living or Adult Family Homes). They learn housekeeping, green cleaning and medication assistance.
NAC's are more focused on the nursing environment (which include Skilled Nursing Facilities and Hospitals). They support a person's recovery from a major medical problem. They learn Rehab Skills, learn how to work around medical devices (IV's, Tube Feedings, etc) and Vital Signs.
That's not to say that NAC's don't work in the Home Care Environment and HCAs never work around medical devices, but that is not the focus of their trainings.
In my experience, NACs struggle to adapt to the Home Care Environment and be less medical and HCAs need to learn more skills to go into the Medical Environment.
I think that the job of a NAC tends to be more physically demanding while the job of a HCA tends to be more emotionally demanding.
What other differences are there between NACs and HCAs?
"Is a HCA a lesser version of a NAC"?
I may also hear:
"Are the HCA and NAC the same?"
"Is the HCA the 1st step to becoming a NAC?"
"What is the difference between a HCA & NAC?"
It's all different wording, but the implied message is the same:
'aren't they the same'?
The answer is a resounding "No."
The HCA (Home Care Aide) is different than a NAC (Nursing Assistant Certified). 1 is not a lesser version of another. 1 is not a "first step" to another. 1 is not better than the other. They are different. The focus of both is different and from one another. Both are very much needed in Nursing and a loss of one or the other would be devastating to Long Term Care.
Both have a shared set of skills:
Handwashing ~ Bed Baths ~ Transfers ~ Catheter Care ~ Fall Prevention, etc.
HCA's are much more focused on care in the home. Their role is not a highly medical one, but a highly supportive one. They support the person's strengths in the home environment (which may include Assisted Living or Adult Family Homes). They learn housekeeping, green cleaning and medication assistance.
NAC's are more focused on the nursing environment (which include Skilled Nursing Facilities and Hospitals). They support a person's recovery from a major medical problem. They learn Rehab Skills, learn how to work around medical devices (IV's, Tube Feedings, etc) and Vital Signs.
That's not to say that NAC's don't work in the Home Care Environment and HCAs never work around medical devices, but that is not the focus of their trainings.
In my experience, NACs struggle to adapt to the Home Care Environment and be less medical and HCAs need to learn more skills to go into the Medical Environment.
I think that the job of a NAC tends to be more physically demanding while the job of a HCA tends to be more emotionally demanding.
What other differences are there between NACs and HCAs?
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