The Life of a Student CNA

By Taylar Pleumer

A frail, confused resident is lying peacefully in her bed as you enter her room. Your first task for the day, at six in the morning, is to give the resident a bath. She can't dress herself, she doesn´t understand what you’re saying, and she can't stand on her own. You’re tired; you had to wake up at five. You're hungry; you didn't have time for breakfast. And you're scared because you never know if your care will be the last one that she ever experiences.  

It is not uncommon for students to have a job during high school. Many of these jobs are working in food service or retail, which require little skill. However, imagine that you are at work and you aren't serving someone a plate or ringing up their purchase; there are no shortcuts or excuses. You are attending to residents’ every need up until their very last.  At Potosi High School, there are a handful of students that have reached out to make a difference in someone's life doing these duties as a Certified Nursing Assistant.

Certainly, no job is easy; there are challenges that come in every work environment. As a CNA, the challenges that you come across can be life-threatening to the residents, and you are expected to know how to deal with every possible situation correctly.  CNAs are responsible for all needs: showering, feeding, dressing, positioning, and toileting the residents, especially those who cannot do so themselves. Many cannot, so they rely on you to take care of them. You hear many people say that they would never want to become a CNA because of the labor and duties they are responsible for.

There are many reasons someone would want to pursue this pathway. Potosi senior Evan Bloyer became a CNA because he wanted to make a difference in the world. He stated, “I knew that taking care of the elderly was a difficult job to do, but I was ready for the challenge. I felt that I needed to make a difference in the world.” There is a lot of hardship in this job but it is also very rewarding. Many high schoolers can't say that they make $13.00 per hour, which in fact is a reason why some students considered getting their certification. But the pay is not what keeps a CNA in the workplace. The emotions that the residents make you feel can be the most rewarding feeling you will ever experience. Lily Reynolds, another senior at Potosi, said, “The residents are the reason that I am here. The appreciation that they show to me while I’m caring for them is an unbelievable feeling. The residents become your family; you are taking care of a person when they are at their weakest. You become the reason that they live, and they become the reason why you want to continue to help everyone.” It makes your days better when you feel grateful that you have the opportunity to change a life.

The skills that a CNA has are acquired through intense coursework that is offered by many technical colleges. It is a college certification that you need to pass tests on. Senior Evan Bloyer said, “I found my coursework easier than a normal class. The part that was challenging for me was that I would have to read an enormous amount of chapters in a short period of time while being in school.” However, this is not the case for everyone. Senior Lily Reynolds stated, “The course was challenging. You are expected to have an assignment, take a quiz, read eight or more chapters, and take a test in less than a week. This is all while you have everything else in your life happening as well.”

The coursework teaches you how to execute all of your duties to the best of your ability. However, nothing will ever prepare you for the things you will experience on the job. The emotions can be very difficult to deal with, ranging from bad teamwork between co-workers to the death of a resident. Evan shared that the most challenging thing about his job was working with the coworkers that don't care about being there. “Honestly, if you are a CNA and you go to work not caring about the residents and feeling like it’s wasting your time, then you should not be a CNA,” he said.

It's approaching the end of your shift; you have taken care of all of your responsibilities. There is a resident that you have cared for since the day you got hired, and she´s declining more and more with every passing hour. She is scared, hurting, upset, and there is no family there for her. You crouch down by her bedside and grab her hand. You know that she is scared, so are you, but you can´t let your emotions show, you have to stay strong. You let her know that she has changed your life by making you a better person. She has taught you life lessons without her even realizing. She has taught you patience, responsibility, and has shown you that you have the power to make a difference. You say that everything will be okay, even though you know that it won’t. Her breathing gets heavy; you know that her last breath is approaching, and you squeeze her hand tighter. Her movements become calm. A tear rolls down your cheek; you just lost a part of your family. Nothing can compare to the emotions when a resident is on the last stretch of their journey.
A frail, confused resident is lying peacefully in their bed as you leave their room. You look down the hall and see all the residents' room lights off. You feel like you can take your first breath of the day. All of your responsibilities that you worked so hard to help are lying clean, safe, and peaceful in bed. You know that when you come back in the morning if one of them were to be gone, you could ease the pain by knowing that you gave the best care to them they could get. Certified Nursing Assistants are at the bottom of the nursing system, but we are the people who are with residents as they are facing death, and as they take their last breath. It is a hard, but meaningful and rewarding job.