Moo-Young 1 Elise Moo-Young Prof. Presnell English 1103 22 Sept.

2013 The Exhausting Yet Perfect Summer as a Nursing Aide Student One school. Twelve class days of lectures. Twelve class days of learning a plethora of skills. Three tests. One final exam. One day of CPR Certification. Four days of clinical experience. Countless hours of studying. Put all of these elements together and what do you get? You get one dedicated, enthusiastic, hard-working student, determined to pass the test that will determine half of her future: The National Nurse Aide Assessment Program Examination. Let us first rewind to UNCC SOAR: June 24, 2013 and June 25, 2013. I was excited about attending orientation because I would finally meet other students who were looking forward to college and the journey we were about to embark on. At SOAR, I was with other students, who like me, had aspirations of going into the nursing field. My orientation counselor (OC), Jamaica, was an energetic and spunky rising junior who was going into UNCCs nursing school. I enjoyed having her as my OC as opposed to someone else because the people in my group (all pre-nursing majors) were able to ask her questions about nursing. In fact, thats when I learned that we needed to have 50+ hours of paid or volunteer experience in a human-based healthcare environment. What started to stress me out even more was that nearly half of the students in my group already had their Nursing Assistant I certification. One of the girls I became friends with at SOAR, Miranda Farmer, a blue eyed and long brown haired teenager, wearing stud earrings, explained to me how she got certified as a Nursing Assistant I. When Miranda told me that there was a lady that called her beautiful blue eyes and wanted Miranda

Moo-Young 2 to go into her room so that the lady could read out loud her journal to Miranda, it made me realize how much I wanted to take my Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) classes before the end of summer 2013 because of the connection that Miranda made with her patients. Even though I wasnt sure if it would be attainable because 1.) I only had a month and a half of summer left and 2.) I wasnt sure if my manager would allow me to take off so much time from work to complete the CNA class I was willing to give it a try. When I got home from SOAR that afternoon, I started looking at all of my options. The first place I began my search for CNA programs was on the UNCC website because there was a link on State Approved Nurse Aide I Training and Competency Evaluation Programs. After clicking the link, I was brought to five pages of State Approved Nurse Aide I Training and Competency Evaluation Programs that listed the county/city they were located in, the name of the facility, and a phone number to contact them. In my mind, I wasnt going to look at all of these programs, but instead, I would narrow my search to the programs only in Mecklenburg County in Charlotte. Even with the specific search, there were still twelve possible options, so I clicked one by one all of the links located in Mecklenburg County and took notes about each website. I was quickly able to eliminate a couple of programs because the dates interfered with other events that I had already planned. Eventually, I was left with two programs: Divine Health Academy and Nurse Aide Institute of Excellence. Both of these places were $500.00 which sounded pricey to me, but in my mind, it would pay off at the end. I remember calling my mom at work and babbling, Mom! I found a program-Divine Health Academy. I called them and they said that all I would have to do is fill out an application, pay the fee, and then my spot would be secured! My mom responded, asking me to give her the address, so I did. After I finished my conversation with her and hung up the phone, I was thrilled,

Moo-Young 3 thinking I would be able to actually complete my CNA before the start of my freshman year. A couple minutes later, the phone rang and my mom told me to check my email, so I went on my Gmail and saw that my mom had sent me a list of reviews by customers who had completed programs at the Divine Health Academy. As I looked at the reviews, I was in disbelief and shock because I couldnt believe the words that I was reading on the page of reviews. Ninety-nine percent of the reviews were filled with negativity from AWFUL SCHOOL! This school is truly a fraud, to This school has gone from bad, to worse, to absolute rock bottom, and to This is the worst school I have ever attended in my life. Never had I anticipated such negativity, but at the same time, it opened my eyes. I was gullible enough to think that Divine Health Academy would be a great fit for me because when I called, the people sounded pleasant, but I guess I was wrong. From that point on, I scratched Divine Health Academy off my list and was left with Nurse Aide Institute of Excellence. With Nurse Aide Institute of Excellence, I had high hopes of completing my program there because there was a one hundred percent pass rate on the NNAAP Exam. My dad and I decided to scope out the area that the program was located. My goodness! It was in the ghetto, the roads were all messed up with potholes and cracks, and it just was not a warm feeling in my stomach. Safety was the biggest concern for my parentsespecially since they didnt want me driving there to and from the place every day. When I called, there wasnt even space. I was put number one on their waiting list for the dates I wanted, but they kept on trying to convince me to take the evening classes which in my mind said, Heck no. Thats a recipe for danger and trouble for me. The sad, pathetic part about me regarding this specific program was that despite the safety concerns involved, I still was somewhat willing to push my limit in order to just get my certification as quick as I could. When I thought my whole plan was ruined after being

Moo-Young 4 waitlisted, I sought one last program that I hadnt looked into because of the $95.00 differenceCarolinas College of Health Sciences. I had told my mom that I hadnt looked into CCHS because it was more expensive, but when I showed her the website, she made me immediately call them to see if there were still any opening spots left. Unfortunately, no one answered, but I still decided to fill out the application and hand-deliver it to the front desk at CCHS. When I went to CCHS the next day, the coordinator in charge of the program had told me that there was already a waiting list and I would be number two. She said there were already 40 students enrolled in the class which shocked me because the other programs I had looked into only had 10-15 students maximum. If anything, I would have a chance with Nurse Aide Institute of Excellence. Once I found out that I was waitlisted, I lost all optimism; my mom made the comment that she knew I would stress out my whole freshman year if I couldnt take my CNA class and she was right. After a couple days had gone by, I received a voicemail at work from Lakeisha Bennett, the woman I had spoken to about being in the CCHS CNA course for the summer. In her voicemail, she informed me that two people had dropped the course and that I would be able to take it! Unbelievable. It seemed that I would be able to take the course after all. I was beyond excited and shared the great news with my mom. Let us forward to the first day of class on July 8, 2013. I walked into class at 8:00AM and was the second one in the classroom. At 8:30AM, an African American woman with black curly hair and enormous hoop earrings came strolling through the door with a large cart filled with paper. She introduced herself as Ms. Millie Alexander. I personally, couldnt wait to start the class. Her energy and enthusiasm to teach the class was contagious. Ms. Millie made it clear that she would teach us everything we would need to know for both the written and skills portion of

Moo-Young 5 the NNAAP exam. Throughout the course, Ms. Millie told many stories about residents and patients (keeping their names anonymous) depending on what topics were being covered that day. My favorite part of the class aside from the clinical experience was actually learning and practicing the skills that we would have to perform on patients/residents in a healthcare setting. I remember the first skill we were validated on in class was hand hygiene. Think its just soap and water? Think again. We had to turn on the faucet, wet our hands and wrists thoroughly, apply soap to our hands, lather all surfaces of wrists, hands, and fingers, producing friction, for at least twenty seconds, clean our fingernails by rubbing fingertips against palms of the opposite hand, rinse all surfaces of the wrists, hands, and fingers, dry our hands, and then turn off the faucet with another towel. The process of hand hygiene itself was technical. In reality, many of us just swipe our hands through the water and put soap on it for a couple of seconds and then rinse our hands (we think thats the correct way to wash our hands even though its not). On another class day, we got validated on measuring oral temperature, counting respirations, and counting radial pulse (pulse of the radial artery located on the inner side of the wrist). My partner, Samantha Alaimo, who had long, beautiful auburn colored hair, had no problem getting validated on these items. I on the other hand, had an issue counting Samanthas radial pulse. At times, I would lose the beat and would have to start over, which was frustrating for me. It wasnt my fault though. Ms. Millie said that Samanthas pulse was strong, and then became weak halfway through the process of getting her radial pulse. Aside from getting validated on our skills, we had to take three tests and a final exam. The tests were a joke. It was a piece of cake. As long as we knew the whole study guide according to Ms. Millie, we were good to go. She had said that if we didnt achieve a certain average by the end of actual class experience, then we wouldnt be able to do the clinical

Moo-Young 6 experience, which worried me and made me study even harder. At the end, I had no reason to be afraid of the tests because just as Ms. Millie had said openly to the class, the tests were very similar to the study guide that Ms. Millie had given us beforehand. The last day before our clinical experience, we had to get CPR certified. First, we had to take an hour and half online course on CPR and then actual perform it in class. There were three groups for CPR and I was lucky enough to be in the first one which meant that I would be able to go home as soon as I was done. My partner Mary Knish, a sophomore at UNCC, told me that she had CPR experience already because she was a lifeguard. It was actually helpful for me to have her as a partner because she guided me through some of the scenarios that we were getting validated on. At the end, everyone got certified. Thank goodness. I would have died of embarrassment if I couldnt get certified that day like everyone else. From learning lots of information about communication, critical thinking, incident reports, the nursing process, infection control, mental health/illness, Dementia/Alzheimers disease, restraints, nutrition, end of life care, person centered care, and body mechanics to plenty of skills such as applying restraints, giving bed baths, measuring I&O, dressing clients with affected right arms, transferring, cleaning dentures, positioning clients on side, performing range of motion, and taking vital signs, it was time to put everything I learned in the classroom and apply it to the clinical experience at Carolina Medical Center. Cool, right? The main CMC hospital was right by the Carolinas College of Health Sciences. Remember how I said my mom urged me to apply for the CCHS CNA program? It was because CCHS was affiliated with CMC and was well-accredited. Anyways, my clinical experience was fantastic. I was with two other ladies, Caitlyn, a teenager who dreamed of being a physicians assistant and Beth, a strong Christian woman who

Moo-Young 7 has had a positive impact on me ever since we met through the CNA program. We were with Vinnie, a Nurse Aide I who truly loved her job. She told Caitlyn, Beth, and I that she couldve gone to become a nurse, but she decided to stay as a CNA because she knew that it took a special person to be one. Vinnie was inspirational-it wasnt about the money for her. If it was about the money, she wouldve become a nurse or even a doctor. Instead, it was about her passion for helping others every day and every second she worked. On the first day of clinical, Caitlyn, Beth, and I observed Vinnies structured routine and rapidness in everything. We started the day off by taking the patients vital signs, then giving ice to the patients, and then starting the baths and changing of the beds. After all of those tasks were completed, we had time to listen to patients and make conversations with them. During the clinical experience, we had a list of starred skills that we needed to perform or find a way to perform. Most of the concepts we learned in the classroom dealt with geriatrics (the care of aging people), but the patients that Caitlyn, Beth, and I were exposed to range from the age of 30s to 70s. One of the most memorable experiences that I will never forget during my clinical was when we were assigned to a patient to give her a full bed bath. Beth had asked if I wanted to lead it since she had led most of the other bed baths. I agreed and started washing her with soap and water and then drying her skin after I was done. Her daughter was sitting in the room while we worked on the patient. This patient was as sweet as candy. Her voice was soft and soothing. As I washed her skin, I made sure that I was gentle because her skin was all wrinkly and we had learned in class that the elderlys skin was fragile. After we were done giving the lady a bath, I had asked if she wanted us to perform foot care and nail care on her. She said she would love that, so we proceeded with two other tasks that would count towards our starred

Moo-Young 8 skills. For me, it wasnt about just getting those starred skills, but it was also about the excitement I had performing direct patient care. Every couple of seconds I asked in my Southern voice, Does this feel alright? Oh, yes! Yes it does, replied the patient. The patients daughter lightly said with a smile, Youre pampering my mother! What can I say? Its a spa day for her, I responded with a laugh. Another memorable experience was when I fed an amputee of both her legs and arms, not to mention she was visually impaired. This woman mustve been in her sixties, but she was as cute as a button. This lady had a sweet voice and always responded to my questions with great enthusiasm. Beth and I surely didnt treat her different than the other patients. In fact, we treated her with great respect. In my mind, I was moved by this woman who had overcome all of these obstacles and despite these challenges that she faced, she still maintained such cheerfulness. Her presence lighted the room. It was lunchtime for her, but before I gave her a taste of each of the food, I told her what was on the plate: mashed potatoes with gravy, beef stroganoff, spinach, and peach cobbler for dessert. I politely asked her what she wanted first and she said the beef, so I gave her a piece of the beef . After she finished swallowing, I said in my happiest voice, Hows that beef? Mm..mm..mm..that tastes delicious, she responded in a soft voice. As I continued to feed her, she savored every bite. Before I could offer her a piece of her dessert, a man with a stretcher came into the room. He was there to take her to the nursing home. For some reason, I didnt think highly of nursing homes. When I told her that she would be going home and I could sense her joy, I was confused. However, it made me happy to know that she

Moo-Young 9 looked forward to going back to the nursing home because it could mean only one thing: the workers treated her well despite her disabilities. Once the clinical experience was over, the next project I had to look forward to within the next couple of weeks was the NNAAP Exam. This exam consisted of 70 multiple choice questions and 5 skills. The problem with the skills portion was that out of the 25 listed skills that we were required to know for testing purposes, we didnt know which one we would have to complete until the day of the exam. On testing day, I was filled with nerves. While I was taking the written exam, I felt unprepared even though I had studied the book (I guess Ms. Millie didnt prepare us as well as I thought she would). The questions just seemed much harder than what we were actually tested on at CCHS. After the exam, we all waited for our results in the lobby because the evaluator just had to fax in our answer sheets and within a couple of minutes, she would get a result for each and every one of us. The evaluator informed us that she would call our birthdates for our results. She said, 03/06/1995. I popped up from my chair and got the paper from the ladys hand. Debating whether or not I should open it because I didnt want it to affect my skills performance, I finally decided to take a peek. The first word I saw was Congratulations and right there, I knew I had conquered part one of the exam in which I said, Whew. Everyone in the lobby had passed the written exam. Next step: skills exam. I was the second group to go and was paired with Rebecca, a kind-hearted lady who was retired, but had sadly lost her husband due to Alzheimers disease. The evaluator told Rebecca that she would be first. After Rebecca had done her skills, it was my turn. At that point, I was somewhat relaxed, but still filled with nerves. The skills I had to perform was hand-washing, measuring Rebeccas weight, performing foot care on Rebecca, applying an elastic stocking on Rebecca, and providing perineal (the cleaning of the genital and anal areas) care on the dummy. For the most part, I felt

Moo-Young 10 confident in everything I had done. The only part I was concerned about was the privacy curtain because without thinking, I would forget to pull the privacy curtain away after I was done with the procedure (Providing privacy for the patient is important). Also, at times I was confused as to when I should take off my gloves or wash my hands. The whole situation just felt unnatural to me which threw me off. It took me at least five minutes to put on the elastic stocking on Rebecca which made my blood pressure skyrocket (When I was practicing this skill in the classroom, it only took me 2 minutes!). After I finally completed this skill, I had to perform perineal care. I started performing the skill when a ring sounded. You have only five minutes left to perform perineal care on the dummy, the evaluator said. I was in a train wreck mentally, so much so that I accidentally wiped the buttocks the wrong way, but immediately corrected myself. I guess the evaluator saw the panic and fear in my eyes because she said, Five minutes is a lot of time. Despite her reassurance, I rushed through the skill while still having minimal optimism. Once I completed that skill (It was my final skill to perform), I thanked the evaluator and proceeded to the lobby. Everyone started talking at once, asking me how I did and right there, tears streamed down my face. I had a little doubt that I had passed the skills portion because of the perineal mistake even though I corrected myself. On the other hand, it strictly said in the handbook that the critical element must be performed correctly (wiping the buttocks the right way was a critical element). My whole situation was a little skeptical, but the whole group positively said that we could always take the test again together. A couple minutes later, the results finally came in for Rebecca and me. She said, I passed! and then it was my turn. I didnt want to open it and suffer disappointment. Everyone anxiously looked at me and Beth said, You gotta open the letter, Elise! Youre making me nervous! I

Moo-Young 11 couldnt open it though because I was filled with mixed emotions. Rebecca even tried to read the back of my paper as I firmly held onto it when she finally said, You passed. Well, what if she was wrong? That would make me feel even worse. I finally got the nerves to open it and after I slowly opened my paper, I saw Congratulations! I let out a huge breath and covered my mouth, ready to cry tears of happiness. I had done it. I was officially certified to be a nursing assistant I and in a couple of days after the test, I would officially be listed in the nurse aide I registry. From looking at numerous CNA programs in hopes of completing one before the start of college to being waitlisted to being able to participate in the CNA program to having an awesome experience at the clinical to passing the NNAAP Exam, I can honestly say that I have taken a joyride on the rollercoaster. Being certified makes me believe that I am just one step closer to achieving my dreams of becoming a nurse. In spite of the obstacles I had to face to get to the point I am now, I know that my hard-work has paid off and I couldnt be more excited to start working as a Certified Nursing Assistant I for summer 2014. Baby steps. Its the key to your wildest dreams.