Stories of a Nursing Assistant

My First Day as a Nurse Aide

My First day as an aide I was completely clueless. I never realized how much work a nurse aide does until this day. Everything seemed to go fairly well until I couldn't keep up with the amount of work I had to complete and the amount of residents I had to care for. I cried when I accidently left a lady on the toilet for half an hour. I was in another room doing care and I started to think about her. The other resident's room I was in was very particular. She would not let me leave until everything was perfect. When I finally got back with the resident who was on the toilet, I just began to sob. I felt like I had failed. She was not happy to be left that long but she couldn't help but see my caring heart come out when I began to cry. This lady became my favorite resident. She loved seeing me as I walked through the door everyday. She even told my DON (Director of Nursing) she wanted me on her hall every night I worked. Months later, this resident went on home because she became well again. She thanked for everything I did for her and we once again had an emotional moment. This time I knew I was not the failure I thought I was. This made me realize that I am going to make mistakes, but I will work through them and I can bring a little light to someone's day. 

Nurse Aides can be pushed to the ground and it can seem like our job is not important. Nurse aides have one of the most important jobs in the healthcare field. We do the most basic care. Facilities would not make it without us. I never thought I could work as a nurse aide but I would not change for the world because I get to make somebody's day every day. One day I will be an RN then a BSN but for now I will be the best damn Nurse Aide I can be and I am going to keep improving the lives of others.