Being a Certified Nursing Assistant is something that has become so important to me. I earned my CNA license on April 20, 2015 and wow, was that such a rewarding feeling. It felt good knowing that what I had worked toward for a year-and-a-half paid off, and has set me in the right direction for my future. The thing that bothers me the most about being a CNA is that people will refer to the job as being an “ass-wiper.” Yes, that is part of the job, but again it is only a part of it. Being a certified nursing assistant is so much more than that.

I am here to help my residents do things they can not do on their own.

As I am helping my residents get into bed, or washing them up before bed, I imagine my grandparents being in this position. They don’t enjoy being exposed to someone who is a complete stranger, but they appreciate it so much. Hearing them say “thank you” over and over really helps me get through my 3 p.m.-11 p.m. shifts.

My residents are the sweetest, even when they are combative.

Yes, combative residents are prevalent. Throughout my clinicals, I had never come across a combative resident. This was until I started my first job in a nursing home. I can only speak for the residents that I take care of, but I know that they truly don’t mean to be combative. They swing their arms and grab anything in sight when they are nervous. How would you feel if you weren't able to get into bed by yourself so a stranger had to help you?

When my residents' families are not there, I become their family.

Those nights that my residents' families are not able to come in, I am there to sit with them and hold their hands. They tell me their problems, and I am the one to help them. As for the residents who have no visitors, I as the CNA have to step into place as their real family. I can only imagine how it feels to be living in a nursing home, and having no family coming to visit. My main concern and focus is to make sure that they are feeling comfortable.

I am a CNA for more than just physical help, I am an emotional help as well.

When working, I do more than just take care of their hygiene and put my residents to bed. I become a shoulder to cry on, and a friend to confide in. I know that by sitting in a resident's room, talking to them one-on-one, even if it's only for about 10-minutes can change their attitude completely.

The girls I work with have become my family.

Working with the same girls, shift after shift, makes us become one big united family. I feel as if I am with them more than I am home with my own family, but this is something I do not mind. I feel like we have laughed and cried together. Working with these girls has made my life a whole lot easier.

Being a CNA at such a young age has given me a different outlook on life.

I have seen life and death. Before becoming a CNA, elderly people were just that: elderly people. Now they have become so much more than that. My feelings are so much stronger toward them now that I know how they feel first-hand. Other people that are my age that may have no experience working with the elderly most likely do not feel the same.

Being a CNA is such a rewarding job in the end.

When leaving work at 11 o’clock at night I look back at my night, and think to myself how I just impacted my residents lives. I am doing something that not a lot of people can do. I know that I am making a difference in these residents lives and I could not be happier. I will let you know that not every day is perfect, but the good days definitely outweigh the bad.