The CNA students stood quietly around the nursing station all waiting to hear what room and resident we were assigned to for the day. Bright and early at 8 am we each partnered up and made our way down the halls to the respective rooms of the residents. Making sure we knocked first, we slowly opened the door greeting our resident with a cheerful “good morning,” followed by an introduction of who we were. Morning routines consisted of showers, brushing of hair and teeth, getting dressed and making our way down to the dining room. Simple tasks that we are so used to doing without a thought are taken for granted by most, have now become a struggle for the residents.
Every clinical day I spent with residents made me appreciate the work that both CNA’s and nurses do. It takes a lot of physical and mental work to give so much of yourself to the people that count on your care. Many days I would leave the clinical site exhausted both mentally and physically. I had a flood of emotions running through my body I never knew I had. You try so hard to make someone feel loved and feel cared for, but sometimes you feel like you failed. I’m thankful I had my mom there to call after those hard days. She’s been a nurse for years and understood the emotions I was going through.
It was the stories the residents shared, the memories they recounted, and the life lessons they passed on that sent shivers down my spine. It was the way they smiled when they saw us students arrive in the morning, it was the humility they went through every time they asked for help. It stuck with me. They didn’t ask for what their bodies were putting them through, they don’t want to rely on some stranger for help, they want their independence back. I wanted to be there for them all, I wanted to listen to the words they spoke, I wanted to be a friend, but mostly I wanted them to know I would do anything to help them. I would never judge them. I wanted to do everything I could to make the pain go away. Even though I knew I couldn’t reverse their bodies back to pre-conditions, I wanted to do my best to help them. That’s all I wanted. I wanted them to know I was on their side, I was here to answer any questions I could to the best of my abilities, I was there to make them feel at home and I was there to give my support.
I left Sunset Home on my last clinical day in tears. I said my goodbyes to the residents I had the chance to help and made my way out the front doors. I left knowing that nursing was the career path I wanted to take. All I want is to be there for my patients/ residents and their families in times of need, be there for them in the good and bad times, and be a helping hand of support. I know it’s going to be a long journey to becoming a nurse and a lot of time devoted to studying. However, it will be worth it. Remembering the look on the faces of the residents I got to help will be enough to get me through the roughest of times.
