Picture this: a couple of nursing assistants have quit and you are scrambling to replace them. You've taken the time to advertise for CNAs, interview prospective employees and complete the entire hiring process. Now you cross your fingers that these new CNAs will stick around. But, do you really want to leave it to luck? The best thing you can do to make sure that both time and money haven't been wasted is to orient your new nursing assistants.
Nurse aides have the least amount of pre-employment training of any other clinical employee. Your CNAs may come to you with only weeks of clinical schooling. As a result, they require-and deserve-an extensive introduction to their jobs.
CNA
A thorough orientation has many benefits-for your workplace, your new employees and you. These benefits include:
Reduced anxiety. By providing new employees with specific guidelines, an orientation helps them know what is expected of them from day one. Increased job satisfaction. Orientation helps ensure that new employees are well-prepared to perform their assigned duties instead of feeling overwhelmed, stressed out and ready to leave! Time savings for supervisors and coworkers. A thorough orientation makes new employees self-sufficient sooner-so they don't pull you and your other aides away from your own jobs to answer questions or provide constant assistance. An improved employee retention rate. Across the nation, turnover of nursing assistants costs health care organizations more than billion every year! However, studies have shown that organizations with a comprehensive orientation can expect to reduce their turnover rate by 50% within two years.
So, what should a CNA orientation program include? Here are some suggestions that have been shown to get nursing assistants off to a good start:
Working as a Nursing Assistant. Promote professionalism by providing your aides with the tools they need to be team players. Review their job description with them, step by step, and discuss workplace policies on chain of command and delegation. Supporting Patient Rights. Emphasize the importance of patient rights, especially confidentiality-the cornerstone of the relationship between health care workers and their clients. Help your CNAs understand advance directives and the signs and symptoms of abuse. Infection Control. Because nosocomial infections continue to be the most common cause of medical errors, new employees benefit from a review of handwashing protocol, standard precautions and drug-resistant infections. Client Care Tips. Nursing assistants, especially those who are "new grads", can become overwhelmed quickly by the demands of client care. If you arm them with practical tips that focus on personal care, nutrition and client safety, their on-the-job confidence will soar. Self Care. By spending orientation time on employee wellness, you'll show your new aides that you care about them as people and recognize that they are your greatest resource. If you ignore this crucial area, you run the risk of developing stressed-out, disgruntled CNAs within a matter of months. Providing Quality Care. By focusing on customer service, quality improvement and medical error prevention, you'll instill a desire for excellence among your new CNAs. Writing It All Down. As every nurse knows, when it comes to client care, if you don't write it down, you didn't do it. Devoting time to proper documentation (and/or oral reporting) is essential for every new employee.
Whew...that's a lot of information. Who has time to put together an orientation program like that? The good news is that you don't have to. Instead of reinventing the wheel, check around for companies that offer an orientation course for nursing assistants. (The best products will also provide your CNAs with inservice credit!)
Remember: by developing and retaining top-notch CNAs, you'll recoup the money you spend on quality orientation materials in no time.
CNA Orientation - Time Well Spent
Linda H. Leekley BS, RN
President, In the Know, Inc.
http://www.knowingmore.com
Do you struggle to provide your nursing assistants with high quality continuing education? With over 120 inservice topics, In the Know has the solution to nearly any problem facing your nurse aides. Using our inservices ensures that your CNAs will learn more-and achieve more. As a result, their client care will improve dramatically! And, we stand by the superior quality of our teaching materials with a 60-day money back guarantee.
Please visit my website at http://www.knowingmore.com to download a FREE Inservice Topic.
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