I got this Patient Care Tech job in August and I suck at it. It does not matter what I do... I cannot get it together on the organization of the day. Here is what I do in the morning: take vital signs for 8-10 inpatients, accucheck fingersticks, baths, change beds, set up breakfasts, lunches, change patients when they are soiled, empty foleys, measure intake & output, enter data into computer, transfer patients from bed to chair, transfer patients from chair to bed, answer call lights, empty linen bags, etc.

I am so very discouraged...

What I need is for the experts out there in cyberspace to help me organize my morning so I won't get fired. This is NOT a joke... I really need the help. If anyone has a checklist that they work by, that would be mucha appreciated- I cannot find any on the Internet.

Thank you in advance for your assistance with this urgent request.

Thank you very much for this advice. The other techs help when/if they can, but it's many times they can't. My employer is hot on my trail with "help," because I believe she thinks I am too slow. Last week, I had 14 patients by myself. If I do get fired, it will be OK because I will have given it my best shot.

I really appreciate your answer and will try to put this info to great use.

I think I agree with kelly on this one.  I worked as a CNA for years.  It can be a very thankless job if you don't have a good charge nurse.  Also, you frequently work short staffed.  I had the occassion to have great charges and also not so great ones.  It also helps if you have other CNA's who are willing to pitch in when needed.  I frequently borrowed someone from another floor who wasn't busy in order to help me lift or turn.  If you have hard working co workers who are all motivated towards one goal this helps tremendously.  Obviously though they might also be caught up in trying to get tasks completed as well.   I think making a detailed schedule and sticking to it (as closely as possible) is a good idea, beginning your day with the most importanat tasks first.  Please don't stress yourself out.  If you are overly stressed that will show to your pts.  Just remember that you are only ONE person and you can only do so much at one time.  Do your best, and do it well...that's really all anyone can ask for.

Hi  there male cna names richard .First of all your very good at describing out our job.It does get easier as time goes by trust me on this one.Schedule your resident with the easy ones first . and work your way down the list. If you have resident that can comunicate with you talk to them as you go along helping them .This makes thing better because you can bond with them and request how they whant things done.IF they do not comunicate and need help with lilfting,changing,draining,please please get some one to help you other wise youll get burned out and hurt your back it happende to me several times. I know its hard to get help ,but if you look at your care plan it will tell you 123or 4assist. and belive me I've been there when it took us 4 people to transfer patient on gurneys on there way to Hospitals.If a resident can brush there own teeth by all means give them the tooth brush and tooth paist.Showers are the hardest for me sometimes most of the time it takes 2 people to shower someone.Also as  a male cna we get alot of negative feed back from residents,patients,and even sometimes staff .But it gets better if you just become an RN you do less work and get paid more.Rns'compain of all the paper work and computor work etc.etcSo if you can manage your cna job go to school full time take care of your family and study at the same time .Consider your self supermom.It takes 4years to become an RN with an assosiates degree.And about 160.000.00thousand dollars in student loans I'm estimating cost of course.If your over 35 years old forget going to school it would take you a life time to pay it back /Best time to become an RN is after high school at age 17prefurable if posible them you could eliminate the kids husband etc.etc. I'm 43 years old I will not be going back to school .I've thought it threw .Its too hard to acomplish .My kids are adults now with there own kids .No career no job etc.etc. We have to plan before we start a family I know this now .Just a hint don't know your current situation .The womans liberal movement in the late 20's ealy 30's sure has changed things in the states. Just ask Jesus dayly on what to do. He will be there for you .Oh when your residents give you a hard time just tell them you love them this always help me .I hope this has been a good advise reading to you .Don't give up take a deep breath and schedule. YOur friend in health care cna position Richard cantu 

" I believe you are honing-in on the priorities quite well;it's One Rule of Thumb that I remember from LPN school:

 " Vital Signs come first,making sure your patient is AAOx 1,2,or  3-> Vital means alive".Very pertinent observation.

   These are the days...Either Be There or ***Take the Chair,( winess stand )?"