8-hour workouts

The past 6 weeks have brought significant changes for me. I completed my Certified Nursing Assistant course and started a job as a nursing assistant at a nursing home. I work 2pm-10:30ish 4-5 days a week. My schedule is constantly changing from week to week, but that's just part of the medical world, and I might as well get used to that now. It's hard to know how to describe this job, but basically, I'll say it's an 8-hour workout. I spend my time lifting patients from their bed to their wheelchair, then their wheelchair to the toilet and back again. As soon as I finish doing this for all my patients, it's time to start over and do it again. I also have bed-ridden patients that require me to change their incontinence brief in bed. That's also exhausting and often embarrassing for the patient. I'm surprised how quickly I've gotten used to cleaning up bodily functions. I wake up every day stiff and sore. I'm covered in bruises. I'm desperately hoping that my body will adjust at some point because the last 3 weeks have been terribly challenging from a physical and emotional perspective.

One of the hardest things about this job is trying to give my full attention to each patient, knowing that there are 2 other call lights on in other rooms. I wish that I could just sit and talk to my patients, but I know that the longer I spend with one person means that someone else is waiting longer. Occasionally I determine that it's worth it to spend a few extra minutes with someone. Last week one of my patients returned from her mom's funeral to learn that her husband died. She said the funeral was wonderful, but that there hadn't been anyone to sing a hymn. I asked her if I could sing to her, and she was grateful for that small offering. It was a valuable reminder to me that I'm treating the whole person and that it's ok to listen to my instincts about taking a few minutes out of my day to do something extra for someone's heart.

I heard that I've been offered an interview for nursing school. It will take place on June 23rd, so I would certainly appreciate your prayers for that. It's a step in the right direction, for sure, but it's no guarantee of acceptance. And, if my new job has taught me anything, it's that I don't want to do this forever!