CNA/Orderly (Privates) - The most overworked, underpaid, unappreciated of the health-care team. BUT, the most important! They are the eyes and ears for every department of the nursing home. That is in addition to being the work horse of the home.
The CNA/Orderly deals with the resident on a daily basis. They are the first to notice changes in the residents moods, level of conciousness (LOC), changes in ambulation, range of motion (ROM), changes in skin condition and a thousand other details. They assist the resident with getting out of bed in the morning, washing , brushing of teeth/dentures, dressing, ambulation or transfer to a wheel chair.
They assist the resident with eating, changing, turning and repositioning and again, a thousand other activities of daily living. The CNA/Orderly is the person that the nurses, dietary, and housekeeping turn to when asked a question about the everyday details that they don't see. Without the CNA/Orderly the nursing home would not function. I think that they need to be afforded a higher wage, a benefit package, but most importantly MORE RESPECT!
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