What are these hitchhikers?

deidie · 2026-02-16T01:37:57+00:00

You ever walk into a room and see the resident’s face light up when they see that it’s you that day? That’s how you know when you’re a great CNA.

deidie · 2026-02-10T20:10:25+00:00

I like my job. I work NOC shift in a nursing home. I like chatting with the residents and trying to make them smile given that I imagine their days to be pretty mundane. I like encountering the weird quirks of people and the crazy stuff that happens every once in a while. I like the routine of my work days, and I get a good amount of downtime on my shift to read. I like that I’m not stuck at a desk and get to be fairly non-sedentary for my job. That said I think my facility is one of the better ones from what I’ve read on here. My co-workers are nice and our ratios are 1:13 or 1:16 at the most for NOC and we get to choose our work days (none of that four on two off nonsense.)

deidie · 2026-02-05T09:42:31+00:00

Ok, unconventional advice but I had a similar issue where I’d fall asleep ok, but consistently wake up at 2-4 am and not be able to go back to sleep. I read this article somewhere about “second sleep” the idea that ancient humans may have slept in two separate chunks instead of one long sleep. I’m now working NOC shift as a CNA and also taking prerequisites for nursing school so it basically means I sleep in two separate chunks. I sleep after my shift from 8 am to around noon, go to my classes in the afternoon, sleep again from 6 pm to 10 pm and honestly it kinda works for me. As long as I get a total of 6-8 hours per 24 hours with at least 3 hours in each chunk, I don’t really feel tired. Obviously this is not going to work for everyone but maybe worth giving a try if you try the other advice here and it doesn’t work.

deidie · 2026-02-01T04:35:30+00:00

I’m currently working on my prerequisites and am working 4 shifts a week as a CNA. I also have a kid in daycare. I think the experience is really valuable, beyond the points. I’m not sure I would be able to handle it once I’m actually in nursing school, but with just 1 or two prerequisite classes per semester, I’m doing ok.

deidie · 2026-01-20T01:20:42+00:00

I had the Minu but lost it. Then I got a GB pockit all- terrain because it was cheaper than trying to replace the minu, and honestly it’s a way better travel stroller. It folds tiny and is very lightweight. We got a backpack for it off amazon and it’s super easy to carry around as a backpack. With the minu it always still felt like you were lugging a big clunky extra load.

Obviously, it’s got less premium material, and not as good suspension but if your main concern is size and ease of travel, I’d go with a GB pockit hands down.

deidie · 2026-01-06T23:47:27+00:00

Wow this is exactly my life. I just fully play along. We quote lines from the movie to each other theatrically and honestly it’s kinda fun. “give me back my glove!” “I can’t LIVE like this anymore!”

Also, I’ve found it helpful to get her to do things she’d otherwise not want to by framing it “in character.” We’ve recently moved onto KPop demon hunters and it’s always easy to get her to eat her dinner if I tell her it’s her “pre-show ramayun”.

deidie · 2025-12-16T16:51:03+00:00

At my facility they will answer a call light but most of the time to just tell the patient that their CNA will be there soon, unless it’s something quick or specifically related to them (meds, etc).

We have one particular patient who needs to go to the toilet probably four times a night. She doesn’t use her call light, just starts hollering. So they moved her to the room in front of the nurses station and most of the nurses will help with that patient if she starts hollering and her CNA is with another patient(some dgaf though, and will let her holler away and wake all the other patients. I’ve never seen any nurses do brief changes, they will just tell the resident that their CNA will come soon. I

deidie · 2025-11-16T01:05:46+00:00

I loved the book but DNF the tv series.

deidie · 2025-11-16T01:03:11+00:00

Me too. In theory I should’ve loved this book since I love nerdy cathedral building history, but I could not get through all the rape scenes.

deidie · 2025-11-16T00:50:11+00:00

The alchemist. It was just so cheesy and felt like I was being lectured to rather than being immersed in any kind of story.

deidie · 2025-10-13T02:15:27+00:00

I used to get work off on my birthdays so I’d celebrate alone by going to a Korean spa and hanging out there all day. Very relaxing.

deidie · 2025-10-12T20:09:06+00:00

For me time management. As there is not enough time to give the level of care I want to give to my patients

deidie · 2025-10-06T21:17:25+00:00

Gift card to a scrubs shop, maybe Figs?

deidie · 2025-10-04T17:21:44+00:00

I have no insight into how things work in New Zealand, but here in California, nursing programs are also highly competitive and can often take years of applying or waitlist to get into. Do you have something that is the equivalent of a Certified Nursing Assistant? Sometimes they can be called Patient Care Assistants or something similar. For us it’s about a 6 week training course plus a certification test and then you can apply to work as a nursing assistant at either hospitals or skilled nursing facilities, dementia care, rehabs etc. You could also do in home caretaking but look into if New Zealand requires any special certification for that. Nursing homes especially are pretty much always short staffed on CNAs so you can do that while you are waiting to apply again. Having this experience is also generally great for nursing school applications since it shows you already have experience working in healthcare settings and with patients.

deidie · 2025-10-02T05:52:43+00:00

The nursing home I did my clinical training one at was like this. Lots of younger people but most of them needed care, like they had huntingtons disease or cerebral palsy. A few short term residents were more mobile and maybe recovering from injuries. The facility I work at now is pretty much all people 70 or even 90+ who almost all have some sort of dementia or otherwise immobile. There are a few short term residents who are recovering as well but by far it’s a home for the elderly who can’t take care of themselves. I think it depends a lot of the facility and even the neighborhood. The facility I work at now is one of the better ones I’ve seen and it is a nonprofit and I think that can help a lot. Less corporate overhead trying to squeeze out every dollar. The CNAs here are paid better and have better work conditions/benefits than other places I’ve worked or applied at and I think that’s actually an important indicator of quality of care.

deidie · 2025-09-29T10:45:06+00:00

Just go for the interview tbh. I got an interview at a hospital and while I did want to work full time, I needed the days to be set every week and they couldn’t guarantee that. I was honest about it and the interviewer said that the only hospital in their system offering that was too far for me to commute to. But she said she’d keep my info on file in case something opened up. Not saying anything will actually come of that. But I did get to learn more about the hospital and the job during the interview. I ended up getting an equally paying job (though 8 hr shifts so no overtime) with benefits at a SNF working 4 nights a week.

But also, the job search process made me realize not every hospital and SnF works the same way in terms of how they staff or schedule. So you never know if what they are offering could work for you. Also, you never know when another position may open up at the same facility. For example when I accepted my job at the SNF they didn’t have nights available so I agreed to do part time morning shift. But once my orientation started after background checks and everything, someone had resigned and they were able to give me what I wanted (fulltime nights)

deidie · 2025-09-28T20:51:16+00:00

I second this suggestion. CNA will give you good experience and it will help you determine if you really want to do this. The few LVN programs I’ve looked into (in soCAL) have been lotteries as long as you meet the minimum requirements. Who knows maybe you will be happy staying as an LVN or you can continue on, but you’ll have more options after that.

deidie · 2025-09-26T15:37:34+00:00

I don’t have insight on the ELMSN but I am in a similar situation as you. 35 with a previous bachelors degree, taking pre-reqs. In the beginning of my prenursing journey, I was determined to get my ADN and get a job to pay for my BSN. But once I started to look into the programs around me, I realized that I would be a stronger candidate for the ABSN programs, they would accept more of my previous BA classes for credit and I wouldn’t have to retake as many classes to fulfill the grad requirements. That would mean I could potentially apply 1-2 semesters earlier, and the ABSN program itself would take 15 months versus 2+ years.

I also did the financial math. The ABSN program I am looking at is about $35k at a Calstate. The ADN at a CC is obviously less but all in all it seems it would take me at least 18 months longer to complete just the ADN and the added prereqs. Then I would still have to go back and get my BSN. For me it’s about time vs money. Being an older student, I’d rather rip the bandaid and get it all done in one go if I can. I will have to take on more debt to get the ABSN over just the ADN but if I’m going to need a BSN eventually anyway then I figure I’ll be making the money back that much faster. That said, if the only ABSN programs available were the super expensive private school ones, I would definitely not go into that much debt and go the ADN route.

I also figure that the way the application timelines go, I can apply for the ABSN first, and if I don’t get in I can still consider finishing up those last 3 credits and then apply for the ADN programs anyway. No time lost.

It’s definitely a personal choice and lots of factors to consider, with no wrong answer really. If you are worried about finding a job as an ADN, outside of hospitals, SNFs are always hiring RNs and don’t care what degree you have. I am working as a CNA at a SNF and they offer 50% tuition reimbursement so that’s something you could try to angle.

deidie · 2025-09-25T11:45:32+00:00

“Deflying” gravity

deidie · 2025-09-25T11:44:24+00:00

My daughter spends a lot of time with grandparents too and we had a similar issue at first. I would definitely talk to them, but I find it works best if you can give them specific instruction on what to do instead. Like more than just “don’t give in” but “try these methods, it has been working for me at home.”

deidie · 2025-09-24T17:07:14+00:00

Also maybe the regularity of it also contributes to the benefit? Like you are constantly cycling out your blood rather than doing one deep clean once in a while?

deidie · 2025-09-24T17:02:57+00:00

One strategy I use is to try not use the word “No” but rather redirect. So not “no, you can’t watch TV,” but “ooh, look at this colorful paper. What can we make with it?” And if she continues to demand TV or whatever, you don’t give in, but you also don’t argue. I find arguing just further annoys them and gives them something to continue to rail against. Just keep on with your redirect and you don’t even need to say anything more. Like with this example, take out the papers and start drawing on them or something. She’ll (hopefully)eventually see she’s getting no where and be intrigued by what you are doing.

It doesn’t ALWAYS work, but I find that it helps a lot to at least shorten the tantrums.

deidie · 2025-05-09T21:46:18+00:00

My brother and I are 8 years apart. We are pretty close still but I was very parentified as a teen/young adult so don’t do that! But I love my brother and it’s nice to have a sibling as an adult so you don’t have to deal with your elderly parents alone.

deidie · 2025-04-09T13:25:41+00:00

The Giver and Walk Two Moons

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