WEEK 14 Final Week of Spring Semester

We are almost at the finishing line, Students!  This week, Manuel will demonstrate 2 more nursing skills: bed bath and vital signs.  In addition, you will complete your resume and speech writing tasks in preparation for our certificate program on Thursday evening.  And of course, we will continue practicing our small talk and follow up questions, as you know, are important rapport building skills!

I applaud you for your hard work, persistence and dedication to this class! 

WEEK 13 RESTORATIVE CARE & THE GRIEVING PROCESS

This is our final 2 weeks of the semester!  Congratulations for sticking with the course, and I especially praise those students who met the attendance requirement in spite of working all day and taking care of your families.  

This week, we'll try to get as much done as possible.  Please look at the new information I placed under Career Prep on Interviewing.  We will work on your resumes this week, and start writing our speeches.  We will also practice writing accident reports, learn about medication management,  and the grieving process.  There will also be an overview of restorative care.  

Poem:  To One In Sorrow

Let me come in where you are weeping, friend,

And let me take your hand.

I, who have known a sorrow such as yours, can understand.

Let me come in -- I would be very still beside you in your grief;

I would not bid you cease your weeping, friend,

Tears bring relief. Let me come in -- and hold your hand,

For I have known a sorrow such as yours, 

And understand.

-Grace Noll Crowell

WEEK 12 SAFETY & EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

Hello Students! We have a big week this week!  Attending each class is very important!  Module 10 is next on our checklist, as you know, I gave you a weekend assignment to review the nursing videos and read the module, scanning for the spelling and vocabulary words. 
Tuesday night is CPR & First Aid training in our classroom, from 5- 9pm.  Please try to be on time! Our CPR instructors' names are: BJ and Jubeth.  They are very friendly and fun! 

                         Let's see what you already know:  
1- What is first aid?
2- If you happen to see a person lying on the sidewalk, what should you do?
3- What are examples of life-threatening emergencies?
4- What are signs of a heart attack?
5-  How do you take someone's pulse? 

Writing:  Letter to the next shift PCA. 
 Fill out job applications on the computer or on paper! 

Reading: TABE test reading again!  Later this week, we'll read an article from the SD Union online newspaper about this man. 

Meet entrepreneur, Arthur Bennett.

Just looking at this photograph, can you predict what the article is about by guessing the answer to these questions:  Where is he? What is he wearing? How old do you think he is?  What does he do?What is he doing? Why is he in the newspaper? 

WEEK 11 Understanding Long Term Care

We're almost at the finishing line, students, and your persistence will pay off~! 
This week, we will study M12, caring for patients with chronic diseases.  We will focus on these diseases: Dementia, Alzheimer's, Diabetes, Heart Disease and Stroke.  These diseases are presented in the readings in Parts 1,4,7,8,10.  


Manuel will demonstrate using a bed pan and giving bed baths over the next 2 weeks.  Please look at the Nursing Skills Videos at home and Manuel will demonstrate using a bed pan and giving bed baths over the next 2 weeks.  You can come early to class on Tuesday and Thursday to get extra practice with the bedpan steps!

Compare the 2 circle graphs.  What information do they present?  What conclusions can you make?  
CLICK ON PICTURE TO ENLARGE IMAGE.

We will begin on career preparation.  After researching Caregiver profiles and job postings online to gain understanding of the common skills, you'll think about your own skills (transferable and adaptive), abilities, experience and personal strengths that are your qualifications for a Caregiver job, and compare to those we review online.  

Ask yourself: What makes you special as a worker- what are your skills? your personality qualities? We will look at Caregiver profiles online, and take a close look at their qualities and how they compare to yours.  Once you get a clear picture of who you are and what you can do, it will be easier to write your resume. 

WEEK 10 WEIGHING & MEASURING/MANAGING INFORMATION

This week we'll read Modules 6 and 14.  Students will review steps for measuring height and weight of a resident.  The care team depends on you for accurate, thorough and timely reports.  
Please look at the 2 Nursing Videos related to Measuring.  

Let's recognize the important work of Nurses this week!
Read this article that highlights the profession's rewards and challenges. 

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2015/may/05/tp-national-nurses-week-to-highlight-professions/2/?#article-copy

WEEK 9 Basic Care/ ADLs

We've learned many ADLs, however, there will be a couple more to learn this week by reading Module 7- pages 52- 54, 63-66. The topics include:  Personal Hygiene, specifically Bathing, Perineal Care, Bed Baths, Shower Bath, Tub Baths, Using Bed Pans, and Treating Bowel ad Bladder problems.  What do you already know about these topics related to Caregiving?  Can you describe the safety guidelines? Reading these pages will prepare you for the next Nursing Skills: Giving a Bed Bath and Using Bed Pans.

Announcements: 
1)  Several students asked me about taking the reading test for Centre City's CNA Summer Session.  I suggest that you wait until June when orientation for the fall classes begin.  Summer classes are only 8 weeks (instead of the usual 12 weeks) and are from 8:00-4:30. The summer CNA program is very difficult--intensive and fast paced. In June, you can sign up to take the reading test for the fall program. Please e-mail me if you have questions. 

2) Grossmont College - Health Occupations Center has a CNA program.  Orientation is on June 24 at 9am or 5pm. No pre registration is needed to attend.   At the orientation, you will sign up for the Entry Screening Test.  It is a basic skills test, 7th grade English and Math.  You will need to pass this test with a minimum score of 70% to be eligible for registration.  

3) The morning VESL PCA class will have a speaker come to talk about Dementia on this Tuesday, from 11-12.  For those of you who are free, I encourage you to attend!  It will be held in our classroom.  

4)  CPR/AED & First Aid Training will happen on Tuesday, May 19th, in our room.    

WEEK 8 BASIC CARE/ADLS (continued)

This week we will continue learning and practicing ADLs, specifically using changing briefs and understanding Nutrition (M11). 

Nursing Skills:  You will practice and be tested on brief changing.  Over the next 2 weeks, Manuel will demonstrate using a bed pan and giving bed baths.  Please review the Nursing Videos on ADLs that are posted on this course website, and practice speaking to the client using small talk whenever possible!

Why is nutrition important?  There are many reasons as we will read in Module 11, starting on page 99.  Be sure to review the Module's Objectives and think about what you already know about the topic.  Scan the modules looking for the spelling words we learned on Monday night. Once you find them, read the sentence they are in, how they are used in the sentence, and find any clues in the sentences around them that reveal their meaning.  Be prepared to discuss with your classmates on Tuesday night.  

Finally, we looked at how to make good food choices for ourselves and our residents by reviewing the 5 food groups essential for daily nutrition.   We found a lot of good information on a website called:  MyPlate.org !!  Check it out!  

Here is picture that summarizes our daily nutritional needs: