As an STNA you will likely work with many patients who are unhappy with their situation. The fact is, most people identify as independent and strong. So, when they grow too ill or frail to care for themselves, they often feel that they have lost a part of their identity. One important way to combat the depression that is so prevalent among these patients is to keep them engaged. Below, you’ll find a list of some tips to keep nursing home patients from growing too bored and, consequently, depressed.

1. Embrace their hobbies

Before moving into your nursing home, your patients lived long, full lives. Chances are, they had a number of hobbies that they enjoyed over the years. The best way to make these patients feel at home is to make it possible for them to continue to enjoy their favorite hobbies at the nursing home. This might mean securing them a free table in the common room for crafts or taking them for walks outside to do some bird watching. Taking the extra time to help your patients to have access to their hobbies will help you to boost their morale and keep them mentally alert.

2. Take a walk together

Nothing shakes off the boredom blues as quickly as a walk. Taking your patients for walks will provide much-needed variety on dreary days, will help them to maintain their physical fitness, and will provide a great opportunity for the two of you to get to know each other better and to form a stronger relationship. On days of good weather, taking a quick stroll outside can do a world of good for bored or dissatisfied patients.

3. Introduce them to new technology

Technology can open up a world of possibilities for patients whose physical condition is poor but whose mental condition is sharp. A few quick lessons on Facebook, email, and Netflix can allow these patients to reconnect with old friends, to stay in touch with family, and to enjoy their favorite programming on demand.

Preventing excessive patient boredom is key to preventing depression. By intervening as soon as you detect frequent boredom and listlessness, you can help to keep your patient’s conditions from deteriorating. As an STNA, we know your priority is the health and happiness of your patients. We hope these tips will help you to keep them engaged!

Fourth of July celebrations are often one of the highlights of the summer. For nursing home residents, however, the fourth of July can be a difficult day if they feel that they are being left behind while the rest of the country celebrates. As an STNA, you’ll have the opportunity to help to make the Fourth of July a happy day for all of your residents. Below, you’ll find a few suggestions for making the most of the day.

1. Wear red, white, and blue

By wearing red, white, and blue on the fourth, you can remind your residents of the importance of the day and can establish a celebratory atmosphere right away. In addition, you can encourage your residents to select their own patriotic outfits to make the day feel special.

2. Play patriotic music

In common areas where music is played, consider playing a patriotic CD with American favorites like the Star-Spangled Banner and Yankee Doodle. This music will remind your residents of happy memories. For extra fun, you could host you own patriotic karaoke night.

3. Watch the fireworks

If fireworks can be seen from your nursing home’s property, you could place chairs and blankets outside and encourage your residents to watch the fireworks together. If not, be sure to turn the fireworks on TV and play some festive music while you watch. You could also serve red, white, and blue treats like parfaits with blueberries and strawberries or cupcakes iced with the flag.

As an STNA, you are intimately involved in the day-to-day lives of your residents. By taking action to make holidays special, you can help your residents to feel that they have something to look forward to. In addition, sharing good times with your residents can improve your relationships. As a result, your residents may be more inclined to cooperate with you. In addition, you’ll have the privilege of getting to know your residents for the unique individuals they are.

The healthcare field is known as one of the most stressful occupations out there and with good reason.  Worried patients and their families, at times, can easily take this stress out on innocent aides.  The same can go with doctors and nurses, as well.  It is unnecessary to increase this stress when you when you have the possibility to eliminate it with a more welcoming work space.

While some stressful situations simply cannot be avoided, there are ways to make even a nurse’s aides workplace a little less stressful.

• Encourage familiarity between STNAs and patients.  See if you can get patients to bring in pictures of themselves and their families.  Hospices, nursing homes, hospitals, and other nursing facilities can easily become cold, uncomfortable places.  By incorporating personal pictures, it makes the patient more personable.  If the patient is older, a picture from their youth could remind the patient of better times and show the nurse’s aide a different side to the patient.
• Brighten up the office.  No matter the field, no one likes to work in a stark, dreary environment.  Maybe a few live plants could boost the place up.  A fresh coat of paint could add a modern edge or just make the atmosphere brighter.  Look around the space and try to think of what you would change if it were your home.  Making patients and employees more comfortable will raise the spirits of anyone who enters.
• Take holidays into account.  Whether you’re looking to celebrate or not, decorating for the holiday season is a great way to break up what could otherwise become a dull and monotonous workplace.  Remember, holiday decorations don’t even have to be in recognition of any specific holiday.  If you want to keep your workplace as neutral as possible, stringing up some paper snowflakes and garland will give the space a wintery feel without mentioning any actual holiday.
• Encourage a healthy lifestyle in the office.  Instead of supplying  candy bars and other sugary snacks for quick boosts of energy, how about providing apples, bananas, and bags of nuts.  Instead of sugary soda in the fridge, keep a water cooler in the office to quench thirst.  These small steps will keep energy levels up and employees feeling better.

Any workplace will have some level of stress but it is in everyone’s best interest to keep the stress as minimal as possible.  If you have more stress reducing tips, let us know!

Apprehensive about taking your certification?  You are not alone!  Very few people actually like taking tests.  Even fewer people like preparing for tests but with a few simple tips to remember, getting ready for your CNA practice test or exam can go a little smoother than you may have expected.

1. Make a schedule for yourself.  You probably don’t have entire days that you can devote to studying and that’s fine.  As long as you take time out of your day to study, you should be fine.  Of course, your schedule should also include eating, sleeping, and possibly some time with friends and family.
2. Write up flashcards.  Flashcards are a great tool that you can carry with you anywhere.  If you have a couple minutes to spare while riding the bus, pull out your flashcards and go over important information.
3. Create a mnemonic device.  A mnemonic device is a way to easily memorize information by applying that information to something else.  For example, a mnemonic device for remembering the Great Lakes is to remember the word HOMES, as in Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior.  Use that idea to create your own.
4. Have friends and family test you.  Give your test material to people you know and have them quiz you on it.  It’s always helpful to interact with others and this is a great way to be with people you love while still studying.
5. Don’t procrastinate.  If you have studying to do, don’t put it off until the next day because, eventually, the next day will be the test day and by then it will be too late.  Study a bit everyday to get yourself prepared but not overwhelmed.
6. Have a reward in mind.  Tasks become easier when you know you are working toward something.  Tell yourself that if you pass the test, you will reward yourself with an ice cream cone or, if you have kids, a night alone!
7. Make vocabulary sheets.  Being familiar with the language of a test will always help you.  If you’re comfortable with the vocabulary of the subject, you’ll be more comfortable with the subject.
8. Don’t cram the day before your test.  Studying should not last only one night.  To really retain the information, you’ll need to work a bit everyday.  Cramming the night before might not even be enough to get you through the actual test.
9. Use your common sense.  If a question seems ridiculously hard, go back and reread it; maybe you missed a key word the first time through.  Before you answer, make sure what you put makes sense logically.

While taking a test is rarely easy, we hope this quick guide gives you some useful tips for taking your Certified Nurses Assistant exam.  If you have any more tips that help you in test taking, let us know!