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CNAs enjoy helping others

It’s National Nursing Assistant Week

Sentinel photo by MEREDITH PEACHEY
Resident Assistant Sage Heckendorn, of McClure, helps Elmcroft of Reedsville resident Mary Reed walk to bingo. Heckendorn said what’s most rewarding about her job is making her residents smile.

LEWISTOWN — Christine Casner, of Mifflintown, has worked as a certified nursing assistant at William Penn Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center for 29 years. She said she became a CNA because she likes helping people.

“Everybody at some point needs help,” Casner said.

Frank Terry, of Lewistown, works at Ohesson Manor and Taylor Phillips, of McClure, works for Geisinger-Lewistown Hospital. Both of these CNAs said they do what they do because they, too, like to help people.

“I’ve always wanted to help residents hands-on,” Terry said. “Some of (the residents) don’t have families … you see them and become their family.”

“I have always enjoyed helping people,” Phillips said. “I have always wanted to be in the nursing field. After years of factory work, I decided I needed a change. I’ve only been a CNA for eight months, but it was the best decision I ever made.”

Because helping people is what drives CNAs to do what they do, one full week in June was established as National Nursing Assistant week by the National Network of Career Nursing Assistants. This year, National Nursing Assistant week runs June 14 to 20.

Whitney Bennett, of Reedsville, started working as a CNA at Valley View Retirement Community in October 2017 after seeing how much a friend enjoyed working as a CNA there. In her short tenure, Bennett has realized how rewarding her job can be, especially when she feels appreciated.

“Hearing someone say ‘thank you’ is very rewarding,” Bennett said. “After you’re done doing someone’s care, they’re so grateful.”

Mary Panuzio, of Yeagertown, has worked as a CNA at Valley View for 18 years after serving five prior years in housekeeping. Panuzio said the most rewarding aspect for her is helping rehabilitation residents get well enough to go home, and assisting her other residents with “the level of care they need.”

Liza Hosler, of McClure, said developing relationships with her William Penn residents is most rewarding.

“When I have days off, I like it when they’re happy to see me again,” Hosler said.

Ginger Hupp, of Ridgefield, restorative CNA for Locust Grove Retirement Village, said the most rewarding aspect for her is “keeping people mobile” and seeing the smiles on her residents’ faces. Heidi Specht, of Mifflintown, CNA at Locust Grove, said making life easier for her residents is most rewarding.

“I like knowing I made someone’s day better,” said Specht.

Terry said the most rewarding aspect for him is developing relationships with his residents and just “being with them, in their world.” Heather Knepp, of McClure, also at Ohesson Manor, said she loves her residents’ various personalities and hearing their stories.

“I love interacting with the residents,” Knepp said. “Some of them remind you of your own grandparents.”

While the job is rewarding overall, there are difficulties in being a CNA. For many working in long-term care, dealing with loss is the hardest aspect.

“The most difficult (part) is when you lose them,” Panuzio said. “It’s the worst part of the job.”

Bennett and Specht both agreed, especially when developing relationships with their residents’ families.

“You get to know them so well … seeing them so upset is heart breaking,” Bennett said.

“You’re not supposed to get attached, but you do,” Specht said.

Phillips echoed their sentiments.

“The hardest thing is we, at times, get patients for weeks at a time,” Phillips said. “We learn about them and their families. In this job, you don’t always get the news you want to hear and, at times, it’s heartbreaking. It can sometimes hit your emotions hard.”

For Casner, the most difficult aspect is adjusting her emotions in one resident care situation without letting those feelings affect her duties to other residents. For Elmcroft aides Jessica Webster and Sage Heckendorn, the most difficult aspect is feeling like there was more they could have accomplished in their work day.

“I feel like there’s always more to be done,” Heckendorn said.

Danae Solt, of Lewistown, CNA at the hospital, said she finds “watching our patients get worse after spending so much time with them” the most difficult, especially cancer patients.

Becoming a CNA in Pennsylvania requires obtaining a high school diploma or GED as well as nursing assistant training. According to www.allnursingschools.com, most certified nursing assistant programs take between four and 12 weeks. This is broken into contact hours and clinic practice. State-approved programs offer a minimum of 75 hours of classroom instruction and clinical training.

Casner has trained many new CNAs and said she always offers the same advice.

“It’s okay to be overwhelmed,” Casner said. “You won’t know everything day one. It will reward you in the long run.”

Knepp, a CNA for 25 years, said she tells new CNAs they need to be adaptive to the job itself.

“It’s a learning job … a job that grows. It’s always changing,” she said.

Tami Raison, of Mount Union, advises new CNAs that what they do matters.

“What you do, no matter how big or small, counts. It will make someone’s day, even though sometimes it seems frustrating and trying. We are a very important part of the team,” said Raison, who works at Geisinger-Lewistown Hospital.

Nicole Metz, from Granville, agrees with her coworker and encourages new CNAs to take pleasure in their work.

“Love what you do,” Metz said. “Always treat your patients as if that was your own family member. Don’t take the stress and heartbreak of your day home with you.”

Kennedy Reese, of Lewistown, said being a CNA “shouldn’t feel like a job.” Reese has worked as a CNA at the hospital since August 2017.

“It should be more like a lifestyle,” Reese said. “If you’re fit for this job mentally, it will feel nice to be here instead of dreading it.”

Terry said new CNAs should come to learn that being a CNA is “the hardest job you’ll ever love.”

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