A Day in the Life of a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) at Perham Living

Long-term care CNAs are an important part of the residents' care team at Perham Living. They provide residents with physical care and emotional support and truly make a difference in the lives of our residents and their families. CNAs provide direct one-on-one care and develop a trusting relationship with our residents. Our elderly need kind-hearted people to brighten their day.

Meet Sydney

Sydney balances her work as a CNA at Perham Living, full-time nursing student, and everything else that comes with being a twenty-something in the 2020s. As a CNA, she is learning valuable job skills, gaining experience, making friends with the elderly residents, and finding the job to be very fulfilling. She explains that a typical day includes attending to the residents' needs and, depending on the shift, helping them get ready for the day, participate in activities, enjoy meals, prepare for bed, and many other duties. Besides the daily duties, a CNA also spends time on the emotional needs of the residents. While residents may require more assistance than they have in the past, they are intelligent and unique individuals in need of caring people to give them time, attention, and preserve their dignity.   

Sydney's favorite parts of the day are the time she can spend engaging with the residents, playing games, putting on activities, visiting one on one, and getting to know the resident's families. "As a CNA, I have the opportunity to be a light for the residents. I can make their day a little bit better and brighter," Sydney explains. It is a wonderful feeling to be a bright spot in someone's day.

Challenges Can Be Overcome 

There are challenges as well. "Seeing residents whose families don't visit them very often is hard. Watching a resident's health and abilities decline is certainly sad to see," she shares. One of the things that make being a CNA worth it is the special bond she has with the residents and their families. Part of Sydney's job is to spend time with residents doing activities with them or listening to their life stories. She talks about her special bond with one resident as "we play games and just act goofy" or with another resident and her family through just spending time together. "I get to learn about them, and they want to know about me," she says. Building relationships is an essential and rewarding part of the job of a CNA. "I am pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoy the job. I really wasn't sure I would like it, but it's really enjoyable," she says. 

Long-Term Care Scholarship 

Sydney is part of Perham Living's Long-Term Care Scholarship program which offers up to $10,000 a year towards tuition for employees who work at least 20 hours a week. Sydney works every other weekend which leaves her time to attend school at M-State Wadena. "School is expensive. I have a goal of getting a degree with no debt. The scholarship is helping me achieve that," she says. "It's pretty generous for not a lot of work. I get paid for working and I get paid to go to school. It's a win-win." Perham Living offers a CNA training program called OnTrack CNA which is a combination of online training and hands-on skill training at Perham Living. You don't need experience. Whether you're looking for a career change or re-entering the workforce, you can explore whether a CNA job is right for you. 

Sydney's Advice

Sydney offers the following advice for anyone thinking about becoming a CNA. "Do it for the right reasons. Have compassion for the elderly, a passion for the job. You are not just going to work, but you have the chance to bring light and joy to people in need. Like any other job, what you bring to it matters the most, it can be very rewarding and fun." 

Learn more about being a CNA here or call 218-347-1921. Learn more about the Long-Term Care Scholarship here or call 218-247-1307. 

Interested in joining our team? Visit our Careers page to apply.