by Angel Rodrigues

Created on: September 08, 2008

Each shift is different. If you work the a.m. shift, then you come in at 7:00 in the morning and prep for the day, usually before residents get up. If your working with the adult population then its pretty laid back, in terms of maintaining their entertainment and leisure of getting things done. However, during the morning shift you are dealing with case managers, doctors, therapists, supervisors, managers, guardian ad lidum and any other person coming to visit the resident. You have answering the phones, filing, cooking, assisting with ADL's (adult daily living skills), writing and maintaining treatment plans, progress reports, mental skills assessments and any upsets or incidents that may develop over the course of the day. It can get hectic if your not a good time management person or good at organization. If you get flustered easily, this is not the shift for you. Especially if your working with the adolescent population and the school is on the campus or grounds. You are mostly likely going to be dealing with teenage hormones, learning disabilities, behavioral outbursts and any other crisis or intervention that may need to take place, like physical restraint, PRN medications, new residents and parental visits, which can lead to a crisis situation. The morning shift ends around 3:00-3:30 p.m. and you are expected to have everything in order, paper work done and able to give a verbal shift report to incoming staff.

This incoming staff are referred to as the afternoon staff. This shift starts at 3:00 p.m. and runs until 11:00-11:30 p.m.. This shift deals with similar things as the morning shift, but only until 5:00, when all business people leave work, school is done and chaos is hopefully under control. With the adult population, they may be returning from a social activity and your prepping dinner, to have it served at 5:00 and getting ready to dispense medications. During this shift, you have more time to complete the same paperwork as the morning shift, but with less interruption. Also, your dealing with calming the residents down, be it adult or adolescent. Calming for better control and higher chance of going to bed on time. Creating activities during this shift is desirable. Whether you take them on an outing, or you do a cooking activity or a psychosocial activity, you want to keep them busy. Especially with the adolescent population, because school is over for the day and they will have nothing to do, except get in trouble and do things to keep busy,

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>