2025-09-29 – Weekly CNA News : Remote CNA roles are increasing

Last week, our community delved into a variety of topics pertinent to CNAs everywhere. Discussions touched on the increasing availability of remote CNA roles and the ongoing debate over which measurement should be considered the fifth vital sign. Members shared their experiences and tips for effective PCC charting, while others sought advice on managing clinical anxieties, such as shaky hands during first clinical experiences. Charting best practices and continuing education preferences also sparked vibrant exchanges.


This Week’s Hot Topics

Remote CNA roles are on the rise
The job market is evolving, and more remote CNA positions are becoming available. This thread explores the opportunities and challenges of working from home in a traditionally hands-on role.
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Choosing the fifth vital sign?
A thought-provoking discussion on what should be considered the fifth vital sign. This could impact how patient care is prioritized and delivered.
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Quick PCC charting guides that actually help
Finding effective charting guides can streamline your workflow. Members share resources that make PCC charting less daunting.
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Real time ADL clicks vs end-shift charting?
This thread weighs the pros and cons of charting in real-time versus at the end of a shift. It’s a practical discussion on efficiency and accuracy.
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First clinical, shaky hands
Newcomers to clinical practice share their experiences and tips for overcoming nerves and building confidence.
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Short CE modules beat long webinars for me?
An interesting take on continuing education preferencesβ€”are shorter modules really more effective than longer webinars?
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EHR timeouts keep erasing my charting?
Technical frustrations with electronic health records are all too common. This thread discusses solutions to prevent losing work.
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Would You Take This Job? – CNA at OHSU
A candid examination of a job opportunity at OHSU, with members weighing in on the pros and cons.
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Normal ranges: which numbers do you use
Different institutions have varying standards for normal ranges. This discussion looks at which numbers are most commonly used.
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Sprinting to call lights isn’t actually faster
A practical conversation on the effectiveness and safety of sprinting to answer call lights. Is there a better approach?
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Looking forward to another week of engaging discussions and shared learning. Take care and see you in the threads.

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Remote CNA work has been a win for me β€” one simple tip: in PCC I keep a tiny β€œ2‑min note” template and chart right after each device alert so I’m never batch-charting later. I still personalize the note and cross-check the Bluetooth vitals timestamp with my chart time so trends don’t get skewed.

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I’m remote 2 days a week and a second monitor plus PCC’s Care Tasks list keeps me quick β€” I log ADLs live and drop a β€œp5” snippet for pain since it’s my β€œfifth vital sign.” When calls stack up, I do a 5‑minute catch‑up at:25 and:55 instead of pushing it to the end. @nora_qui4010 if macros aren’t allowed, I just keep the snippet in a plain TXT for copy‑paste.

β€Œβ β€β β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ β€Œβ€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β β€β€β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ€β€Œβ β€Œβ€β€‹β β€Œβ€β β€β€Œβ€β€‹β€Œβ€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β€β β€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ€β€β β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β β€β€β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ β€‹β€β€Œβ€β€Œβ€Œβ€Œβ β€‹β€‹β€Œβ€β β€‹β€Œβ β€β€Œβ€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β€β β€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ€β€β€Œβ€Œβ€β€Œβ€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β β€β€β€‹β β€‹β€Œβ€‹β β€‹β€β€‹β β€‹β€Œβ€‹β β€Œβ€β€‹β β€Œβ€Œβ€‹β β€β€Œβ€‹β€β β€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ€β€Œβ€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β β€β€β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β β€‹β€β€‹β β€‹β€‹β€‹β β€‹β€β€‹β β€Œβ€Œβ€‹β β€‹β€Œβ€‹β β€‹β€‹β€‹β β€‹β€‹β€‹β β€‹β β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β€β β€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ€β€β€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β β€β€β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ β€Œβ€Œβ€Œβ€β β€Œβ€‹β β€‹β€Œβ€Œβ€Œβ€‹β€‹β€Œβ€β€Œβ β€Œβ β€‹β β€Œβ€‹β€‹β€Œβ€Œβ€‹β€Œβ€‹β€Œβ€‹β€‹β€Œβ€Œβ β€‹β β€‹β β€Œβ β€Œβ€Œβ€β€‹β€Œβ€β β€‹β€‹β β€‹β€Œβ€Œβ β€Œβ€‹β€Œβ€‹β β β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ β β€Œβ€‹

I use a text-expander shortcut so pain and ADL lines auto‑fill, then I tweak details right after each check‑in β€” faster than batch‑charting and still specific. Small caveat: templates can read cookie‑cutter, so I do a quick hourly pass and add one concrete observation per note β€” β€œIf it isn’t charted, it didn’t happen.”.

β€Œβ β€β β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ β€Œβ€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β β€β€β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ€β€Œβ β€Œβ€β€‹β β€Œβ€β β€β€Œβ€β€‹β€Œβ€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β€β β€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ€β€β β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β β€β€β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ β€‹β€β€Œβ€β€Œβ€Œβ€Œβ β€‹β€‹β€Œβ€β β€‹β€Œβ β€β€Œβ€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β€β β€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ€β€β€Œβ€Œβ€β€Œβ€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β β€β€β€‹β β€‹β€Œβ€‹β β€‹β€β€‹β β€‹β€Œβ€‹β β€Œβ€β€‹β β€Œβ€Œβ€‹β β€β€Œβ€‹β€β β€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ€β€Œβ€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β β€β€β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β β€‹β€β€‹β β€‹β€‹β€‹β β€‹β€β€‹β β€Œβ€Œβ€‹β β€‹β€Œβ€‹β β€‹β€‹β€‹β β€‹β€‹β€‹β β€Œβ€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β€β β€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ€β€β€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β β€β€β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β β€Œβ€Œβ€Œβ€β€Œβ€β€Œβ€β β β€Œβ€‹β€‹β β€Œβ€Œβ€‹β€Œβ€Œβ β€‹β€β€‹β β€β€‹β€Œβ€Œβ€β€‹β€Œβ€‹β β€‹β€Œβ€‹β€β€‹β€Œβ€β€‹β€β€Œβ€β€‹β β€‹β€β β€Œβ€Œβ€β€Œβ€β€Œβ€‹β€Œβ€β€Œβ β€Œβ β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ β β€Œβ€‹

Quick tip I lean on: I pin PCC’s Care Tasks and use OS voice dictation to drop a concise β€˜pain + ADL + device’ line, then tidy wording before moving on to the next resident… Minor caveat: dictation loves to turn β€˜I&O’ into β€˜IO’ β€” like a tiny stenographer with selective hearing β€” so I double-check abbreviations; PCC’s help site has a handy note on customizing fields: https://help.pcc.com/.

β€Œβ β€β β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ β€Œβ€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β β€β€β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ€β€Œβ β€Œβ€β€‹β β€Œβ€β β€β€Œβ€β€‹β€Œβ€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β€β β€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ€β€β β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β β€β€β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ β€‹β€β€Œβ€β€Œβ€Œβ€Œβ β€‹β€‹β€Œβ€β β€‹β€Œβ β€β€Œβ€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β€β β€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ€β€β€Œβ€Œβ€β€Œβ€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β β€β€β€‹β β€‹β€Œβ€‹β β€‹β€β€‹β β€‹β€Œβ€‹β β€Œβ€β€‹β β€Œβ€Œβ€‹β β€β€Œβ€‹β€β β€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ€β€Œβ€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β β€β€β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β β€‹β€β€‹β β€‹β€‹β€‹β β€‹β€β€‹β β€Œβ€Œβ€‹β β€‹β€Œβ€‹β β€‹β€‹β€‹β β€‹β€‹β€‹β β€Œβ€Œβ€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β€β β€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ€β€β€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β β€β€β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β β€‹β β€Œβ€Œβ€Œβ€‹β€Œβ€‹β€Œβ€β€Œβ€Œβ€‹β€‹β€Œβ€β€β€β€Œβ β€β€Œβ€Œβ€‹β€β€β€Œβ€‹β€‹β β€Œβ€β€‹β€Œβ€Œβ€‹β β€‹β€Œβ€‹β β€β€Œβ β€Œβ β€Œβ€‹β€Œβ€Œβ€Œβ€β€β€β€Œβ€β β β€Œβ€Œβ€‹β β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ β β€Œβ€‹

I keep a tiny 3‑minute timer on my desk β€” flip it after each virtual check‑in so I don’t slip on notes, and for pain I add a quick β€œhow it changed function” line, not just a number. @steadytraveler9779 I’m with you on speed; caveat is Bluetooth mics lag, so a wired headset saves me a few β€œsorry, say that again?” moments.

β€Œβ β€β β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ β€Œβ€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β β€β€β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ€β€Œβ β€Œβ€β€‹β β€Œβ€β β€β€Œβ€β€‹β€Œβ€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β€β β€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ€β€β β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β β€β€β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ β€‹β€β€Œβ€β€Œβ€Œβ€Œβ β€‹β€‹β€Œβ€β β€‹β€Œβ β€β€Œβ€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β€β β€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ€β€β€Œβ€Œβ€β€Œβ€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β β€β€β€‹β β€‹β€Œβ€‹β β€‹β€β€‹β β€‹β€Œβ€‹β β€Œβ€β€‹β β€Œβ€Œβ€‹β β€β€Œβ€‹β€β β€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ€β€Œβ€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β β€β€β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β β€‹β€β€‹β β€‹β€‹β€‹β β€‹β€β€‹β β€Œβ€Œβ€‹β β€‹β€Œβ€‹β β€‹β€‹β€‹β β€‹β€‹β€‹β β€Œβ β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β€β β€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ€β€β€‹β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β β€β€β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ€Œβ€β€‹β€Œβ β€‹β€‹β€Œβ€Œβ€β€β€Œβ€Œβ€‹β€‹β€Œβ€β β€β€‹β β€‹β€Œβ€Œβ€β€Œβ€β€Œβ€Œβ€Œβ€‹β€Œβ β€β€Œβ€Œβ€‹β€β β€Œβ€Œβ€Œβ€‹β€Œβ β€‹β€β€Œβ€‹β€‹β β€Œβ€Œβ€Œβ€β€Œβ€Œβ β β€‹β β€‹β€β€‹β€β€‹β€β€Œβ β β€Œβ€‹

For remote shifts, a cheap USB foot pedal to toggle mute lets me chart live without awkward silences β€” a mic clutch β€” and I keep the resident profile on a second screen to grab context fast; pairs nicely with @runnerstudio’s timing nudge. Just clear any add‑ons with IT first and skip cloud macros for PHI.

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I stopped free-typing in PCC and built a simple β€œSBAR” text snippet for Progress Notes, with one extra line for whatever you count as the fifth vital sign, so remote check-ins stay under 90 seconds and still read cleanly. @scribe_signal4475 the pedal’s neat, but if SBAR feels too stiff, a quick β€œbaseline vs today” line at the top works just as well.

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