When I was a new caregiver, I was more confused by the "field where I didn't know what to look at" than by my own "inability to do things"

Hello.
I'm Yanagi, a former IT engineer and current certified care worker.

It's been quite a while!
Since the latter half of April, I've been swamped with work, my "oshi-goto" (supporting my favorite idol/character), and new games 🏃‍♀️
At work, I've been stumbling over troublesome things I didn't notice during interviews or facility tours, but I'm saved by the existence of my "oshi" 🤫
Recently, I've been wanting to write about things I like and things I'm learning outside of caregiving, but I'm still not writing about them because I'm worried there might be no demand for it, or that it might make it harder to find articles if I mix them in.
A recent dilemma of mine is whether it might be a good idea to create another account for those kinds of articles 🍀

With that as a recent update, since it's been about a month for new caregivers as well, I'd like to write about what I've thought regarding the true nature of the anxiety felt when one is a newcomer 🌱

When I first started working in caregiving,
I often felt that "I wasn't doing things right."

I hadn't memorized the care procedures.
The differences between each user hadn't sunk in yet.
I couldn't do records or handovers like my seniors.
I felt like I couldn't keep up with the movements of those around me.

In that way, there were times when I was just barely keeping up with the work right in front of me.

But looking back now,
what was truly painful back then,
I feel it wasn't just the fact that "there were things I couldn't do."I feel.

What was actually bigger,
・not being able to see what I should be looking at
・not knowing how far I should judge things on my own and from what point I should consult someone
might have been it.

In a caregiving setting, things don't always go by the textbook.

The user's facial expressions.
Their physical condition that day.
The surrounding environment.
The timing of speaking to them.
Interactions with their family.
Reporting to seniors.
What needs to be recorded.

Various things overlap at the same time.

That is why a newcomer's anxiety,
is not just about "being able to do or not do," but
I think it grows because it's hard to see what is important.

"Not knowing what you don't know" is more painful than "not being able to do something"

The anxieties of being a newcomer don't each have a name.

Just vaguely,

"I can't remember the work"
"I feel like I'm the only one who is slow"
"What if I get scolded again?"
"I'm scared of being yelled at by a user"
"I don't know when to ask my seniors"

These feelings come rushing in like one big lump.

But if you break that anxiety down just a little bit,
it's often the case that the content is not just one thing.

For example,
even if you feel like "I can't remember the work," in reality, there are various types.

・Is it that you can't remember the users' names and characteristics?
・Are the care procedures vague?
・Don't you have a grasp of the daily flow?
・Don't you know the priority when nurse calls overlap?
・Don't you know how to report?
・Are you confused about what you should write in the records?

If you think of everything together and tell yourself "I can't remember this,"
you end up feeling like you are failing as a whole.

But if you break it down, things might start to look a little different.

"I've started to understand the meal assistance itself a little bit"
"But I'm anxious about the initial response when someone chokes"
"I've started to understand the flow of excretion assistance"
"But it's difficult to know what to say when I'm refused"
"I'm writing the records"
"But the distinction between facts and my own feelings is vague"

When you see it this way,
even if the anxiety remains,
it becomes a little easier to see where to check next.

What a newcomer needs
is not to be able to do everything from the start,
but perhaps to find where they are currently feeling lost.

In the nursing care workplace, it is easy to get lost not just in "procedures," but in the "boundaries of judgment."

There are opportunities to be taught the procedures for assistance to some extent.

Methods for transfers.
Posture for meal assistance.
Flow of excretion assistance.
Preparation for bathing assistance.
How to enter records.

Of course, these are not easy either.

But what newcomers are really likely to be confused by in the workplace
is often not the procedures themselves, but
the boundaries of judgment.

For example,

"I feel like this user's complexion is worse than usual"
"But they haven't clearly said they are in pain"
"I wonder if I should report this"
"Would it be a bother if it's just my imagination?"

These are the kinds of situations.

Or,

"A family member asked me about how they've been doing lately"
"I know a little about their meal intake and facial expressions"
"But is it okay for me to answer about their physical condition?"
"I wonder where I should check with the nursing staff or supervisor"

There are also situations like this.

In the nursing care workplace,
"I will check this far by myself"
"I will share from this point on"
"I will not judge this by myself"
these boundaries are very important.

But those boundaries are hard for newcomers to see, aren't they?

I think that is why they sometimes feel anxious.

It is not that they are anxious because they don't know, but
they don't know how much they need to know.. I think this feeling is what tends to weigh heavily on a newcomer's mind.

Sometimes I take a user's words as a rejection of myself.

When I was a newcomer, if a user said something harsh to me,
those words would sometimes pierce me directly.

Don't come here
Don't touch me
I don't want you
You're clumsy

When I received such words,
even if my head told me 'there might be a reason for this,'
in my heart, I would still feel down.

Was my way of speaking bad?
Did they dislike me?
I'm scared to interact with them again.

I sometimes feel that way.

However, a user's harsh words
are not necessarily a rejection of the staff member as an individual.

They might have been in pain.
They might have been cold.
They might have been sleepy.
They might have felt embarrassed.
They might have been surprised by being spoken to suddenly.
They might have been experiencing confusion or anxiety due to dementia.

Of course, that doesn't mean the person being spoken to won't get hurt.

But,
if you don't just end it with 'I was rejected,'
and can separate it a little to think about 'what was in the background,'
it can sometimes become easier to see how to interact next time.

To newcomers,
especially when you receive harsh words,
I don't want you to carry it all by yourself.

Sharing that situation with a senior staff member
is not a sign of weakness, but I believe it is an important action to connect to safe interactions in the future.

When dealing with families or phone calls, the 'real thing' sometimes comes before you can practice.

You can learn caregiving techniques by working alongside a senior staff member.

However, when it comes to dealing with families or phone calls,
the real thing sometimes comes before you can practice.

A family member comes to visit and asks,
How have they been lately?

The phone rings, and there is no one else nearby.

A family member gives you feedback in a slightly harsh tone.

I think these situations are very nerve-wracking for newcomers.

Because, there are

word choice
the scope of what is okay to convey
who you should confirm with
the facility's response

because it involves them.

I want to answer kindly.
I don't want to make them anxious.
I don't want to give a rude response.

The more I think that way, the more impatient I sometimes get.

However, what is important when dealing with families or phone calls is not
answering everything perfectly on the spot.

Convey the facts you have confirmed.
If you don't know something, confirm it before conveying it.
Pass on medical content or matters requiring judgment to nursing staff or supervisors.
On the phone, accurately confirm the caller's name and the purpose of the call.

Even just having these basics in mind
I think will change a new staff member's anxiety a little.

Not 'I have to answer right away,' but
'It's okay to confirm before answering'
being able to think that way.

This becomes a very important source of peace of mind in the workplace.

Reporting is not for getting scolded, but for supporting as a team

When you are a newcomer, it is easy to be hesitant about reporting as well.

'Is it okay to report something this small?'
'Is it okay to call out to a busy senior?'
'Won't they think I'm asking the same thing again?'

You might feel that way.

But in a care setting,
a small sense of unease can become important information.

Their complexion is different than usual.
Their food intake is suddenly low.
They were unsteady on their feet.
They have the same complaint repeatedly.
Their response is weaker than usual.
Their condition at night is different than usual.

Even if it doesn't look like a big problem on the spot,
when you look back on it later,
you might realize it was an important sign.

Of course, you don't need to panic and report everything as a big deal.

But,
when you are hesitant, wondering 'Is it okay to report this?'
I don't think you have to carry that hesitation alone.

Reporting is not something you do to get scolded.
It is something you do to support the user as a teamafter all.

That is precisely why, for new staff,
before learning how to report well,
learning the situations where it is good to shareis important, I think.

'I'm not sure if this is urgent.'
'I want to confirm the next step.'
'Who should I share this information with?'

Just having these words makes it a little easier to reach out.
The hurdle for speaking up is lowered a bit.

'Invisible anxiety' becomes a little easier to handle when you give it a name.

A newcomer's anxiety
can sometimes look like one big, overwhelming mass.

But if you start giving names to the parts of it,
the way you see it changes.

Instead of 'I can't do the job,' it becomes
'I'm anxious because I can't catch what people say on the phone.'

Instead of 'I'm not cut out for this,' it becomes
'I'm afraid to interact with a resident after they've spoken harshly to me.'

Instead of 'I don't understand anything,' it becomes
'I don't know when the right time is to report things.'

When you put it into words like this,
even if the worry doesn't disappear yet,
it becomes easier to talk about.

It also becomes easier to ask your seniors.

It's hard to answer when someone asks, 'What don't you understand?' but
'I don't know how much I'm allowed to answer when a family member asks me a question'
is easier to discuss.

Rather than 'I'm anxious because I'm slow at work,' saying
'I'm not sure what to prioritize when morning excretion assistance and meal preparation overlap'
makes it easier to get specific advice.

Giving a name to your worries
is not about blaming yourself.

It's to make it easier to seek advice.
It's to find what to check next.
It's so you don't have to carry it all alone.

I think that is very important.

Instead of eliminating anxiety, turn it into a 'form you can check'

I don't think a newcomer's anxiety will disappear to zero right away.

In fact, having anxiety is a natural thing.

Because this is a job that involves people's lives and safety,
it is only natural to feel anxious.

What's important is
not to force the anxiety away,
but to turn it into a form you can check.

What should I look at?
Where should I be careful?
Who should I consult?
What kind of phrasing makes it easier to communicate?
What should I leave in the records?

As you start to see these things little by little,
the anxiety you feel on the job becomes a little easier to manage.

Instead of blaming yourself for what you can't do,
try checking the parts you can't see one by one.

I believe that building on that,
leads to peace of mind for new staff.

I have summarized how to handle specific situations on my blog.

In this note,
I wrote about what I personally feel regarding the background behind why new caregivers often feel such great anxiety.

If you are currently feeling,

"I'm unsure how to interact with residents"
"I'm anxious about dealing with families or answering the phone"
"I tend to get stuck when reporting or documenting"
"I feel like I'm the only one who is slow at work"
"I don't know what I should check first"

If you have those feelings,
the articles I've summarized by situation on my blog might be helpful.

On the blog,
I have divided 100 situations that new caregivers often struggle with,
and summarized what to check, tips for handling them, useful phrases, and things to be careful about.

Specific responses and check points are summarized here.

The anxiety you feel as a newcomer is by no means small.

However,
instead of lumping it all together as "not being able to do it,"
by looking at "what is hard to see" bit by bit,
I think your feelings might become a little lighter.

I hope this article,
for someone who is currently lost on the job,
becomes an opportunity to look back at their own anxiety a little more gently.

Thank you again for reading until the end 🍀

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🔰 Articles for new staff training

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📖 For those having trouble with "educational materials" for foreign staff
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💬 For those who want to have more "heart-to-heart conversations" with residents
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