Tune in to the latest episode of Certify with guest, Michael Burris, CNA at Shannondale Maryville, to hear how he’s growing his career in healthcare by taking our Medication Aide course. Listen as he shares about his first hand experience at The Mason Center for Healthcare Education and how he plans to expand his career after certification.

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Learn more about The Mason Center for Healthcare Education

Produced by Solinity Marketing

Sponsored by Propel Insurance

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Intro

You're listening to Certify It the podcast for advancing your career in care. Powered by The Mason Center for Healthcare Education. Hear news, updates, and discussions from thought leaders in Healthcare around advancing your career through continuing education. Now, here's your host, Doug Bryant from The Mason Center.

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00:17 - 01:09

Doug Bryant

Welcome to Certify It. I am here today with Michael Burris from Shannondale of Maryville. And I'm so excited about this episode because for the last couple of episodes, we have talked about how we here at The Mason Center for Healthcare Education would be able to impact our community. And we've talked to a lot of organizational leaders about what we're trying to do here, to see what type of impact that they feel that we're going to be able to have.

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And what we want to do in trying to get that message out of the impact that we want to make. And I'm excited today, because today we're going to talk to two different students who have come through the Mason center. And what better way to talk about the impact that we're having than the people that are actually coming through the classes and getting impacted directly. So, Michael, thank you so much for being here today.

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01:09 - 01:10

Michael Burris

Thank you for having me.

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01:10 - 01:13

Doug Bryant

So, Michael, how long have you been a CNA?

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01:13 - 01:19

Michael Burris

I've been a CNA for 28 years. And that was just at the last facility, Shannondale.

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01:19 - 01:20

Doug Bryant

28 years.

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01:20 - 01:20

Michael Burris

28 Years. 

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01:20 - 01:24

Doug Bryant

There's no way. So you started when you were four.

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01:24 - 01:35

Michael Burris

I entered the CNA class. I was 22 years old, so I'll be 50 here in a few months. So about 28 years.

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01:35 - 01:41

Doug Bryant

Okay. Well, I would have never guessed that that was your age. Well, you're doing well, sir.

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01:41 - 02:07

Michael Burris

I'm feeling well. I'm on the down side of things. I work in assisted living. I worked in the skilled side all this time, so there was a lot of tugging and a lot of pulling. A lot of picking up, a lot of lifting. And so, after 28 years of doing this, I needed something a little bit easier. And also becoming a Med Tech took some of that away from me. So I'm not working as hard now in the assisted living part of things.

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02:07 - 02:44

Doug Bryant

Yeah, that is one thing that we have found that, is real interesting is that Medication Aide has been very popular with CNAs that are very seasoned and have been doing that type of physical work for a long time, and it allows people that, you know, after you do that type of hard physical labor for 28 years, your body eventually is just going to start giving out. And this allows you to extend your career in healthcare so you don't have to go find a new skill or you don't have to go find a new industry to work in. It really allows you to be able to, you know, rest your body a little bit.

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02:44 - 02:47

Michael Burris

It feels good so far.

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02:47 - 02:55

Doug Bryant

The class that we have here for medication eight is four weeks. That's three weeks of intense classwork for a good adjective you've been through.

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02:55 - 02:58

Michael Burris

It's very intense. Very intense.

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02:58 - 03:41

Doug Bryant

I think you all go through every body system and Pharmacology in three weeks and very fast paced. I know sometimes when I see students leaving the class, at the end of the day, you can just tell there's nothing left for them to keep in their brain for that day. I know talking to Brandi, who was our instructor for the medication aid, she has been impressed with you since day one. She said he's really going to be good. He's remembering everything. And those aren't always the stories that we get, because it's a very tough course. So congratulations for getting through that. What would you say is probably the hardest part of the course?

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03:41 - 04:10

Michael Burris

The course is not easy, but with focus I think it can be done. But the hardest is really, learning the medications. And I mean, if you've been a CNA before, you know, a lot of it's familiar, but we don't deal with the medication part. That was, I would say, was the hardest learning the medications, the generic form and the name brand form and what they do and how they interact and co interact with other medications are very tough.

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04:10 - 04:21

Doug Bryant

Okay. So there's also the lab portion and the clinical portion. We do have a lab here with a full med cart. What was that experience like? And how did that help you when you went to take your test?

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04:21 - 04:47

Michael Burris

The lab experience was very helpful. It makes the class easier and gives you more understanding once you get hands on. And once you get hands on, I think that's where most of the learning starts. So the test during the book work was fine, but I enjoyed getting in the lab, hands on, learning about the meds, learning the correct procedure, and just that part of it.

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04:47 - 05:02

Doug Bryant

So our class sizes here at The Mason Center, we try to keep them relatively small. Because it is a lot of material. And that also allows for more one on one time with the instructor. You had how many people there were.

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05:02 - 05:03

Michael Burris

We had four.

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05:03 - 05:05

Doug Bryant

Four total. And you were one of the four.

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05:05 - 05:43

Michael Burris

I was one of the four. The small class size was great. It gives you one on one with Brandi if you need it. She's able to help you. My classmates were wonderful as well. We studied together, a little bit outside of here. Two of us made it, two of us didn’t . And with the girls that didn't, they studied hard, and I think they'll be back to pass the next round. It was just a great experience having just the four of us. Like I said, Brandi was there for each and every one of us for 1 on 1 before class and after class.

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05:43 - 05:52

Doug Bryant

So what do you feel was the most critical thing that you did in class that helped prepare you for the certification test?

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05:52 - 06:08

Michael Burris

The most critical was the hands on, like I said, that really prepared me, learning the medications, passing the medications, and being graded on the correct way to give the medications, it makes a big difference. I feel like I'm ready.

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06:08 - 06:10

Doug Bryant

So when did you take your test?

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06:10 - 06:40

Michael Burris

I've not taken my test. You have to be in the facility for a year. So, recently, I left the facility where I got burnt out, and I went somewhere else, and I realized this isn’t like healthcare. So I got back into healthcare, and it'll be a year in June. So right now, what I'm doing is getting all my paperwork, background checks, everything ready now so that I can take the test in June.

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06:40 - 06:54

Doug Bryant

Yeah, it is a process. It's not one of those that you just call the state and say, hey, I'm going to test. And how did we prepare you for that?

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06:54 - 07:06

Michael Burris

You gave me the instruction sheets. And you're all there to help. So anything that we need, we can always come by or call, and you all will assist us with everything. And that's what's happened so far.

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Mid-Roll

You're listening to Certified the podcast for advancing your career in care. Brought to you by Propel Insurance. Find innovative insurance solutions in the toughest risk management environments. Over 500 senior care providers nationwide trust propel to keep their business thriving. Find your momentum with Propel Insurance.

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07:26 - 07:45

Doug Bryant

And don't forget, as well, we also offer refresher courses. So if you do take the class early and for some reason you can't test right away. We do offer a refresher course before you take it so that you can come back and get to review and work in the lab again.

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07:45 - 08:04

Michael Burris

I've been out for a few months. I've still been reading with a refresher course. I'm coming here in a few weeks to take it, but it's important to keep your mind sharp on what's going on here, so I'm excited about that, too, just to refresh and keep it fresh.

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08:04 - 08:16

Doug Bryant

So what are you most looking forward to when you start working as a Medication Aide? How do you think your life is going to change from day to day with the interaction of the residents?

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08:16 - 08:41

Michael Burris

I'm excited to see the reaction of the residents because I'm seeing a. And soon I'll be coming in as a Medication Tech. I told them about it, but it's not happened yet. So I'm waiting to see their faces when I'm no longer doing the CNA part of things. I'm actually assisting the nurse with the med passes. It's going to be something, but I'm excited for it and I think they're excited for it as well.

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08:41 - 08:43

Doug Bryant

Yeah. And how excited are the nurses?

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08:43 - 08:50

Michael Burris

Very excited. It's going to take a lot off the nurse and free the nurse up to do so many other things.

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08:50 - 09:01

Michael Burris

Like right now I'm unable to help with meds. It's because I'm not certified yet, but you could kill two birds with one stone if we did something like it.

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09:01 - 09:14

Doug Bryant

There's a myth about Medication Aides, where people assume that once Medication Aides become really popular in Tennessee, that it's trying to push nurses out. But that's really not it at all. It's allowing nurses to be able to do it.

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09:14 - 09:24

Michael Burris

It's allowing them to do more and be more efficient. We're going to assist the nurse even more and make it easier for them, probably make it even better for the resident.

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09:24 - 10:02

Doug Bryant

One thing I've always thought was interesting, too, about Medication Aides is because it's CNAs that are being upskilled to Medication Aides. You CNAs have always spent the most time with the residents, so to me, it makes perfect sense that the person that knows the resident the most would be the most effective passing medications to know, you know, hey, she's this resident's not acting right today. To be able to be the eyes and ears for the nurse, even when it comes to the medication pass. So that's a really interesting thing that you'll be able to do.

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10:02 - 10:14

Michael Burris

Yeah. And you said it right there. An extra set of eyes and ears that perfectly say it. And that's exactly what we are. And I think every nurse could use an extra set of eyes and ears to make them more efficient.

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10:14 - 10:24

Doug Bryant

So you were able to come here because of a partnership that we have with Shannondale? Where they sponsored you to come through the course and then you'll be working with them?

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10:24 - 10:25

Michael Burris

Yes.

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10:25 - 11:10

Doug Bryant

When you get certified. So we appreciate that partnership with Shannondale of Maryville. And, I know we've got some other of your coworkers that are in our current class right now. Yes. We love working with partners. That is a way that people can come in. We also have a way that if you don't have the financial means to take the class, we can hook you up with a partner, and connect you with, with a partner that can, help with that.

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But we're just so excited for you in the future, and we're excited about, you know, the ability that you're going to have to make a huge impact on the residents that you've been serving in a different way than the way that you have been doing it. Right. And we're just so excited for what the future holds for you.

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11:11 - 11:26

Michael Burris

Yes, I'd say if there's any CNAs that are interested in doing something different, I definitely recommend them. Coming to the Mason Center and trying the Medication Aide program is definitely a life changer, and adds a little bit more to being just a CNA.

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11:26 - 11:36

Doug Bryant

Thank you so much for being with us today. Is there anything else you'd like to add? Anything I left out that you think prospective students might need to know?

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11:36 - 11:44

Michael Burris

It can be done. It's not easy, but it can be done. If you come in with focus and you come in ready to learn with a clear mind. It can be done.

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11:44 - 11:46

Doug Bryant

And Brandi is here to help.

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11:46 - 11:56

Michael Burris

Not only Brandi. I want to say the whole staff. I mean, there are some great people here, and I met quite a few people and they all wanted me to succeed.

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11:56 - 12:04

Doug Bryant

Well, we're so happy that you came, that we were able to meet you and that you've been a part of us up to this point. So thank you so much.

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12:04 - 12:05

Michael Burris

I thank you all too.

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12:05 - 12:10

Doug Bryant

Thank you for listening. This has been Certify It with The Mason Center for Healthcare Education.

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Outro

We hope you enjoyed this episode of Certify It by the Mason Center for Healthcare Education. Get connected with us on social media and at themasoncenter.knox.com. If you haven't yet, subscribe to this podcast on YouTube and anywhere you get your podcast. And if you're interested in sponsorship or donations to help further our cause of providing affordable, flexible healthcare certification programs for individuals seeking career mobility in skilled nursing, senior living, and long term care fields. Visit themasoncenterknox.com.

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