Help with finding CNA job!

[RN2BE93]

Hi guys!

I'll get straight to the point ?. So I got my cna certification last year and after that I haven't been looking for a job because I've been busy and health problems got in the way. Gotta love those health problems:/. Anyways now that I'm in a better place I'm trying to find a job ( part time or per diem) preferably. I've been sending out applications everywhere and I haven't gotten any calls back. I've applied to hospitals that don't require much experience, but I already know how hard getting jobs in a hospital are. So I tried assisted living facilities and stuff like that but I can't do dementia care because its so sad but it's hard to find a job that doesn't deal with that so I can settle with it. But I'm a full time student most semesters and I don't like to work while being a full time student. I have little experience in cna work other than what I learned from clinicals, so I'm just wondering how can I stand out from others that have more experience?

[mvm2]

Yeah if you want to be a CNA dementia residents will come with the teritory I am afraid. Have you tried Rehab facilities or Home Health. Just have a positive attitude when you go in for your interviews, and have a follow up call later might let them know you really want the job.

[RN2BE93]

I've tried everywhere. I realized that I can't avoid dementia patients so I'm fine with that. But I just need a job because I want experience before nursing school starts. Right now I'm nervous just taking a patient vitals, so I need to gain more confidence.

[chrisrn24]

You can't avoid dementia patients if you have any goal of working in a facility. Dementia patients have their ups and downs but I like working with them...I wish dementia didn't exist but it does. What makes you sad?

[hchumbar]

Hey I just recently became a CNA as well and had difficulty finding a job in a hospital or nursing home due to lack of experience. I am now a caregiver to people in their homes and no experience is required and my CNA cert helped a lot in finding that job. I looked up CNA jobs on Craigslist and found this one. It's a start.. Maybe after some experience as a caregiver you can apply elsewhere or work there while u apply elsewhere

[RN2BE93]

You can't avoid dementia patients if you have any goal of working in a facility. Dementia patients have their ups and downs but I like working with them...I wish dementia didn't exist but it does. What makes you sad?

I know that I can't avoid it. But I guess the reason it makes me sad is because I didn't have a good experience during my clinicals. They threw us on the dementia floor without really giving us a heads up on what we were going to be seeing. And I never had a personal experience being in a nursing home or even dealing with that population of people. So I was like a fish out of water basically. Don't get me wrong some of the residents were super nice and with it but then you had your select few that I didn't know how to handle and take care of them. I just hate seeing people just in pain, crying, telling me that they're ready to go, it just put an emotional toll on me and I would wanna cry after leaving the clinical site. Not to mention that the other cna's and people that worked there were rude to me and all my classmates. I just didn't have a good experience.

[Jcgirl]

I'm not going to low, working in a LTC can be sad, but it's all what you make of it. My residents can be so sweet, and are very thankful for all you do. Find a good company to work for, that too will make a huge difference.

[chrisrn24]

I'm not going to low working in a LTC can be sad, but it's all what you make of it. My residents can be so sweet, and are very thankful for all you do. Find a good company to work for, that too will make a huge difference.[/quote']

Yep!!

[i_love_patient_care]

From personal experience, caring for dementia patients can be very rewarding. At first, it is daunting getting used to all of the behaviors they can exhibit that we haven't encountered before. Once you know how to talk to them gently and redirect them when they get frustrated, the job gets a lot easier. The facilities I worked for showed a lot of good material on the subject for service hours. I'm sure a search on youtube may turn up some enlightening information.