Hospital CNA.

[Tyler626]

I am just curious and wanted to know what the difference between LTC CNA and a hospital CNA are? Like what does a normal hospital CNA do? For those of you who have worked in both areas, can you give pros and cons of each? What did you like and not like? Even if you haven't worked in both areas, for those of you who work in a hospital, what do you like and what don't you like? More importantly, what's a "normal" day like?

Thanks!!

[Keep_Calm]

I am an LPN now, but I've worked both LTC and hospital as an STNA. It all depends on where you live/work and what each facility allows CNAs to do too. Some hospitals will have you doing vital signs, EKGs, and lab draws. It would also depend on the department too. Both involve direct patient care--helping with bed baths, bathing, hygiene, wiping butts (to put it bluntly ). Both are rewarding and interesting. In the hospital, your patients will come and go. If you get a difficult one, you know it's only for a short time period. In LTC, you're stuck with them, but then you also have the ones that you really get to know and love. I liked the hospital a lot better though, and if I had to choose again, I'd choose the hospital. It was less hectic because everyone worked together efficiently. In the LTC, we were constantly battling under staffing problems and at times we would work short.

[blackvans1234]

Im a CNA in a hospital (we're called PCT's)

We do vital signs, ADL's, monitor for changes in patient condition, tell nurse about patient complaint (pain , Shortness of breath, Etc), help nurses with anything.

Check blood sugars

[courtneyday21]

Hi i just started as an LTC CNA and i love it. In my nursing home we have 3 wings and you really get to know the patients in your wing. Some you love and others you can't wait to be rotated to a different wing. Regardless i like this better because we only have to worry about vitals and regular care of the patients, we hardly ever get surprises like in a hospital.

[i_love_patient_care]

I've worked both. Hospitals are easier because you can always find someone to help. The nurses have way less patients, and actually want to help because they know how to move them without hurting them if they have trauma. They also have lift teams. That's cool when you have an incontinent big person, or someone with severe trauma who is big and we need to clean or help turn so the nurse can examine. LTC or nursing was worse on the back because the nurses have upwards if 30 patients. We are there to do ALL of the patient care. Plus in the hospital they're not worried about shuttling people around in wheelchairs to and from activities and meals.

[kristakay7]

Generally respond to LVNs and RNs

[funtimes]

The difference between a hospital CNA and a LTC CNA? One works in a hospital and one works in a LTC facility. Thats pretty much the difference.

Pros to a hospital. More variety, less bickering and backstabbing, the chance to learn more if you plan on going into nursing or some other health profession, some shifts can be easy if you have easy patients, whereas in LTC you rarely have an easy shift. You work pretty much exclusively with RNs, so you dont have to put up with other crabby CNAs.

Cons to a hospital. Often have more patients youre assigned to than LTC. The charting is extensive, so its a lot more to keep track of. You never know what your patients are going to be like, which can be good, but can also be bad because you never know when you're going to have some patients from hell. Mistakes can have very serious consequences, so you gotta be on the ball and pay attention to detail.