How much do CNA's make these days and is the pay worth the workload?

Nursing Students CNA/MA

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Now I know it will be hard work, that I am prepared for...

However, since I have been interested in becoming a CNA while going through nursing school I have heard everything from positive experiences to horror stories. One girl told me CNA's basically deal with the nastiest aspects of nursing and for the lowest pay. She told me I would be changing adult diapars all day for $7/hr.

Now I don't mind changing adults, but I at least need to know I can pay my bills if I take this job.

Also a local hospital offers paid training to become a PCT, so maybe if it's truly "paid" I should go for that instead....?

Suggestions?

Sorry to disappoint you but you absolutely WILL have to "do all of that" as a nurse. I started as a CNA and have been an RN for 9 years now and I am not above cleaning a dirty behind, or any of the other messy jobs that are part of a CNA's daily life. I recommend that anybody considering nursing as a career start out as a CNA so you know if you can tolerate that type of work before you invest all that time and money on a degree for a job you will hate.

I'm glad someone else said that who's already an RN, because I was thinking the same thing (but didn't want to be the one to say it...) Maybe it's actually a good thing to have started out as an MSW. I think of CNA work as serving my client's needs in another way, a different way. Why look down on meeting a person's most basic needs by thinking of this part of the job as "messy" or "nasty"? It isn't-- believe me, it isn't. Returning kids to abusive homes for Child Protective Services because there isn't any proof of what's going on-- THAT'S nasty!!

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1. If you can get a CNA job in this recession, depression, correction, whatever you want to call it, get one.

2. When I worked as a nurse aide at the VA in Cincinnati, I COMPLETELY LOVED AND ADORED IT. And yes, I cleaned up poop, puke, irrigated bladder cathether bags, and whatnot. I also worked as a Home Health Aide (Ohio STNA) in people's homes.

3. *My Belief* is that if you work as a CNA in a hospital, nursing home, whereever, you will learn more than you realize. You will see the work flow. You will see where the log jams are in getting meds, meals, doctor visits, lab tests, trips to X-ray, etc. You will become "psychic." "I just don't know, but Mr. Smith doesn't seem as "with it" as he was yesterday. Is he just sleepy, or is something else happening?" You will see things "for real" instead of pictures in a book. You will learn from other people's mistakes. You will learn what they don't teach you in nursing school - check the bedsheets for hearing aids before you throw them in the laundry bag; if the patient has a broken arm, take the shrinkwrap off his meals, that type of thing. You will learn to hear lies patients tell you, and understand what motivates the denial. You will see the politics nurses put up with. You will see good and bad behavior modeled for you. You will hear beautifully tactful answers, and nurses who will no longer take the crap and just tell it like it is. You will see the compassion of a nurse with a dying patient and their "needy" family, and how patient & tolerant he/she is with them. You can't learn some things out of a book. You will also learn how to spell medical words, learn the cadence of giving report, and understand all the audible clues the machines give you. And for that, *they* pay *you* $7.50 an hour (I got $13.40 or thereabouts, if I am remembering correctly.). And yes, you wipe people's butts. Literally, figuratively, and in your sleep.

I graduated in March, 2008, passed NCLEX in June 2009. From what I hear, the only people with jobs are the graduates who have jobs lined up before they graduate. If they like you, they might keep you. If they don't, at least you've got some experience. Don't be so quick to say "no."

My two cents. Fifi

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It is true, but it all depends on where you work. Really you are trying to get the hands on experience. Think about this what if this was your mother or grandmotehr, or even you. You dont want to be full of poop. They do pay low, but as with any job the experienc will get you better pay. When you become a nurse, you won't have to do all of that.

WRONG! RN's & LVN/LPN's DO deal with poop and they DO clean up poop. You're not going to be immune to it as a nurse, you will ALWAYS be cleaning up poop. Always remember, whatever the CNA can do, you can do too. I worked with RN's who cleaned up poop on a regular basis, they're called ICU nurses. I know of RN's who clean up sputum, blood etc, they don't leave it and call for the CNA to do it, although there are some who will spend 30-40 minutes looking for a CNA to put a patient on a bed pan. So you know what kind of nurses they are. Definately ones you don't want working on you.

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I definitely agree with the last few posts. It seems that everyone who has recently graduated from any type of human services-related program right now (including health care, although from everything I read and hear it took longer for the real problems to hit this area than it did others) is having problems with finding jobs except for CNA's. It will turn around again. In the meantime, I am overjoyed to have this chance. I could not care LESS about getting my hands dirty-- it is SO SO SO far from the first time I've had to do it. I have had too much life experience to put on an attitude here.

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Specializes in Neuro.

$11.00 - $13.50 is what we make depending on experience in NC. Still pushing the worth it thing even for that pay if you are in a unit where you are not appreciated. Although, I guess it depends on who you work with and how you are treated and the culture on the unit.

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It is true, but it all depends on where you work. Really you are trying to get the hands on experience. Think about this what if this was your mother or grandmotehr, or even you. You dont want to be full of poop. They do pay low, but as with any job the experienc will get you better pay. When you become a nurse, you won't have to do all of that.

I have been a RN for 23 years...I have NEVER called a tech or nursing assistant to clean up a patient while I walk away. In fact, where I have worked for the last 10 years, we rarely have a tech on the night shift... nurses to it all.

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Around here in north carolina. It is seriously hard to get in at a hospital. Unless you know someone. I have been trying with no luck. I was going to work at a home health agency to get in the one year experience you need. but they wanted to give me the run around about getting paid. I am not working for a company who can't pay me on time. The good thing is i still have a year of being certified. I am going to find something. but for now just chill out a while and see what comes about.

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My advise to those who really want to work in the hospital is TO KEEP APPLYING! It's not going to hurt you, yes it does get frustrating because I've been there, and done that. But I applied non-stop for 5 months before I got hired on my 1st attempt. I had interviews at other local hospitals, but no luck. Keep trying until you get in.

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I am a CNA and I make $12 an hr, in Michigan. My work load is almost 1not worth that much some days... so I would say it is not worth $ 7 a hour at all.

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I am a new CNA and make about $11.30ish an hour, base rate. I'm in CO. I often work weekends and get a $2/hour differential. IMO, almost $13.50 isn't bad for such a flexible job (it's more like $15/hour if you work weekend nights). I work very part time, as I have 2 young kids and am also taking all my nursing pre reqs. I could easily work more, if I wanted to. It's one of the few jobs where there always seems to be work!

Having your CNA license is required for the LPN program I am applying to. Most of the nurses at our LTC facility started out as CNAs and highly recommend starting out that way. I've often heard "the best nurses are the ones who were CNA's". It's excellent experience, and I can't fathom killing myself going back to school for nursing w/o having some hands on experience first. You learn so much from doing & watching. I've learned how to work with residents who are sometimes difficult, how things flow in a medical facility, how to handle "gross" things, I've watched RN's give meds/shots/insert catheters/change dressings...there are endless opportunities to learn & be exposed to new things so it's not quite so scary in nursing school. And aside from just ADL/basic care/changing briefs, you can become a rehab aide too, which involves walking people and helping them get some exercise & stay mobile. And, in general, you just learn a lot about the end of life process-how people age, decline, and eventually pass on. You start to recognize how people can change quickly, how their abilities change, how to change what you do to meet their needs. A lot of stuff you won't learn in class.

That said, this is a second "career" for me-I already have a graduate degree in another field. There's no way I'd do this if I wasn't going to pursue nursing school...I view it as a stepping stone. I think the more experienced CNA's (like, 5-10 years of experience) are making more of a living wage-maybe mid to high 30's (per year) or so. Frankly, I'm quite sure I couldn't stand to work as a CNA for that long.

IMO, the pay is worth the workload *if* you plan on furthering your education & going on to nursing/PT/PA school...Otherwise, there are easier jobs out there for the same $$.

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Specializes in BSN Class of May 2013.

Hey Thanks Maxcat! That last post was very insightful. I am working on pre/co reqs & have been thinking of CNA training to help me pay for school & get a foot in the door... Much appreciated.

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Sorry to disappoint you but you absolutely WILL have to "do all of that" as a nurse. I started as a CNA and have been an RN for 9 years now and I am not above cleaning a dirty behind, or any of the other messy jobs that are part of a CNA's daily life. I recommend that anybody considering nursing as a career start out as a CNA so you know if you can tolerate that type of work before you invest all that time and money on a degree for a job you will hate.

I personally don't really understand why so many people look down their noses at the issue of cleaning excrement in healthcare. I mean let's be realistic. So many of us have elderly parents or loved ones at a stage of life where they are incontinent and if they are also in a hospital or nursing home, we expect them to get perineal care and expect whoever is doing it to do so in a professional and compassionate manner. And of course each and everyone one stands a good chance of one day reaching a point in our lives when we will need to be cleaned as well. So I have never understood this rather arrogant attitude our society seems to have about this part of taking care of the sick and elderly.

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