I hate my job as a CNA, I don't know if I want to be a nurse anymore

Nursing Students CNA/MA

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Hi I work as a CNA in a hospital facility in NY. I have been there 5 years while working to complete pre-req's for nursing. However after a rough year at the job along with a recent write up, I dont think I want to be a nurse any more. Most of the nurses on my unit seem disgruntled and miserable. They treat us CNA's horribly and it is generally an easy floor. Most of the patients are walkie talkie and the floor has a high turnover rate. The nurses are super lazy, they will look 30 minutes for a CNA just to grab a pt a towel or to grab some ice. I understand nurses work hard overall, but like I said the floor is easy and they get thru their charting and stuff in the morning.

Also the management is unsupportive. We are only required to work 3 12hr shifts and for the most part. My fellow CNA's and I work around each other to accomodate our individual school schedules. They nit pick over every little thing and I just am extremely burned out! I enrolled in an EKG/Phlebotomy class just to enhance my skills so I can leave that god-forsaken dept! There is too much drama and its wearing me down. I always been the type to ignore the drama but now I am fed up!!

We are often humiliated and disrespected at work and management does nothing to support this. I have gotten into many altercations because these people would always try to demean me and im sick of it

I have been also considering changing career goals. I am currently considering a career in occupational therapy. I think it would be better for me .

The problem is I make 22/hr at my job. I am really unhappy and want to leave, but i dont know where i would make this much money, but i absolutely hate it. I call out sick at least 1 every month or 2 months, Im thankful for my job at times like this, but at the same time I absolutely hate it. Any advice would be great:confused:

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Nobody said you have to continue to work at this place after you get your license. I would not let your experience there affect your career plans. Also, nobody said you have to conduct yourself like those lazy nurses no matter where you work. You can be yourself as a nurse and do the kind of job you want to do. Maybe you just need a vacation. Don't quit, jobs that pay that kind of money are hard to find, right behind finding any kind of job at all (and BTW, $22 an hour is more than many nurses earn, so you are doing ok in the pay department!)

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Just remember that not every facility is as negative and lazy! I recently took a pay cut (I make $3 less an hour now!) just to work at a facility with a much better atmosphere, and I think it was worth it.

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Specializes in Nursing Assistant.

From what I read it is obvious you are miserable with your job. Hopefully your work doesn't reflect that since residents' care is of utmost importance. I do hear your frustration. Here's my opinion. You can make all the money in the world but if you're not happy is it really worth it? I left a job in May in office administration making $43k a year. I was not happy at all and wanted to make a midlife career change. Now I just graduated from CNA school and ready to take my state test. I know my earnings won't compare at all to what I was making....but life is too short not to be happy and do what you enjoy doing. Maybe just moving to another facility would be the answer. If in fact you really hate CNA work.....it's maybe time to move on. Best of luck to you!

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I worked as a CNA for a couple of years before I became an LPN and I got to the point where I was really depressed and hating it. But I'm very very happy since I became a nurse, I really love it. For me it was the right thing to do.

Is it possible that you've just outgrown that job? It sounds like a pretty depressing place to work and whatever your plans for the future, the fact of the matter is that you are looking to the future and maybe feeling kind of frustrated and stagnant where you are.

Could be time to move on, you are earning a lot at that job but sometimes it's worth it to take a pay cut so that you can be happy. Maybe if you get out of that environment you will be able to reassess your goals and start feeling a little bit more confident about where you want to go with your career.

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Specializes in Med-Surg/urology.

I think the best thing for you to do is just switch to a different unit. The problem doesnt really involve the field of nursing, just your co-workers. Sometimes you just gotta get away from the drama.

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That's horrible! The place I took my clinicals, you could tell the nurses were like that. I hated that. I work in home health right now. I don't have to deal with all that. Maybe try looking into something like that? You go to the patients home. I wish you luck!

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

It sounds like burn out right now. One of the advantages of working as a CNA is that it is the entry into a nursing career, and you get to witness as much as you can before you decide whether or not you wish to go further up in the nursing ladder.

For now, try and see if you can transfer to a different department-maybe the change would suit you better. Then, you might be able to further assess whether going for nursing would be the best for you. Many times, people assume that the natural progression for CNAs is to advance to LPN or RN, but really, it isn't for everyone. I think that once your head is a bit clearer if you transfer out, you can see what the future holds.

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no one can pay the rent with charity salary to do a dirty job. i just gave up wallmark job is much best.

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