Re: Second Thoughts?!? Originally Posted by AlexandrAnne 
*Warning... Rant*
Have any of you had second thoughts about being a CNA? I recently graduated and got a job at a great LTC facility. Orientation went great, but I just finished an assignment by myself yesterday and I was in tears by the end of it. I had 10+ full care patients with Alzheimer disease which would not be bad if they didn't attack me and and refuse care. I didn't have enough time to get my showers done (I had two on the assignment) and did not sit down the entire eight and a half hour shift! Also, everyone who was supposed to have an alarm didn't have them on yesterday, so I kept letting people go to the bathroom without assistance because they didn't look like a fall risk. I was dehydrated and hungry by the end of the day, and all in all I just don't know if I'm cut out for this. The CNAs seem supportive but they're always talking about how bad another fellow CNA is - so it makes me wonder if they're doing the same thing about me. *sigh* I want to be a nurse eventually, but if this is how it is everyday...
Keep in mind that this was your first day, and by now, unless you quit, you should have had more time to become acquainted with this sort of work. It takes a bit of time to get used to time management, safe short cuts, difficult patients, dealing with dementia, and so forth. I remember leaving with my feet killing me, feeling inadequate, but then, eventually (I think it was about 4-5 weeks), suddenly, I found myself working faster, being more organized and not as frightened.
This will happen, yet again when you become a nurse. So much to remember, so many patients, so many skills that you only saw once in school (the same for the CNA, for sure) and yet, I had to keep working to make myself get used to it. And, I would try to at least stay there for about 6-8 months (a year is better), unless you are really being harassed because you will interview better. It looks more stable and even in hospitals, knowing that you dealt with so many bedridden people will be an advantage.
Search Tags
I so much want to be an RN and be a lactation support nurse, or OB Med Surge anything other then long term care.
) since I first thought about even becoming a CNA, several months back. I constantly wonder if it's something I really want to do. But, I figure I won't know if I don't check it out. Now that the course has begun, I still have hesitation about becoming a CNA but not nearly as much as I did before my class began. The more I learn about the nursing field and the role of CNAs, the better I feel about my decision to become a CNA. I'm sure my thoughts will probably change once I'm actually out there in the field, and I'll probably have all kinds of crazy thoughts running through my head when I first start (like, "tell me again why I thought this would be a good idea???") but hopefully with experience will come the comfort that I made the right choice for me. Hang in there and good luck in finding a good fit in this field!!! 
I HATED LTC when i did my clinicals!! hospital CNA work is way different and alot more enjoyable and you get to see alot of exciting things!
Nursing News