[dipsett08]

im currently at a tech school for my cna and lpn. unfortunately im in my cna fundamental class and i have to say that cna is turning me off of nursing. i dont know if it is working in a nursing home or dealing with all the dirty work.
i really want to become a nurse that the reason why i started at the bottom of the totem pole. im starting to wish i never chose the cna program. in the spring of 09 i planned on going to gordon college for the nursing program (skip the lpn). now im having second thoughts. im thinking of another allied health profession like respiratory therapy. i dont know what to do. any advice?

[crimson]

In nursing you have to be able to take the good with the bad. As a nurse you will still sometimes have to help out with your patients if you are short a tech or just overrun with patients. If you can't stand this then it will probably not be a good position for you. Take some time and search your heart b/c if it is not in it you will not be happy and possibly make those around you not happy.

[ChristineN]

It sounds like something you need to give some serious thought too. Do you know what exactly it is about being a CNA you don't like? Also, it might be helpful to determine if you don't like nursing or if you don't like geriatrics. Maybe the elderly just isn't your thing.

[Daytonite]

I don't know what your reasoning was to take CNA classes before RN classes, but it isn't necessary unless the RN program requires it. Many people go into RN school with no experience as a CNA or LPN and do just fine. I went to RN school with no prior experience whatsoever in healthcare and I've been an RN for 30 years now. As an RN you do need to know what basic nursing is so you can appropriately delegate nursing tasks, but an RN is pretty much a manager and supervisor of patient care.

[Tharem]

i really want to become a nurse that the reason why i started at the bottom of the totem pole.

I don't quite see the logic of this. In any case, don't judge all of nursing by what CNA's alone do. I'm a nursing student so i'm not speaking from experience but from what I hear, yes there is dirty work in nursing but its probably more the exception than the rule, so to speak, at least at the degree level.

[ChristineN]

Originally Posted by Tharem

I don't quite see the logic of this. In any case, don't judge all of nursing by what CNA's alone do. I'm a nursing student so i'm not speaking from experience but from what I hear, yes there is dirty work in nursing but its probably more the exception than the rule, so to speak, at least at the degree level.

Most nurses have to start out as floor nurses, and unless you are doing out-patient clinic work, home health, etc. then you will indeed see alot of "dirty work" that you, as an RN, will have to deal with, regardless of degree level. We are professionals, but we also do direct pt care, which involves alot of "dirty work."

[Woodenpug]

Congratulations on first "looking into" nursing by starting as a CNA. It does give you a feel as to whether or not you would like nursing. I think if more RN schools required this we would have greater retention in the profession, and fewer people taking up slots only to discover after 6 mo's to a year that "nursing just isn't for me."
Other allied health positions often do not have to deal with the "brown and red" of nursing. Rad techs seem to be as in demand and are well compensated. Physical Therapy is another option. Both of those professions also offer the advantage of essentially only dealing with one patient at a time.

[Grumpygs]

I'm starting RN school in August , and I also took a CNA course just to see if I could stomach the 'dirty work' as the OP put it.

All of my instructors, of which almost all are MSN, NP or above (for my CNA and other RN prep courses) had told the students that they wiped behinds and cleaned up 'bodily fluids' just like any CNA would do - it's a part of nursing.

While CNA courses may not be 'required' by the schools, I think it is a great idea to take the class to have additional practice in the skills as well as seeing if this is the right field for you before you dedicate 2 to 4 + years of your life (not to mention money!) to a profession that you will end up hating - because you don't like the 'dirty work'.

I've also ran across pre-RN students that seem to feel that CNA work was 'beneath them' which I think is OUTRAGEOUS!!! I've actually had one tell me "why go backwards, it's not like WE are going to DO THAT kind of stuff!" I just told her she had no clue and walked away...

So, back to the OP, the choice is always your own - you may want to figure out which (the elderly or the 'other') concerns you most and decide if you can rise above it or not. You may also want to visit a local hospital and talk to the nurses (on all levels) and find out exactly what their jobs entail.

Good luck! Just my 2 cents -

Grumpygs

[Grumpygs]

Sorry, but I have to add a little more -

I suppose the 'trick' to performing these activities of basic care, would also have to be doing them while maintaining as much dignity as possible for the people that you do them for. Most have lost sooo much and any slight amount of dignity that they have left is a precious gift that we - as healthcare workers can give them...

Off the soap box.

[paganoid]

In first year clinicals, I assisted a veteran RN to do a retention enema. This was a fantastic opportunity for me and I jumped at the chance. It didn't go well due to his poor technique. (To be fair, this isn't done often at that facility.) The nurse vanished in a puff of smoke and later sent in a CNA to deal with the (profound) mess, leaving me holding the patient against the rails with a tube up his bum for more than five minutes. The CNA and I did our best to clean up the situation and restore the patient's bed linens, etc., to AM-care standards. When I went to speak to my instructor, that veteran nurse was laughing about it with the other nurses in the charting area. (insert sound of blood boiling)

My RN instructor said that some people serve only as signposts of how NOT to be.