CNA's in Med-Surg

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Oct 7, 2003

When I was working M/S as an aide, I did fingersticks, oral suctioning, and discontinued almost every kind of tubing except central lines and PICCs, in addition to the usual CNA duties. It was really good experience that helped a lot when I became an RN.

Shellsie · Oct 7, 2003

our cna's do vitals, i&o, empty drains, foleys etc, give baths, feed pts, record meal intake, post mortem care, they can d/c tons of things...some have given enemas.....i think a cna that makes the most of their job does more...when i was a cna i was in the room when the nurses did procedures....i helped probably alot more than i was qualified to ( but thats because the nurses knew i was in nursing school)

barefootlady, ADN, RN · Oct 7, 2003

take VS, baths, feed patients, empty foley's, Keep I & O, do fingersticks, linens, simple dressing change or assist w change by nurse. Give enema's, ambulate patients in hall or assist to bsc. I have worked w some great CNA's and with some that are so poor they should have been fired. Sadly, healthcare is so short that most places look the other way when the poor ones do nothing.

RN-PA, RN · Oct 8, 2003

Originally posted by barefootlady
take VS, baths, feed patients, empty foley's, Keep I & O, do fingersticks, linens, simple dressing change or assist w change by nurse. Give enema's, ambulate patients in hall or assist to bsc. I have worked w some great CNA's and with some that are so poor they should have been fired. Sadly, healthcare is so short that most places look the other way when the poor ones do nothing.

Our aides (PCT's) do all of the above EXCEPT enemas or dressing changes. There was talk within the last year or so of training them to do those additional tasks, but we're having enough trouble keeping them on our units (not quitting) just doing the basics because of the heavy care many patients require, frequent vital signs with all the post-ops and epidural patients we often get on 3-11 shift. Their patient load is often too high when scheduled PCT's are pulled and have to do 1:1 supervision on an agitated or suicidal patient and we end up short-staffed as a result. PCT's are supposed to have 12 patients but with admissions and post-ops coming once the shift starts, they can have sometimes 18 or more patients by the time the shift ends.

A good PCT is worth their weight in gold to me. With higher nurse to patient ratios, I depend on them to be my eyes and ears for the patients when I can't possibly care for all the needs properly along with all my work.

Brownms46 · Oct 8, 2003

Or the poor LPNs , and the poor RNs, the Poor MDs, the poor lab techs, ...etc...etc.

What CNAs do on a med-surg, vary just as what LPNS can do depending on what state practice acts states, and or the hospital's policy is. I have seen them do Vital Signs, blood sugars, serve trays, assist feeders, Intake and Output, d/c IVs, alerting the nurse to changes on pts assigned, inserting foley catheters, drawing blood, doing EKGs, some skin care treatments, personal hygiene, and charting on pts. assigned.

manda_0323 · Oct 8, 2003

the usual. . . .fingersticks, documenting I&O's, emptying trash, passing waters, documenting meals, answering lights, dc'ing iv locks. . . .stuff like that and if you are on orthopedics like me then you can set up traction.

FutureRNMichael · Oct 11, 2003

Thank you all very kindly for all the replys.

My next question would be, Can a CNA who just obtained their license be hired onto a med surg unit and how commonly might such occur?

See, I was told by someone that CNA's can only work in Long term care without experience and the reason I am getting a CNA is so I can move away from LTC.

RN-PA, RN · Oct 11, 2003

Originally posted by FutureRNMichael
Thank you all very kindly for all the replys.

My next question would be, Can a CNA who just obtained their license be hired onto a med surg unit and how commonly might such occur?

See, I was told by someone that CNA's can only work in Long term care without experience and the reason I am getting a CNA is so I can move away from LTC.

I know our Med/Surg unit would be happy to hire you. We recently hired a young woman who was a CNA from LTC. We'd be glad to have you because you would have good, basic skills, and you would be trained by your hospital for doing whatever tasks PCT's (aides) are expected to do there. Good luck!

Newbie4 · Oct 22, 2003

I got my CNA certificate this summer and just got hired on to a Medical unit.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Oct 22, 2003

Yes, inexperienced CNAs are hired into med-surg.

flashpoint · Dec 2, 2003

Our CNAs do beds and baths, vitals, EKGs feeding, ambulating, fingersticks, ADLs in general and basically save the butts of every RN and LPN that is assigned to patients. They do a huge amount of basic care that the RNs and LPNs simply don't have time for after all of the meds, paperwork, assessments etc. Everytime I work on med/surg I thank God for the CNA because they are such a blessing. The ones I work with are nothing short of AWESOME!!!