A little jUSTICE PLEASE!

[chili2641]

I HAVE WORKED AS A NURSING ASSISTANT FOR OVER SEVEN YEARS. I have been studying our justice system for five of those years. Justice is hard to define but in simple terms it means fairness. I hear every day that the system is not fair and that justice is green. I saw several injustices when I was working as an aid. The nurse aids where I worked made eight dollars an hour. The LPN's made eighteen an hour. Now, I realize they have more education,but the gap between the rich and the poor is much to wide. Several of the nurse aids were on welfare if not all of them. One of my coworkers asked for a pay cut so that her case worker would not disturb her assistance. I told her to keep her rate of pay and cut back on her hours. She responed by saying "that would leave you short". I was amazed by her dedication to her job. I was amazed and impressed by so many of them. I want the nurse aids to know that any one can go to college. I also want them to know that nursing is not the only field out there. I chose to study criminal justice and behavioral science. I work with incarcerated young people and I love it. I still am a CNA

[lorrie]

chili

i will completely agree that CNAs do deserve a higher pay scale. they do have a very tough job. i am sorry that you feel that there is an injustice. but i will say this, it is not only CNAs it is everyone that feel they are shortchanged in the medial field. it is a hard job that alot times goes unappreciated along with underpaid. i also believe that any CNA that wants to pursue nursing, medicine, or any health related field will have valuable experience to draw from.

lorrie

[chili2641]

Lorrie,

Thankyou for your reply I tend to agree with what you are saying. I did not mean to be negative but realistic. I can tell that you are a true professional and that you care about your assistants. And that was the point!

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Nursing assistant

[chili2641]

?

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Nursing assistant

[katscan]

Chili, You sound like a dedicated professional. It takes guts and alot of back breaking work to be a CNA. And to work with incarcerated people...I just have to say, Bless you!You must really be a great person

[505rn]

I was a CNA for many years before I got my BSN and thankfully, there are plenty of times that I still work in the role of a CNA. I say this because I vowed to remember how hard CNA's work when I was one and I had a "bad" nurse; although there were always "good" ones too...Now, don't get mad there is not a single role in health care that is easier or worse than another, each role has its pros and cons, "easies" and "hards", however, the physically backbreaking and repetitive nature of the CNA's job can take a toll!!!! Not to mention the lack of appreciation (at times anyway) and the abuse they often take from patients and families.

Now, the reason I am posting is that it has long been a mystery, a disgraceful mystery, to me why people who TRY, people who have needed the state's help in the form of welfare or food stamps but are trying to get out of that cycle- why these people are penalized for getting a job. They are damned if they do and damned if they don't! They often can't get a very good paying job and many have daycare concerns and family issues, but they try and thus, risk losing their benefits- excuse the language but how bass-ackwards is that?!?!?!?! I guess this isn't a very constructive posting but I felt the need to empathisize and express my dismay. I also want to say THANK YOU to all health care workers but especially to those in the totally "thankless" jobs like laundry, housekeeping, dietary...and frequently CNA's. (Don't get me wrong, seems like many days nursing is thankless as far as management goes but it seems like there is always one patient who makes it all worthwhile!)