A Rant by a Special Snowflake.

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I am a college student going to school 5 states away from home. I have my CNA cert in my home state but the reciprocity app. has not been processed for Maryland yet. So, for now I'm looking for non CNA jobs.

Here's my issue... They all pay way better!!!!!! I know what CNA's do is "unskilled labor" but you'd think jobs requiring a certification would pay more than a cashier job at dunkin donuts would!

Geez Louise. Good thing there's nothing I love more than my cranky, confused old people.

Ok. I'm done being a special snowflake... for now.

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I never understood it!

The difference between making a mistake with a donut and making a mistake with a fragile patient is worlds apart!

CNAs have skills that are valuable and some are only acquired through plenty of experience.

An excellent CNA can be the difference between life and death. It's that knowledgeable and observant CNA that walks into a room and sees "something isn't right" that alerts the overburdened nurse (with maybe 30 residents) to "look at this person now".

Everyday, CNAs work hard to carefully clean, dress, exercise, feed and act as a source of comfort for so many people!

It is completely lost on me how any of these other unskilled jobs could be paid more.

It make no sense :no:

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.

People value a good cup of coffee and a pastry more than the elderly.

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I wish I could like this a million times. So true.

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I never understood it!

The difference between making a mistake with a donut and making a mistake with a fragile patient is worlds apart!

And now you have me wondering just what a Major Donut Mistake would be, exactly...

But yes, it's ridiculous. How about the minimum wage going to $15/hour for a person whose greatest responsibility is giving correct change (which the cash register calculates anyway).....and the LPN going rate of $19-20? Four or five bucks is the difference in skills?? Yeesh.

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Specializes in Long term care.

....because we continue to work as hard as we do for the little wage we get.

THAT'S why we get paid what we do.

There is always another CNA around the corner waiting to do your job when your back, legs, & soul can no longer take it.

AND just as "OCNRN3" said above, the frail elderly are NOT valued in our society. We all know how many sit in nursing homes forgotten by family.

~and we do it because WE DO value these people!

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Specializes in retired LTC.
People value a good cup of coffee and a pastry more than the elderly.
This comment just gave me chills. So true!
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At my facility the people who work in the cafeteria get paid more than the CNAs. CNAs get minimum wage.

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At my facility the people who work in the cafeteria get paid more than the CNAs. CNAs get minimum wage.

This makes me very angry.

I'm sorry to hear that and feel bad for those CNAs.

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At my facility the people who work in the cafeteria get paid more than the CNAs. CNAs get minimum wage.

That is completely insane.

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I took a very large pay cut and benefit slash to start out as a nurse (coming from skilled trades after my plant closed). I left nursing to return to the skilled trades for an even larger raise and benefit package.

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Specializes in Neonatal Nurse Practitioner.

Before nursing school, I was working at a gas station. I took a $3/hr cut to be an ER Tech. It still makes no sense to me because working as an ER Tech was more strenuous and required much more skill.

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