Anyone out there that just wants to work?

lpnga · Mar 7, 2003

I do not think this is venting in any way....I have dealt with this myself and I know the process of death....I do know that where I live if you are trained to do a task such as give meds then you can...as an aide..we can be taught to start ivs, draw blood, do caths, etc.....the only thing we don't do is all of the paper work where I am...and the state just came and did their survey on us and everything went great...

KC CHICK · Mar 7, 2003

lpnga, sorry to hear about your recent loss.

No, I don't think I'm smarter than everyone else...I even stated that in my post if you read it that far.

Nurses come to the aides to do a total feed because they don't have time to do it....Not because they don't know or understand why the patient isn't eating. You pride yourself on being able to talk to and get to know a patient. That's all fine and good, but...quite frankly...you have the TIME to do that because you are a CNA right now...and that's your job.

A nurse has to do things in order of priorities. If one of our patients is having problems breathing, we don't have time to "get to know" our group of patients for the night. Psychological issues come below physiological issues in order of priorities....unless, of course, the psych issue is causiing bodily harm to the patient. I don't have extra hours to spend time at bedside performing a psych consult for each of my six patients during my twelve hour shift.

When you become a nurse, you'll understand why we DON'T have the time to do these things. Nursing is NOT just about giving out pills, hon. It's also saddening to see that you think the only necessary thing nurses do is paperwork....just wait.

...Until you've walked the hall in a nurses' shoes........don't make judgements......

Nuff said.

Anne;)

rnpuppy · Mar 7, 2003

Originally posted by lpnga
I do not think this is venting in any way....I have dealt with this myself and I know the process of death....I do know that where I live if you are trained to do a task such as give meds then you can...as an aide..we can be taught to start ivs, draw blood, do caths, etc.....the only thing we don't do is all of the paper work where I am...and the state just came and did their survey on us and everything went great...

I was a CNA for alot of years while going to nursing school. Never did I try to tell my charge nurse what to do or even act like I knew more than her. It is a matter of respect!! Act like a professional and be treated like one!! I do not believe you are being very professional. I have always acted professional and been treated the same way. I did not look to see where you are from, but where I live aides only do ADL's, clean, dry, bathe, feed, residents. Try to do anything else, and you will lose your job and have your license pulled! I do believe that you need to have the full knowledge behind the skill before doing it. It is easy to do something when you have been shown how, but you have to know reasons why and what to do if things do not go as planned. As for the dude who was playing nurse, that is illegal in my state!! No matter what kind of natural talent you have, education is a must. ANy ya-hoo can claim to have a talent. Why even have nursing school if natural talent is all that is needed? I know that I would much rather been taken care of by someone who had gone to school, than someone who was faking it!!!!!

lpnga · Mar 7, 2003

well thank you I have job shadowed so many nurses..and my mother in law is a nurse...and she takes care of 20 pts a night not 6 and still has time for every one of them on her 12 hour shift...I don't think all nurses do is paper work and hand out meds but many nurses don't do alot ...I do think that many nurses act like they are better then cna's. I did not say that YOU think you are smarter then everyone else but (if you read that far...I said SOME )some nurses do think that and wear their degree..

I don't sit and talk to them every night but when I am providing their care (changing beds, getting ready for bed, and even helping with breathing treatments..)I will talk to them about their life..I don't just sit and talk because even I don't have time for that because there is 2 of us to a hall of 34 pts...and the rn's are doing paper work..and other things I can't do..while the Lpn's are giving meds...so I do make short conversation while doing something....

and I agree with when you said

It's the people that think they already know everything that really don't know anything at all. I KNOW that I don't know everything....I'm in a constant state of learning...as is every other RN that I know.

to me this can be a CNA...RN(adn or bsn)or LPN..and that you learn everyday. even if it is the degree below you that can teach you something..

as for the man that was not even a nurse.he just knew everything about nursing and fooled everyone..he knew that much...he trained so many people he was so smart..really...

lpnga · Mar 7, 2003

I also wanted to ask you Kc Chick why are you going for your BSN? do you want to go further or just want it to be proud?

lpnga · Mar 7, 2003

on the job I am professional and do not act as if I know more than the nurses but I have had nures come and ask me for help and how to do something because they may not have done it that much..I am from Georgia and if you are trained to do something then you can do it but you have to be TRAINED....like I can do caths and I am in classes at the hospital (the nursing home is part of the hospital) and I am learning to draw blood and after that I will learn to start iv's..I have also been taught to do blood sugar...(do you advance practice when you do it? PCT 1 2 or 3? and if you change jobs then you can get paid better since you can do more)

Yes if you read I said that the man was arrested..I said the GBI came in (Georgia Bureru of Investigation). and no eduacation is not a must...depends on how you think of education..such as people in the army etc..if they learn in the army then they can challange the boards and get their license or if they just know then they can also challenge the boards...

KC CHICK · Mar 7, 2003

Originally posted by lpnga
I also wanted to ask you Kc Chick why are you going for your BSN? do you want to go further or just want it to be proud?

Both actually.

I have plans myself of going into a CRNA program. That's why I'm getting my BSN, got out of the OR, and am interviewing for ICU. I'm also presently enduring my Organic Chemistry class. It's freakin' tough.

As for being VERY busy on my unit with approx 6 patients per shift....we don't have LPN's or Med techs passing medications...we do all that. Our aides do ADL's, we do all else. On top of which, our hospital doesn't have a Stepdown unit at the moment (due to have a new one open in a few weeks.). Therefore, we are it (stepdown)...and our patients can be very acute at times. Some of my patients have had 4 drips running at one time. Makes for a VERY busy evening...and very little time for conversation. I'm glad your MIL has time for everyone. It sounds like she works in Long Term Care...I'm guessing that those patients are much more stable than what I'm used to.

Anne:nurse:

lpnga · Mar 8, 2003

yes she is in LTC but she use to be in NICU where she use to live and now wants to go back to NICU..she liked it...

maybe this is why we have different opinions because we are totally on different sides of this...LTC is the same people everyday..

We have something in common..we are both going to CRNA...I am in LTC for a few reasons one because it pays better here and helps with bills and I also LOVE older people..... I would like to maybe stay here if when I get my ADN I was offered DON or something and of course I would have to work in this area for a while but where I live LTC has opening for DONs all the time and it pays well...but CRNA is my DREAM!!!! Let me ask you KC CHICK do you think getting your ADN first was better for you? and if so why? and does your state have a GATEWAY program for RN (adn) to BSN? What did you do before RN? How old are you and when do you plan to get your BSN and CRNA and how old will you be when you finish? PM or email me if you wish with the answers I would love to chat with you more on this..I love chatting with people of same interest..working on CRNA or higher degrees...

I live in Georgia and I have the HOPE grant..(this is lottery money that pays for my tuition at a 2 years college and pays fees and $100 of my books per quarter) This is the only way to pay for school but I have to keep a 3.0 in order to keep it..(proud of a 4.0)..and I am almost finished with pre reqs...I wanted to go on and get my BSN but I can't pay for it..the only place locally that I can get my BSN is in TEnnessee and out of state tuition is

$3700 a sem...and in state is $1700 a sem...and I could pay for in state but not out of state..and if I work in tenn. then I could get 11 credit hours a quarter in state tuition but I can't take any more then 11 hours.. and that would take forever to finish pre reqs..but I also think that getting my ADN first with a 4.0 would look really good for the GATEWAY program and it only takes a year to do it because you can test out of most of it..then while working on my BSN I am going to be getting my ICU experience (i guess that is why you are interviewing for the ICU) and then apply to CRNA..

Also when doing the GATEWAY program the hospital will pay for it..so then I wont have to..WHere I am now they will pay $2000 a year but that does not even pay my out of state all year..so that is why I am going that route..you...email me...or pm me

[email protected]

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Mar 8, 2003

The saying that is ringing in my head:

"An empty wagon rattles the loadest"

I'm staying out of this one.

KlareRN · Mar 9, 2003

lpnga- I was not going to respond to your post but I cannot just let it go. First- I agree that the alphabet soup behind your name is not a mark of intelligence ("who is smarter than who") but there are some things that you need to understand.

The man that was using a fake license, etc. He was jeopardizing the lives of people who were depending on him. I don't care how "smart" a person is...they have no business impersonating a nurse and making decisions that need some background education. If he was so smart- why wasn't he a nursing graduate that earned a degee instead of being stupid and risking the lives of others. He obviously demonstrated poor judgement yet you idolize him? If his judgement was already this impaired and he was making decisions that directely affected others; he needs to be in prison-not fighting the nursing board. I pray that his stupidity did not cost any lives. You cannot play games with peoples lives.

Further- you are very quick to criticize nurses for asking your help with residents that are not eating, getting dressed, etc. I believe the last time I was in a facility- (yesturday) it was the Cnas job to take direction from the nurse. Your facility is fortunate to have an aide such as yourself that is able to get residents to respond in a positive way to your interventions. Unfortunately, the nurse cannot (in most facilities) spend the amount of time with each individual resident to build the kind of repour you are able to. That does not mean your workload is easier and that you have alot of extra time- but in all the facilities I consult to; the workload is usually X number of residents to 1 nurse and X number of aides. An example is 30 residents to 1 nurse and 2 aides. This already gives you half the number of residents you are responsible for and twice the amount of time to spend This does not take into account the charting, phonecalls to physcians, pharmacies, and families that is required to be done by the nurse.

If and when you get your nursing license and you are responsible for all the responsibilities the nurses currently are; you will have better understanding of why we nurses do not understand your thought processes and are questioning your judgement and opinions.

YIKES! I had no idea Georgia allows aides to perform the tasks you are referring to. In Indiana- an aide can do no procedures other than vital signs. QMAs can only pass routine oral meds and do topical skin treatments. Only licensed staff can do resp.tx, IVs,caths, etc. Our nursing aides cannot even maneuver oxygen tubing or tanks. If a portable tank needs filled; the nurse has to turn it off and give it to the aide standing right there to go and fill it. There is currently an expanded job description for QMAs that will allow them to do blood sugars and g-tube meds if they take an updated class, but my company is not allowing our Qs to do it even with the class. I am a QMA instructor and it scares me the minimal amount of education a CNA needs to pass pills as a QMA.

I respect the jobs being performed by nurses aides and I know they work harder (physically) than anyone else in a long term care facility and get paid the least- I am thankful that there are people willing to undertake this job- But I still have to say to you lpnga- you have alot to learn and I hope you are able to do it safely. Good luck to you and I wish you the best in your career.

MishlB · Mar 9, 2003

Originally posted by lpnga
[b
The man that was not really a nurse did not hurt lives....he saved them...and when ask why he did not just go and challange the boards he said he wished he had....if some nurses new the things he knew.,.have you not ever heard of some people just being born with a talent? Well he was one of those people... [/b]

And you wonder why we get annoyed with you???

MishlB · Mar 9, 2003

Originally posted by lpnga
Are there any nurses that just want to do their job? No fuss No muss Just leave me alone to work, work ,work!
No kidding I want a job where the aides don't think they are nurses, give meds w/o dr orders, get ua's w/o authorization, etc.

If you read this then to me it sounds that she thinks the aides are in her way...and really they should make her job easier....and to me she thinks because she is an RN that she is better then the aides and that is not always the case....

My dear, there are aides out there that believe they can do whatever they please, because they have taken a couple nursing courses. They believe they know it all, and yes, it is annoying to the nurse, regardless of thier title. Your posts are very confusing, and never seem to make a point. Remember that song by Madonna..."Borderline"? Nuff said.