Burnout as a CNA and the impact on nursing

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Hello!

I am relatively new to this site, so excuse me if I did not put this in the correct forum. I am currently a nursing student who is about to start their last semester for my BSN. I am currently working 12s at the university hospital as a CNA or Nursing Assistant on a Hematology/Oncology floor. When I first started this job, I was absolutely in love with it. I adored helping patients and the fast-paced environment. I also loved learning about all the new equipment and way the hospital functions. Well, I have now held this position for almost 8 months and I am starting to resent it a little bit. The nights before I have to work I am crippled with anxiety, very afraid that I am going to be overwhelmed with the days work. I am also afraid that I am going to do a poor job or something bad will happen. I am quite the perfectionist and have also had problems with anxiety my whole life. I am the only aide on my floor with usually 18+ patients to myself. I am expected to help them perform all their ADLs as well as other CNA responsibilities. I feel like I never have enough time in the day to finish all my work or provide quality care. By the time I leave, I am exhausted. The nurses on my floor are not the most helpful when it comes to turning patients or cleaning them up, so I get stuck doing it alone most of the time. I guess I am just a little burnt out on the job. Because of this, I am so afraid that I will not enjoy nursing, or will become burnt out on nursing just the same. I do not want to live my life dreading the work I do.

I know this is a long post and I apologize, I guess I just need clarification if this means that I am already failing as a nurse and need to consider other career options. Any helpful information, words of encouragement, or personal stories would help me so much!

Thank you!

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I'm tired of being a slave to lazy nurses

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Don't let this discourage you from nursing. Use it as motivation that you will not be that type of nurse. Plus being an aide versus a nurse are very different from one another. Try and stay positive, ask for help when you need it, and keep moving forward in your education. Best of luck.

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You are too close to becoming a nurse to walk away now. As a minimum, get your license. You will always, at any point in your career, have the option to walk away from nursing or to find a new path in nursing to suit your circumstances. Give casual thought, though, (yes, you are allowed!), as to what career you would care to pursue should you decide in the future that "yep, need something different than nursing". Best wishes.

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Specializes in hospice, LTC, public health, occupational health.

Only one CNA on the floor and the nurses are not helping with personal care? Why does anyone find this acceptable?!

YKA9727, use this experience to light a fire under your butt to NEVER be that nurse! When I worked LTC my CNAs loved me because if I was available I'd toilet patients, change briefs, help them dress, etc if I knew my aides were busy with someone else. They expressed shock at finding me doing these things, and told me they had never had a nurse who would do personal care on her own without being asked. I told them that I remembered all too vividly how awful it was to be a CNA who got no help while the nurse sat looking at Sandals vacations on her workstation (yes, actually happened in the tele unit I worked) so I swore I would never, ever be that nurse. My CNAs busted their butts for me because they knew I was on their side. I still keep in touch with my favorite one and offered several of them professional references if needed before I left that job.

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That's why we have 100% turn over rates,low pay plus your nurse don't want help. I know several CNAs now much happier at Wal-Mart plus they give raises. Articles coming out of CNA shortage low pay and sorry nurses who see your busy,but won't answer a call light. Now I'm seeing nurses forced to do CNA work because they have a hard time hiring ....nurses went to school to pass meds and sit smh. I can't stand nurses...

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Please don't give up and look for another job! I have expierenced this myself. And just remember this is not the nurse that you want to be.

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You are getting burned out. If possible take a vacation.

If that is not possible then find a way of making work interesting again such as new training, working in a different area, or try playing these games (by yourself or with coworkers) Start by watching medical dramas and pointing out what they get wrong; match the coworker to the TV character, and medical bingo which is taking medical words, cases, equipment gotten from TV, text books. and matching 5 of 10 as come across them through out the work day for bingo. (Following the HIPPA laws).

I know the games might sound weird but they can help. I have used a few myself.

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