I am 39 years old, divorced woman without college degree, and I have never been in Health care industry before.
I am thinking about switching a career to to be a CNA. It seems like there is demand in my area, in the District of Columbia metro area, but concerned if it is the right move.
I don't have savings and renting an apartment, don't own a house. Financially not in a very good place. My question is can you make a living as a CNA self-sufficiently? I understand this is a matter of budgeting as well as it is obvious that when you go into brand new field, you have to start at the bottom, needess to say a pay cut.
Also, it seems like most positions require experience and I am not sure if I would be able to land the first job.
Can you really make a living as CNA at 41 years old alone? Without any experience in health care industry prior?
Specializes in Psych, LTC/SNF, Rehab, Corrections.
I totally agreed with you! I think those negative posts come from those who don't work as a CNA yet, or who gets paid so low that they dislike it. I also graduated a while ago and passed my CNA exam a few months after I graduated from Nursing assistant. I actually have an interview tomorrow..Thank goodness they are hiring those who no experience at all. I am a fast learner, so I will be fine if I get hired.. hopefully!
You're not even working as an aide...and you're fresh out of school. How can you discuss conditions for a field that you aren't even working in?
Where are the experienced aides that used to be here? This OP won't benefit much from these kool-aid drinkers....
ANYWAY --
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Financially, the OP is not in a good place so why would any suggest that she be a CNA?
Do it! Do it!
CNA's are under-appreciated, hardly earn anything and are worked like slaves.
Why else would the turnover rate so high?
$8-13/hr (ltc to hospital) and the equivalent for other states (in ref cost of living).
$21/hr? Sure, if you're homehealth WITH experience. Sure, if you get on with the military or the state psych hospitals...yeah.
But, MOST aides will get their start through the 'revolving doors' of the LTC. Check the avg salaries of aides across the country. There are several threads going around on this board. Do you see any $20/hr earners in the bunch?
...because they are the EXCEPTION. Not the rule.
Also, check median salaries on various govt sites. What do you see? Sure, it's a 'median' salary...but an awfully low one, isn't it?
CNA? Its an honorable job. Just wish that everyone ELSE thought so.
Truthfully, the only thing that makes the job worthwhile...are the pts.
I did it b/c I thought that it'd help me to be a better nurse. There's no way in hell that I could do the job for the long-haul, 'specially if it's LTC.
I do homehealth now. Pretty boring. I earn $15/hr.
There is no healthy medium, imo. Either go to the ltc and work like a slave...or it's private care to be bored out of your skull. The hospital? Not sure.
Good for you....I hope your interview goes well. Please keep us updated. It's good to see that there are still people out there graduating with an open mind about the job, and that aren't just focused on the pay or using it as a stepping stone to a healthcare career.
Ok, you don't work in the field, either. *laugh*
I mean...what's up with all of these know-nothing noobs? "Well - I'm just a student and I don't anything, but --"
Get outta here with that! *laugh*
Why wouldn't individual's be focused on the pay? People have to eat and pay bills. Cars don't run on air. Utilities aren't paid with monopoly money.
Let the posters be honest and truthful. If conditions weren't so sh...ty, in general, none would have reason TO complain. If you see the same complaints over and over again...it may be indicative of a problem.
All day long you're practically benchpressing elderly...and courting a host of lower back injuries. It's go, go, go.
What I'm talking about - what others are talking about...is a caretaker being paid what they're worth.
... financially, the op is not in a good place so why would any suggest that she be a cna?
do it! do it!
cna's are under-appreciated, hardly earn anything and are worked like slaves.
why else would the turnover rate so high?...
i strongly disagree with everything this user has to say. i have been in this field for 8 years and have worked with may burned out staff. burn out is everywhere and in every filed. i believe it is important to recognize it so you can move on. you are not doing your self, your facility, or your patients any good by staying in a field you do not like.
++++
cna's are important to patients, nurses, and hospitals. their services are greatly appreciated and greatly needed, even if it may not always seem like it. a good cna spends more time at the patients bedside than even the best of doctors or nurses. cna's be proud of the work you do!
Being realistic is not necessarily the same thing as being burned out.
The OP originally asked if she could live off CNA wages. You have people in this thread who haven't actually worked as CNAs telling her that she can make good money, which is flat-out not true. As MedChica said, anyone who makes good money as a CNA is the exception to the rule. Most of us don't, but we have husbands (or parents or whatever) to help pay the bills. The OP does not. Others in the same boat have to work lots of overtime and live very modestly just to make ends meet. The OP is 41 and said she's not in a good financial position- if she gets injured she's up a creek.... doesn't matter how proud of her work she is... having food in your belly and a roof over your head speaks louder than that.
I do homehealth now. Pretty boring. I earn $15/hr.
There is no healthy medium, imo. Either go to the ltc and work like a slave...or it's private care to be bored out of your skull. The hospital? Not sure.
I am just curious to know why all of you that have negative things to say are even working in the field. It really makes me cringe when I think of all the miserable workers out there. I may be just a kool aid drinker to you but any blind man could see, you shouldn't be at anyone's bedside with an attitude like that. I'm sure like myself, most of the newbies on here did their research and have looked at what the pay is for the area of work they want to go into, and for me personally, it does benefit me to switch careers, I would not go into it blindly, for the OP I hope that she has done the same...but since you know more than I do, maybe you could tell her better...and a little encouragement from someone would be nice. Maybe we should all try to be optimistic, and not kill it for everyone. The OP isn't going to benefit from anyone letting out there miserable frustrations.
I survived on CNA pay for 12 years. (yes, I had a house, a family and lots of bills!) It is a great job for what little education you need and it gives you a chance to look into options for growth, I chose to go the LPN/RN route, but friends of mine have used their CNA experience to become Pharm techs, surgical techs, health unit coordinators, medical assistants, EMTs , paramedics and phlebotomists. They require more training, but are often employer-paid. Word of advice-get in wherever you can, but immediatly start trying to get a hospital job. your assignment will not be as physically exhausting and the pay is usually a little better, plus more oppotunites for overtime.
I am just curious to know why all of you that have negative things to say are even working in the field. It really makes me cringe when I think of all the miserable workers out there. I may be just a kool aid drinker to you but any blind man could see, you shouldn't be at anyone's bedside with an attitude like that. I'm sure like myself, most of the newbies on here did their research and have looked at what the pay is for the area of work they want to go into, and for me personally, it does benefit me to switch careers, I would not go into it blindly, for the OP I hope that she has done the same...but since you know more than I do, maybe you could tell her better...and a little encouragement from someone would be nice. Maybe we should all try to be optimistic, and not kill it for everyone. The OP isn't going to benefit from anyone letting out there miserable frustrations.
Signed- The Kool Aid Drinker:mad:
The OP asked for opinions and advice, not a fairytale. These negative things us seasoned CNAs are talking about are REAL! And the fact that so many of us are saying them means that these things are not uncommon. How is it NOT beneficial to hear about them ahead of time???
Let's say I want to buy my first car and I have no idea how to go about it. I could listen to the advice from someone who's never bought one either, but tells me that if I go to JoeSchmoe Dealership I'm sure to get a great car at a great price for a low interest rate because they saw it on TV. But just because it sounds nice, doesn't mean it's true. If you talk to someone who actually bought a car, they'll probably tell you that they like not having to take the bus, but at the same time, they can't afford to eat out twice a week like they used to, because their car payment costs X amount of money each month, their interest is ridiculous, they have to pay for insurance, and they need new brake pads. Doesn't sound as nice, but it's still good to know. So yeah, the OP is indeed going to benefit from listening to people who know what they're talking about. Personally I am really glad I talked to real CNAs before I started working as one. That way when I started my job all the bad stuff they told me about wasn't coming at me from left field. I decided to go ahead with it anyway, but it was an informed decision. Knowing what to expect saved me from freaking out and thinking "omg I can't believe I paid $800 for the CNA class and now I'm dealing with THIS."
As for why those of us who are saying those terrible things you don't want to hear are still working in the field... uh, when was the last time you met someone who loved their job to pieces in every possible way and never ever had a bad day, made tons of money, and felt great all the time? We are ALLOWED to dislike certain aspects of our work. It doesn't make us bad people. Sheesh. Look at what I said about buying a car. By your logic, anyone who says their insurance is expensive is a negative nancy who has no business owning a car in the first place. Doesn't that sound crazy?
The OP asked for opinions and advice, not a fairytale. These negative things us seasoned CNAs are talking about are REAL! And the fact that so many of us are saying them means that these things are not uncommon. How is it NOT beneficial to hear about them ahead of time???
Let's say I want to buy my first car and I have no idea how to go about it. I could listen to the advice from someone who's never bought one either, but tells me that if I go to JoeSchmoe Dealership I'm sure to get a great car at a great price for a low interest rate because they saw it on TV. But just because it sounds nice, doesn't mean it's true. If you talk to someone who actually bought a car, they'll probably tell you that they like not having to take the bus, but at the same time, they can't afford to eat out twice a week like they used to, because their car payment costs X amount of money each month, their interest is ridiculous, they have to pay for insurance, and they need new brake pads. Doesn't sound as nice, but it's still good to know. So yeah, the OP is indeed going to benefit from listening to people who know what they're talking about. Personally I am really glad I talked to real CNAs before I started working as one. That way when I started my job all the bad stuff they told me about wasn't coming at me from left field. I decided to go ahead with it anyway, but it was an informed decision. Knowing what to expect saved me from freaking out and thinking "omg I can't believe I paid $800 for the CNA class and now I'm dealing with THIS."
As for why those of us who are saying those terrible things you don't want to hear are still working in the field... uh, when was the last time you met someone who loved their job to pieces in every possible way and never ever had a bad day, made tons of money, and felt great all the time? We are ALLOWED to dislike certain aspects of our work. It doesn't make us bad people. Sheesh. Look at what I said about buying a car. By your logic, anyone who says their insurance is expensive is a negative nancy who has no business owning a car in the first place. Doesn't that sound crazy?
Fuzzy, you're a well-seasoned veteran of the CNA world -- if people don't want to hear what you have to say about it then they really don't want to know the truth. You're not even making it WORSE than it really is, you're just TELLING IT LIKE IT IS! The truth is not everyone is going to like being a CNA -- if they do that's wonderful, if they don't that's not terrible -- it just is what it is. For the difficulty of the job and the responsibility required by it, the pay is just not very good for the most part. I became a CNA because I was desperate to get off unemployment and it was the only job I was offered after several months of job-searching. I quickly fell in love with the fun environment of the LTC care facility I worked in and absolutely loved all the residents I cared for, but the job wasn't worth the pay for me. If I had been able to work in the capacity that I really wanted, which is hospice care -- I would have stayed with it, as it turns out I was offered an administrative job that I thoroughly enjoy today; nevertheless I treasure my experience working as a CNA for a year, all the wonderful darling people I took care of and the times they totally melted my heart. It's something I will never forget.
Let's just say, like they do about the Peace Corps -- being a CNA is the toughest job you'll ever love.....and get PO 'd about and feel under-compensated for and get fed-up with and feel heartbroken over and yet you wake up every day realizing that it's pretty dang worthwhile. :redbeathe
Kind and respectful regards to all CNA's out there!!! :redpinkhe
The OP asked for opinions and advice, not a fairytale. These negative things us seasoned CNAs are talking about are REAL! And the fact that so many of us are saying them means that these things are not uncommon. How is it NOT beneficial to hear about them ahead of time???
Let's say I want to buy my first car and I have no idea how to go about it. I could listen to the advice from someone who's never bought one either, but tells me that if I go to JoeSchmoe Dealership I'm sure to get a great car at a great price for a low interest rate because they saw it on TV. But just because it sounds nice, doesn't mean it's true. If you talk to someone who actually bought a car, they'll probably tell you that they like not having to take the bus, but at the same time, they can't afford to eat out twice a week like they used to, because their car payment costs X amount of money each month, their interest is ridiculous, they have to pay for insurance, and they need new brake pads. Doesn't sound as nice, but it's still good to know. So yeah, the OP is indeed going to benefit from listening to people who know what they're talking about. Personally I am really glad I talked to real CNAs before I started working as one. That way when I started my job all the bad stuff they told me about wasn't coming at me from left field. I decided to go ahead with it anyway, but it was an informed decision. Knowing what to expect saved me from freaking out and thinking "omg I can't believe I paid $800 for the CNA class and now I'm dealing with THIS."
As for why those of us who are saying those terrible things you don't want to hear are still working in the field... uh, when was the last time you met someone who loved their job to pieces in every possible way and never ever had a bad day, made tons of money, and felt great all the time? We are ALLOWED to dislike certain aspects of our work. It doesn't make us bad people. Sheesh. Look at what I said about buying a car. By your logic, anyone who says their insurance is expensive is a negative nancy who has no business owning a car in the first place. Doesn't that sound crazy?
In the words of Dave Hester from Storage Wars, "Yuuuuupppp!"
well where does she works i need to be working there I have never seen or heard of a cna making that amount of money I have been a cna since 1994 and still barely making 15 dollars and hour and i live in ca
The board of nursing is asking for more money this makes it hard for cna workers to get raises that are much needed. your are paid enough money for your services which is hanging piggybacks and passing narcotics which a machine calculates and gives the doses. help the assistant that are helping you. we are paid pennies for all the work we do. In a hospital the rn gets five patients and they complain about That!and out of the five they get they get the pts that are ambulatory and do for themselves. a cna worker gets ten patients Hands ON and all total care! Greed! we as cnas make 12.50 an hour feeding, bathing ,turning, dressing cleaning feces,vomit lifting, providing range of motion turning,repositioning,collecting specimens for less than half of your salaries. its ridiculous! yes you do need to restructure the whole board most of the nurses I see coming out of school I would rather nurse myself then to go to a hospital. teachers are turning to nursing not because the care but for the money and thats scary. Nursing is about caring and compassion for the sick not the dollars signs. they need to require all pre licensure registered nursing to work as a cna for 6 months. paid experience in longterm care which would require them to bath feed dress residents and patients.Everyone cant be registered nurses or who would take care of the patients basic needs. the cna are there to assist you be more compassionate towards them no one wants to do cna work anymore who suffers the patients because the board is turning out nurses who dont give a damn. Not one time i have talked to a student nurse have I ever heard them say that they were going to school because they like nursing you know what I hear "I can't wait til I finish the money an rn make working 3 days a week." Or "when I finish I'm going into psych or case management because its easier and no patient care." so who's going to care for the patients? Your assistant nurses are burned out barely paying rent and being treated like crap by the nurses and administrators of the healthcare facilities. no ones going to school for cna anymore. cna do work that no one wants to do not even you thats why your on the board.
You're not even working as an aide...and you're fresh out of school. How can you discuss conditions for a field that you aren't even working in?
Where are the experienced aides that used to be here? This OP won't benefit much from these kool-aid drinkers....
ANYWAY --
*****************
Financially, the OP is not in a good place so why would any suggest that she be a CNA?
Do it! Do it!
CNA's are under-appreciated, hardly earn anything and are worked like slaves.
Why else would the turnover rate so high?
$8-13/hr (ltc to hospital) and the equivalent for other states (in ref cost of living).
$21/hr? Sure, if you're homehealth WITH experience. Sure, if you get on with the military or the state psych hospitals...yeah.
But, MOST aides will get their start through the 'revolving doors' of the LTC. Check the avg salaries of aides across the country. There are several threads going around on this board. Do you see any $20/hr earners in the bunch?
...because they are the EXCEPTION. Not the rule.
Also, check median salaries on various govt sites. What do you see? Sure, it's a 'median' salary...but an awfully low one, isn't it?
CNA? Its an honorable job. Just wish that everyone ELSE thought so.
Truthfully, the only thing that makes the job worthwhile...are the pts.
I did it b/c I thought that it'd help me to be a better nurse. There's no way in hell that I could do the job for the long-haul, 'specially if it's LTC.
I do homehealth now. Pretty boring. I earn $15/hr.
There is no healthy medium, imo. Either go to the ltc and work like a slave...or it's private care to be bored out of your skull. The hospital? Not sure.
Ok, you don't work in the field, either. *laugh*
I mean...what's up with all of these know-nothing noobs? "Well - I'm just a student and I don't anything, but --"
Get outta here with that! *laugh*
Why wouldn't individual's be focused on the pay? People have to eat and pay bills. Cars don't run on air. Utilities aren't paid with monopoly money.
Let the posters be honest and truthful. If conditions weren't so sh...ty, in general, none would have reason TO complain. If you see the same complaints over and over again...it may be indicative of a problem.
All day long you're practically benchpressing elderly...and courting a host of lower back injuries. It's go, go, go.
What I'm talking about - what others are talking about...is a caretaker being paid what they're worth.
$12.50 an hour? Holy moly I started out making $7.62 an hour doing everything you describe -- heavy lifting, hoyer lifts with 200 lb people unassisted by another CNA, bathing, feeding, transferring post hip-replacement patients, supervising dementia residents and fall risks, hospice and post-mortem care. My pay went up to $9.62 after I was certified, but at the rate they give raises at that particular LTC facility, I would have to work there 3 more years before I'd even break $10.00 an hour. There was such a huge turnaround of CNA's because the low pay took away their ability and incentive to really care about the residents.
:redpinkhe
MedChica
562 Posts
You're not even working as an aide...and you're fresh out of school. How can you discuss conditions for a field that you aren't even working in?
Where are the experienced aides that used to be here? This OP won't benefit much from these kool-aid drinkers....
ANYWAY --
*****************
Financially, the OP is not in a good place so why would any suggest that she be a CNA?
Do it! Do it!
CNA's are under-appreciated, hardly earn anything and are worked like slaves.
Why else would the turnover rate so high?
$8-13/hr (ltc to hospital) and the equivalent for other states (in ref cost of living).
$21/hr? Sure, if you're homehealth WITH experience. Sure, if you get on with the military or the state psych hospitals...yeah.
But, MOST aides will get their start through the 'revolving doors' of the LTC. Check the avg salaries of aides across the country. There are several threads going around on this board. Do you see any $20/hr earners in the bunch?
...because they are the EXCEPTION. Not the rule.
Also, check median salaries on various govt sites. What do you see? Sure, it's a 'median' salary...but an awfully low one, isn't it?
CNA? Its an honorable job. Just wish that everyone ELSE thought so.
Truthfully, the only thing that makes the job worthwhile...are the pts.
I did it b/c I thought that it'd help me to be a better nurse. There's no way in hell that I could do the job for the long-haul, 'specially if it's LTC.
I do homehealth now. Pretty boring. I earn $15/hr.
There is no healthy medium, imo. Either go to the ltc and work like a slave...or it's private care to be bored out of your skull. The hospital? Not sure.
Ok, you don't work in the field, either. *laugh*
I mean...what's up with all of these know-nothing noobs? "Well - I'm just a student and I don't anything, but --"
Get outta here with that! *laugh*
Why wouldn't individual's be focused on the pay? People have to eat and pay bills. Cars don't run on air. Utilities aren't paid with monopoly money.
Let the posters be honest and truthful. If conditions weren't so sh...ty, in general, none would have reason TO complain. If you see the same complaints over and over again...it may be indicative of a problem.
All day long you're practically benchpressing elderly...and courting a host of lower back injuries. It's go, go, go.
What I'm talking about - what others are talking about...is a caretaker being paid what they're worth.
CNA's...aren't.