Certified nursing assistants not welcome!

[Barbie8808]

So first let me say I myself am a certified nursing assistant so this will not be a blog discriminating against CNA's. But more of a venting session if I must. I was recently invited to a SECRET black nurse organization on one of the most popular social media sites on the web. I was ecstatic to be invited and love every moment of it as I saw it as a chance to receive a wealth of information and access to resources as I am a learning nursing student as well. But this quickly faded as the swarms of members joined and it turned it into a Picture gallery of single sexy nurses across the nation. I'm leading to an event that prompted the admin to make a list of rules one of them being if your not an actual NURSE (lpn or RN) or a nursing student you cannot be apart of this group. Now in my head I'm like whats the discrimination for; cna's are the back bone to nursing itself.As more and more time goes by CNA's are not just helping with toileting and feeding needs (Which to me nursing should be a holistic approach and contributes the overall treatment to the patient) we possess phlebotomy skills and more on the job more skills such ng tube feeds iv and more. It lead to comments being thrown around like "no offense to CNA's but I work hard for my nursing license" "They can join when they become an actual nurse" which never lead to my question which is "SHOULD CNA'S NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE REALM OF NURSING?"

[mvm2]

Oops I understood the post wrong so I said yes but I now understand exactly what the post is talking about yes is not the right answer.

Like PP said we are apart of the care team but we are not nurses and so why would be considered part of a group that is for just nurses

I'm super glad that AN allows us CNAs to be a part of this group though. Love you AN

[missmollie, ADN, BSN, RN]

CNA's are such an important part of the spectrum of nursing, but they are not nurses. However, I wonder if it's the exclusivity of the group that has you upset. This is a group that posted sexual pictures of themselves, and I think the information you hoped to receive is extremely limited. You would do better to peruse this website and read about nurses, nursing students, and add your input where you see fit. Obviously this facebook page accomplishes little, you'll be better served without it.

[SierraBravo]

cna's are the back bone to nursing itself.

Pardon me, but come again?

[Barbie8808]

I love the feed back Im getting. To all my CNA'S who say they do not practice those type of skills I'm wondering do you work at Nursing homes only. I work for two hospitals (one of them being magnet) so I know they would not have CNA's doing anything thats against the law or out of their scopes of practice. We are trained in blood draws and iv's foley and ng tube feeding at the hospital. So I guess its up to each facility on what they allow you to do.( so I guess thats where the discrepency lies) Shout out to the person who said did I mean glucose. lol If I didnt know the difference between a lancet or 18g iv needle/catheter I would be in bad shape lol. Meanwhile At both of my jobs I'm included in nursing. I guess because I work directly under RN's Im not a certified housekeeping assistant of Dietary assistant that one person compared me to that would be included in the care team of a patient.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

Now in my head I'm like whats the discrimination for; cna's are the back bone to nursing itself.As more and more time goes by CNA's are not just helping with toileting and feeding needs (Which to me nursing should be a holistic approach and contributes the overall treatment to the patient) we possess phlebotomy skills and more on the job more skills such ng tube feeds iv and more. It lead to comments being thrown around like "no offense to CNA's but I work hard for my nursing license" "They can join when they become an actual nurse" which never lead to my question which is "SHOULD CNA'S NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE REALM OF NURSING?"

Sorry but this is false. CNAs are NOT the backbone of nursing. Facilities can (and do) function without CNAs. They CANNOT function without RNs. My last 3 nursing jobs there has been no role for CNAs at all. I've never worked anywhere that allowed a CNA to do anything with NG tubes or IVs.

If the group is for licensed nurses, why would CNAs be included? A CNA is not a licensed nurse.

[CelticGoddess, BSN, RN]

I love the feed back Im getting. To all my CNA'S who say they do not practice those type of skills I'm wondering do you work at Nursing homes only. I work for two hospitals (one of them being magnet) so I know they would not have CNA's doing anything thats against the law or out of their scopes of practice. We are trained in blood draws and iv's foley and ng tube feeding at the hospital. So I guess its up to each facility on what they allow you to do.( so I guess thats where the discrepency lies) Shout out to the person who said did I mean glucose. lol If I didnt know the difference between a lancet or 18g iv needle/catheter I would be in bad shape lol. Meanwhile At both of my jobs I'm included in nursing. I guess because I work directly under RN's Im not a certified housekeeping assistant of Dietary assistant that one person compared me to that would be included in the care team of a patient.

Perhaps it the state you're in but PCA's and CNA"s are not allowed to start IV's, feed patients via NG or Peg in some states. In SC, LPN's can't start IV's without getting a certificate . PCA's can be trained to do some procedures (phlebotomy is one they can get a certificate in). And whether or not a hospital is magnet doesn't make a difference. It depends entirely on the state.

I also want to address the idea that CNA's are the backbone of nursing. No nurses are the backbone of nursing.

[icuRNmaggie, BSN, RN]

A hospital can run without CNAs and many units do.

A hospital can not run without Registered Nurses.

[lahryn18]

First off let me start by saying that I was a CNA for 5 years, LPN 2 years and now an RN for 5 years. Being a CNA was by far the hardest job physically I've ever had. However, CNAs are not "nurses". Nurses have a license to protect. As an earlier poster said, I too am not comfortable with CNAs using gtubes, doing iv care (and definitely not starting, maintaining or discontinuing an iv) or phlebotomy if the did not go to a phlebotomy class. Some of those things, if done by a CNA, are illegal.

[OrganizedChaos, LVN]

I want to know what hospital & in what state it is ok to deal with IVs, foleys, NG tubes or anything else you mentioned. Also CNAs are not the back bone of healthcare, facilities can function without them but not without nurses.

[Barbie8808]

In Nursing school cna skills are the foundations of Nursing. Usually the class is describe as Foundations of nursing, where you learn basic things like making a bed turning patients maunually checking vital signs. If we're going to pretend that the JOB of a cna does not make the job of A nurse easier then o.k. And thats what I meant by the backbone of nursing. Sure Facilities can run without Cna's But if they could they would and that means I would be out of a job. For example in Nursing Homes, If there where no Cna's. What do you think would be the quality of care for those patients being as though LPNs has anywere from 15-25 patients. In ICU's nurses work soley by themselves no CNA but guess whats the patient ratios are 2:1. So lets descibe a typical shift for a nurse assesing patients, Passing meds, CHARTING and an assortment of other things. But since there's no CNA's he or she has to perform all adls such as feeding toileting bathing. Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeee You think bedsores are a problem now!!!! No one is trying to discredit what a nurse does nor Falsely claim to be a nurse. I said to be included in the word NURSING. After all you are the nurse your critcial thinking skills are valued and clearly demostrated when put to the test. Also Lets Clarify As a PCT I am ABLE TO

insert iv (NOT RUN ANY FLUIDS)

Draw BLood(Not Give BLOOD)

Hang All FEEDS For NG or GJ tubes(NOT INSERT OR CHECK PLACEMENT)

[Kitsey]

Um...no. I am a CNA and do not feel I need to be included on a forum for nurses. I am not a nurse. Not to be rude to anyone (and again, I AM a CNA) but we don't really have to know much at all to pass the simple tests to earn our certification. Nurses go through hell to earn their degrees. And I in no way feel like we are the backbone of nursing. O-o

[OrganizedChaos, LVN]

In Nursing school cna skills are the foundations of Nursing. Usually the class is describe as Foundations of nursing, where you learn basic things like making a bed turning patients maunually checking vital signs. If we're going to pretend that the JOB of a cna does not make the job of A nurse easier then o.k. And thats what I meant by the backbone of nursing. Sure Facilities can run without Cna's But if they could they would and that means I would be out of a job. For example in Nursing Homes, If there where no Cna's. What do you think would be the quality of care for those patients being as though LPNs has anywere from 15-25 patients. In ICU's nurses work soley by themselves no CNA but guess whats the patient ratios are 2:1. So lets descibe a typical shift for a nurse assesing patients, Passing meds, CHARTING and an assortment of other things. But since there's no CNA's he or she has to perform all adls such as feeding toileting bathing. Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeee You think bedsores are a problem now!!!! No one is trying to discredit what a nurse does nor Falsely claim to be a nurse. I said to be included in the word NURSING. After all you are the nurse your critcial thinking skills are valued and clearly demostrated when put to the test. Also Lets Clarify As a PCT I am ABLE TO

insert iv (NOT RUN ANY FLUIDS)

Draw BLood(Not Give BLOOD)

Hang All FEEDS For NG or GJ tubes(NOT INSERT OR CHECK PLACEMENT)

Where I live there are no PCTs in the hospital, so the nurses do everything. The last time I saw an ad for a PCT you had to be an EMT. Which makes sense to me. I don't know why they would have someone with no training inserting IVs, drawing blood or anything else.