CNA2 BE...Needs HELP>>>

Welcome

Moved to the CNA forum for more input

I worked as a private caregiver in someone's home, and now I work in a nursing home. The private job was nice because I could focus on this one person all day long. I didn't have to worry about rushing through some aspect of her care so I could run to answer call lights, alarms, etc. I also sat on my butt and ate food all day, which was not good.

At the same time, I like the fast pace of the nursing home. It goes by quickly, and it keeps me moving.

It really depends. All 3 have their own benefits.

A hospital is great because depending on the unit you work on, you can see and experience a lot of different things. ANother good thing about hospitals is that they tend to have better staffing, so you usually won't have as many patients and you'll have more help when you need it. However, also keep in mind that at a hospital, you might have patients who require much more acute care and it can be just as hurried. Also, it's much harder to get a job at a hospital if you don't have CNA experience already.

Nursing homes get a bad rep for a lot of reasons, but it's not all bad. Normally, you will have the same patients most of the time, so you get to know them and that makes it really easy to get a good routine going. You'll get to where you know exactly how each patient likes to be cared for, and you'll also get attached to your patients, and that makes the work rewarding. However, there is often way too much to do in too little time, and it requires a lot of time balancing. You m ight work with people who are burnt out, and you will see a lot of sad things.

Home health can be good if you are more inclined to take care of just one or maybe a couple of people. You certainly have more time to complete your tasks, and giving 1 on 1 care can be really nice. However, this can be boring and make the time go by VERY slowly if your patient isn't a total care.

So, it's really a matter of what YOU think would fit you best. I've worked all 3 shifts at all 3 kinds of facilities, and I"ve found that I prefer 3rd shift at hospitals/nursing homes. 3rd shift is more laid back than 1st or 2nd, so you have a little more time to spend 1 on 1 time with the residents, but you still have enough things to do to pass the time. you also get paid a bit more.

I definitely want to encourage you to apply EVERYWHERE, though. Don't limit yourself to only applying to one type of facility, because everyplace is a little different, and all experience is good. You might be surprised at how much you like working someplace.

When I did private care I worked with a home health aide for an hour a day. All of them had worked in nursing homes before, and said they liked home health much better because it was less stressful, you didn't have to deal with as much workplace drama, and you didn't have higher-ups hovering over your shoulder all the time. You just showed up at the house for an hour, did your care, filled out a flow chart, and then drove to the next house, and so on.

The only reason I have no interest in home health agencies is because I HATE driving.