CNA as a career?

smk1, LPN · Oct 29, 2007

I knew I needed to know more and have more responsibility and mobility than CNA. I enjoyed my CNA job when I worked in the school system. Low stress, lots of work and a lot of fun with more autonmy than a typical CNA. I hated many aspects of my CNA job at an assisted living facility mainly because we had two incredibly rude nurses a kitchen staff who thought they were better than us and an assistant manager and secretary who acted as though we were their personal servants. Not to mention they were admitting residents who were clearly far beyond the "assisted" level and required almost around the clock care. This made it hard to get any quality work done and hard to get all of your work done period because staffing never increased to support this. We had one resident who would throw his urinal at you when he called you to clean him up, he also tried to hit a few of us and slammed his cane down on one CNA's foot. None of the nurses took any of these things seriously until one day it happened to a nurse. He was gone the same day. Things like this let us know who was valued and who wasn't. We used to help clear the dining table to help the servers who we were friendly with, but it suddenly became a problem with the kitchen manager if we didn't have time to do it as if it suddenly became a part of our job description. It got old and I only lasted 9 months and moved on to greener pastures. To all of you out there sticking it out in the trenches.... you rock!

ari3sdog · Oct 29, 2007

I knew I needed to know more and have more responsibility and mobility than CNA. I enjoyed my CNA job when I worked in the school system. Low stress, lots of work and a lot of fun with more autonmy than a typical CNA. I hated many aspects of my CNA job at an assisted living facility mainly because we had two incredibly rude nurses a kitchen staff who thought they were better than us and an assistant manager and secretary who acted as though we were their personal servants. Not to mention they were admitting residents who were clearly far beyond the "assisted" level and required almost around the clock care. This made it hard to get any quality work done and hard to get all of your work done period because staffing never increased to support this. We had one resident who would throw his urinal at you when he called you to clean him up, he also tried to hit a few of us and slammed his cane down on one CNA's foot. None of the nurses took any of these things seriously until one day it happened to a nurse. He was gone the same day. Things like this let us know who was valued and who wasn't. We used to help clear the dining table to help the servers who we were friendly with, but it suddenly became a problem with the kitchen manager if we didn't have time to do it as if it suddenly became a part of our job description. It got old and I only lasted 9 months and moved on to greener pastures. To all of you out there sticking it out in the trenches.... you rock!

Wow...what a ghetto place. I have a patient who thinks CNAs are like Maids.

melmiche · Oct 29, 2007

Wow...what a ghetto place. I have a patient who thinks CNAs are like Maids.

Exactly my point patients think we are maids nurses think we are they're personal kicking balls nurse managers think we should live and die by the nurse and forget about sticking up for yourself.. Many many stories are wonderful here on this board and if it makes someone truly happy whatever but to those who have the ambition and drive DO NOT SETTLE.. I do feel bad for the older people who do this work because it is such a hard job never to get any easier and don't expect anyone to make it that way..

Most nurses would say this is not true but it is the reality. In Boston we are called "co-workers" but the correct term for us is workers/gophers /grunts :devil:because that is how we are treated.

jb2u, ASN, RN · Oct 29, 2007

exactly my point patients think we are maids nurses think we are they're personal kicking balls nurse managers think we should live and die by the nurse and forget about sticking up for yourself.. many many stories are wonderful here on this board and if it makes someone truly happy whatever but to those who have the ambition and drive do not settle.. i do feel bad for the older people who do this work because it is such a hard job never to get any easier and don't expect anyone to make it that way..
most nurses would say this is not true but it is the reality. in boston we are called "co-workers" but the correct term for us is workers/gophers /grunts :devil:because that is how we are treated.

no one and i do mean no one should ever be belittled; however, believe me that you can not say statements such as "most nurses...." yes, i do know some nurses that are/appear lazy as well as some cnas. i also know some lazy mechanics, warehouse workers, shippers, soldiers, salesmen....on and on (all jobs that i have worked some time or another)! i've heard the argument that "nurses don't do anything while the cnas do everything" this is not only untrue, but a slap in the face to the many many nurses out there working hard for the patients. and do you think that patients only treat cnas like maids? please, i've had my share of pts that think the hospital is the hilton and i am the maid. nurse managers and nurses also are at odds many times.

you seem to hold cnas in high esteem, but when people choose it as a career, you say "but to those who have the ambition and drive do not settle"! i would not say they are settling, anymore than my choosing rn over md. it is my chosen profession. some, i guess like you, would say that i am settling, but it is not.

also, you seem upset about being called "co-workers" when, in your mind, you are "workers/gophers/grunts" i think it is the nature of the job. you are there to assist nurses! anyone that wants to run the show or does not like being one's assistant should not choose such a job. i am sure that some football players complain that they do all the work while the coach just stands there! i am sure that some chefs complain that they do all the work while the owner just runs around greeting people! the point is...the football player doesn't realize that the coach does a whole lot more than just sit there and if he wants to coach he must work towards that goal. the chef does not realize that the owner took a great risk or the years of living without money because of his large investment in the business. the chef has that same opportunity if he wants to put in the work and take the risk. but, it is human nature to think we are intitled, work harder, deserve more, etc etc than the next guy. people wondered how in the world i could work as a cna and own a house, my wife is a stay at home mom, have two kids, etc....well, i sacrificed!!! we didn't have new cars...we had an $800 car that i prayed would start every morning...we did not go out to eat, go to the movies, take vacations, buy new clothes...have cell phones..etc etc. but, the only thing that people could see was what i had that they didn't!! i wasn't a slave to the job. yes, that part is human nature.

i would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that the cna forum is not a forum in which to bash nurses. the cna forum is here out of respect for the cnas, please, do not use it as a means to disrespect nurses. i thank everyone for their cooperation.

jay

CT Pixie, BSN, RN · Oct 30, 2007

I was a CNA at the tender age of 16. Back then, you didn't need to go through a structured schooling process, nor was there a State Registery for CNA's. I was trained (very well I might add) by the facility I was hired in. My "teacher" was an old school nurse (she was 65 back in 1985 so her schooling was in the late 30's early 40's). I thank her every day in my thoughts as i do my patient care. she taught me some very very valuable things.

Anyway, I digress, I was 16 when I started being a CNA. I did it full time once out of high school and going to RN school. I had to drop out of school, but i continued with working full time as a CNA for years..until I was around 27 or 28. I took part-time and per diem shifts off and on until about the age of 30. I can tell you, my body is shot from all those years of heavy lifting (very few pts were lifted w/mechanical means..hoyer lift was manual!) My back and knees were screaming at me to stop. I listened. I cannot fathom working for the rest of my life doing that work! I don't think I'd be able to walk! I was in bad shape after 14-15 yrs!

I loved being a CNA, I still consider myself a CNA, but my aspiration was always nurse.

some CNA's don't want to persue LPN or RN and thats fine. I know now, since being in school, you get so much more time w/the pts talking, spending time, hands on than you do as a nurse/nursing student. I kind of miss that. I love geriatrics.

nymia78 · Oct 31, 2007

THIS FOR JB2U......so cna are not nurses u are saying to give nurses respect but who are cna's i think that is the purpose with this forum it's letting u know how nurses wit different title's think that those below them are nuttin geesh

peridotgirl · Oct 31, 2007

Please use proper puncuation please. The forum you posted is hard to read. thank you.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Oct 31, 2007

THIS FOR JB2U......so cna are not nurses u are saying to give nurses respect but who are cna's i think that is the purpose with this forum it's letting u know how nurses wit different title's think that those below them are nuttin geesh

Perhaps you misinterpreted JB2u's post. He was a CNA for several years, so I am sure he has respect for fellow CNAs.

However, he is correct in that this is a website created by a nurse for the use of other nurses. He was simply answering a question posed by the original poster, so there's absolutely no need to read into things that simply aren't there. Nobody said that "nurses with different titles think that those below them are nothing," (except you).

jb2u, ASN, RN · Nov 1, 2007

THIS FOR JB2U......so cna are not nurses u are saying to give nurses respect but who are cna's i think that is the purpose with this forum it's letting u know how nurses wit different title's think that those below them are nuttin geesh

First, please use puncuation in your post so that they are understood.

Now, IF I understand you correctly, you are saying...

"So cna's are not nurses? You are saying to give nurses respect, but who are cna's (ie: cna's are nurses)? I think that is the purpose of this forum to let you know how nurses with different titles (cna?) think that those below them are nothing."

IF this is what you are trying to say, it would be incorrect. CNAs are valuable team members; however, they are not nurses. They are nursing ASSISTANTS. The same way that a Physicians ASSISTANT is NOT a Physician. He/she does many things that a doctor does, but he is not LEGALLY able to do everything that a doctor does. A CNA provides basic nursing care; however, there are many many things that nursing involves that would be illegal for a CNA to perform. Why? Because they are not nurses, so says the State Board of Nursing and the law! That is not meant to diminish the value of the CNA!! If you read my thread we are the kickers of healthcare, I think that you will see how much I value the CNA.

IF this is not what you meant to say, then please clarify.

Second, the purpose for this forum is so that CNAs can discuss issues related to them as oppose to nursing specific. I ask that no one bashes nurses here because it was out of respect for cna's and not out of obligation that this forum exists. This forum was added just last year!! I also would not like to see post from nurses bashing CNAs. Yes there are some bad nurses and bad CNAs out there, but all and all, I believe that caring people enter into this field. It would be unproductive to lump all nurses or cna's as "lazy."

Sincerely,

Jay

luvmy3kids · Nov 2, 2007

THIS FOR JB2U......so cna are not nurses u are saying to give nurses respect but who are cna's i think that is the purpose with this forum it's letting u know how nurses wit different title's think that those below them are nuttin geesh

CNA's are not nurses. They are "Certified Nursing Assistants". For a CNA to call themselves a nurse would be illegal.

I have NEVER in my time here at AllNurses read where a nurse did not value their hard working CNA. Granted there may be a person here or there that does not treat their CNA with the respect they deserve, but there are probably just as many CNA's who aren't putting their all into their job, and therefore don't deserve that respect.

CNA's do backbreaking work and they don't get paid 1/100,000,000th what they are worth. But the reality is that someone has to do the job and if it is a student working their way through nursing school... that's great. And if it is a CNA for life, that is their decision and if they are happy with it... more power to 'em.

After all, if all CNA's leave their positions to become nurses, who would be there to do the work of a CNA?? Nurses need them and the patients need them.

Gondol · Jul 26, 2011

Personally I like being a CNA. Do I work hard? Yes. Is the work physically demanding and sometimes gross? Absolutely. But do I feel needed and like I'm making my unit function more efficently? Totally. I'm glad to have my job and appreciate where I work.

This isn't to say that I haven't encountered some bias about not being a nursing student. My CNA career began as a major career change (I wasn't fired or laidoff or anything. I was just finally ready to make the change). During my job hunt phase I had a memorable interview where the charge nurse interviewing me flat out told me she was concerned about how motivated a person I am because I wasn't a nursing student. Basically she was calling me lazy because at that point I wasn't looking beyond the CNA position. Listen, I just wasn't sure what I was getting into. I wanted time to learn about different postitions in healthcare before going back to school. Even after I got the job I have now people thought it was a little wierd that I wanted to work as a CNA but wasn't persuing nursing school. I do work with a few career CNA's but most are nursing students.

Why do I like being a CNA? Because I know I'm needed. I enjoy taking care of people and I know that the patients need me. I like working under nurses and do my best to keep things moving smoothly on the floor. I'm a very physically active person so the labor part of the job suits me well. Furthermore, I have a great work-life balance and that is worth its weight in gold. :)

I did, however, decide to go back to school and I'm almost finished with my Medical Assistant training. I picked MA because after much research the jobs that appeal to me most prefer MA training. There are all sorts of technical postions in healthcare that like MA's as well as experienced CNA's and its those positions I'm going for. It's also amazing how many career options there are in medicine beyond doctor or nurse. I'm glad I took my time to work from the bottom up to get a clearer idea of what career path I wanted to take. However, for right now I am very happy being a "lowly" CNA.

northernguy · Jul 26, 2011

I work with several CNAs who have been doing it for a long time. A couple of them more than 20 years and several others more than a decade. One thing that stands out is that none of them strike me as dumb or lazy in the slightest. In fact they are extremely competent and will often catch a potential problem with a resident before any of the RNs do(which should usually be the case I suppose if CNAs are doing their job).

Some people just arent able to continue their education because of children, family, financial issues, circumstances etc. Some are working mothers who dont see the need because their spouse has a good paying job. Some simply might be intimidated by math or going to college in general. Im no smarter than any of the aides who have been doing it a long time, and probably dumber than a few of them, but I definitely am making it a priority to continue my education, although not necessarily as an RN. There is no way I could do this job for 20 years, or even 10. The people who do are better people than me.