Yesterday, I had an inservice at work (LTC) and I sat next to a new LPN. (I'm a CNA.) During one of the breaks, we struck up a conversation, and I asked her where she had done her LPN. I also mentioned to her that I was currently in the lottery at the two local technical schools in our area to get into their LPN programs for the 08-09 school year, that I was considering taking a look at the private (and very $$$$) LPN school she went to, AND that I had an application in at the RN-ADN program at our local community college, which is very competitive selective admissions.
She asked me why I decided to become a CNA before LPN/RN, and I said, "Because I wanted an inexpensive, quick way to get basic training so I could get out in the healthcare setting, and see whether nursing was a good fit for me." (I'm a career changer.) and, that I wanted to learn the basic ADL stuff, and get that over with, so that I woudl feel that I had that part of it under my belt before I started NS.
Her response: "I didn't. I don't really see how CNA is relevant to being a nurse. I mean, you have to do all those things when you are in nursing school, (referring to ADLs) but you stop doing them as soon as you become a nurse."
I have noticed this type of attitude a lot since I started down this journey to go from corporate cube jockey to nurse. I've noticed it ith my LPN coworkers, and I have also noticed it a lot here on the boards. Is this a relatievly new phenomenon? Where are these new nurses picking this up? In school? Media portrayal of the nursing profession? What gives?
The point is teamwork, which provides the highest quality care possible, which should be the goal.
Exactly!! I was an CNA for 6 years and have been a nurse for less than a year and I absolutely agree with this statement. I am responsible for soooo much, I simply do not have time to toilet people or change their clothes (unless I dirty it, then I will definitely change it). If I have some down time or am having a slow day I will answer lights and toilet people and help with transfers- no problem. But, I oftentimes the aides will have downtime sitting at the desk doing nothing. If I get busy I don't get a lunch, period. I can't take it. I am responsible for my load and I have to do it. I don't feel so sorry for aides that get their lunch late or miss one of their breaks when I've haven't been off the floor in 8 hours!! I know that aides' jobs are more physically demanding in LTC and they do need there lunches and breaks and things. However, In LTC with 30-40 patients, most nurses cannot regularly do ADLs. That's why their are so many more aides in LTC than nurses, so they can assist with these tasks while nurses do other tasks that aides can't do.
That nurse does have the wrong attitude though. Also, as an aide you learn more about the doing the task than the reasoning behind it. I always try to inform the aides I'm working with why certain things are being done so they feel like they are part of the team and the process. They certainly are- a very important part, indeed!!
I was a ccu tech for a few yrs before I went to school and then I took a monitor tech job. I was so glad I had done that. It really helped with Nursing school clinicals. I wanted to work CCU when I got out. The hospital I worked in let LPN's work in critical care units. I really never had too much trouble with the RN's I worked with. In fact, I can count on 1 hand the RN's that would try to make me do their adl's and other stuff. and that is in 30 yrs. I think I have been very lucky in that area. I usually just referred to them as bullies on a power trip. I also have been told that I am very intimetating(sp). So that could have been why the bullies pretty much stayed away. It was pretty easy for me to say No if I needed to. But that was rarely the case because I worked hard and never was insubordinate. Even when I was a kid I would stand up to bullies, and most of the time my butt was whipped to a bloody mess. But I still did it.
Any way be a cna first. Like so many have said Nursing school is hard and expensive.
I had lvn students who were told by the instructor to go clean a pt up say "I am in nursing school not cna school." I immediately told them no way that doesn't change just because your in lvn school. Its everyones job. so it may be the attitudes coming out of school.
I love working with CNAs. We don't have any in the ICU that I work in now and I miss them. I like working alongside a CNA. When I worked on a floor that had CNAs we did baths, cleaned up poop, and changed beds together. It was fun and the work went faster. We would talk to the patient, laugh, etc. - it was like a big party. I do all of the duties where I work now.
Nurses should not think they are above cleaning a patient. However, I can also see why some nurses think that basic patient care is not their job. When I was in MS3 we were given an 'unsatisfactory' in the delegation category if we didn't give 'CNA duties' to the CNA. Honestly, some of the things that I was forced to delegate are things I would have rather done myself, but I wasn't allowed. Kind of silly, if you ask me.
if anyone thinks that the duties of a cna do not cross over into being an lpn or rn they are wrong. i would rather just do the adls baths etc myself if i can. it takes more time to find the cna to do a small job that you as a nurse could have done on your own.
it's great to have a cna to help you out, but i understand they have their own duties as well. i look at it this way, if i have a cna to help that's great, but i will not make them do the grunt work just so i don't have to.
congrats to you on being a cna first. it hugely helps with nursing school and will help your attitude after.
I know I love being a CNA, and hope that when I finish up nursig school I will be able to complete patient care on my own. I am a people person first, and I love being able to bring a slight bit of comfort to my ptients/residents. I know most of the nurses I work with tell me all the time, enjoy the contact time with patients while I can! I know my mom LOVES to take CNA shifts at her LTC facility.... and she is the ADON! Of course I would enjoy the shifts a lot more if I got paid as much as she does for doing the same thing I do!
Actually what I wrote is that most of the nurses i have worked under are great... meaning they work very hard. i find it frightening that you are training cna's since you don't appear to have very much respect or appreciation for their role. they too are an essential part of your team, and just like nurses they too deserve respect.
Can't we all agree not to make generalizations about an entire class of people based on the actions of a few people with the same license or certification? And that there are many RNs, LPNs, CNAs, and PCTs who spend every minute they're clocked in taking care of patients - or doing JCAHO mandated charting - and aren't above performing ADLs? And that there are also those in each group who are lazy, avoid work (especially if it involves poop) if at all possible, and lock themselves in linen closets to text or take a nap? The attitude of the LPN that the OP met in orientation is inexcusable, but it really shouldn't mean that ALL nurses should be required to work as a CNA before NS. I didn't - becoming an RN was a lateral move for me, income wise, so I couldn't afford to pay for training to take a pay cut. My new grad job is in ICU, where we sometimes get one CNA/PCT for the entire unit. We do 99% of the bathing, turning, and wiping of poo - heck, we need to know what it looks like! I'll admit that poop isn't my favorite part of nursing, but I certainly don't feel that my BSN excuses me from cleaning it up immediately. You don't need to have worked as a CNA to respect them and their role, and not everyone with more education got it to avoid patient care. Crappy, lazy nurses and aides should be reported to management and should lose their jobs, in my opinion - but I know with the "shortage" management can be hesitant to can somebody they may have a hard time replacing.
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SunnyAndrsn
561 Posts
The point is teamwork, which provides the highest quality care possible, which should be the goal.