CNA Info

leopold · Jun 9, 2005

CNA course is generally a month if you do days, 6-8 weeks if you do nights. I think here it costs around $300-$400. You learn to do: hand washing, gloving, bedmaking, peri-care, oral care, bedpans, b/p, tpr, nail care, foot care, transfers, bed baths, regular baths, some CNAs do blood glucose, can't remember anything more, I'm sure I've forgotten a few things. Basic activities of daily living. Getting people up in the morning, dressing them, washing them, feeding them at mealtimes, putting them back to bed, etc. Entry level pay in urban areas ranges from $9-$11. It's a lot of scut work but I think it was the most valuable experience I have ever had in terms of nursing school. A lot of students in my class have never worked in health care and what you learn in school is really not a lot like what you're going to be dealing with at work. Good luck.

Kandee Roses · Jun 9, 2005

I worked as a CNA for 10 years before becoming a LPN. Classes usually take from two weeks up to 6 weeks, depending on where you are taking your classes. CNAs in nursing homes assist with the Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). They groom, bathe, feed, turn and reposition those in bed, and keep the residents clean and dry. They also do vital signs, keep the charge nurse informed of anything that is different about their residents, and just assist the residents with their daily living. I love the nursing home setting, but it can get hectic at times. I never worked in a hospital as an aide, but I assume the duties are not that much different. Good luck in school! I hope this helps!

andreamae · Jun 9, 2005

Thank you both!! :)

Kandee, how much did you make? The reason i'm asking is, i live in AR too! haha

ZASHAGALKA, RN · Jun 9, 2005

I did that route.

As far as I could tell, the things I did as a CNA were completely unrelated to nursing. OK OK, I wiped butts, but it's not the same cause now, when I wipe butts, I'm not mentally moving on to the next pt, I'm assessing this one.

And just try using your nursing education to report a change in assessment. Your a CNA, not a nurse. %$!@$%@#% student thinks they know everything...

Lots of work for about the same amount of pay you get at McDonalds; and you get more respect at McDonalds without having to pay for the priviledge of being a minimum wage employee.

If you want to be able to say that you came up through the ranks from CNA on then, great, go for it.

If you want a job that you can truly put your mind on autopilot - don't do it. Being a CNA is very hard work for very little pay and absolutely no respect.

I'm not trying to diss being a CNA; been there done that. The ones that actually do their jobs (shaving cream in the pits DO NOT count as a bath) work too dang hard for not enough money and respect.

~faith.

NicInNC, CNA · Jun 9, 2005

I just finished my CNA class and took my exam last Tuesday. My class was 5 weeks long. It was actually a PCA class and we had the option of challenging the CNA exam, which I did and PASSED. :balloons: :balloons:

I had "worked" for an entire year (my Senior year of high school) in a Nursing Home and so, I had previous experience. We learned all the CNA basics in my health occupations class also, so the CNA test and skills were failrly easy for me since I had done them before. If you've not had any experience, I would NEVER advise challenging the exam because only 3 of us passed out of 12 in my class.

The college I go to offers the CNA course, but it was a 4 month course. Since I was familiar with it, I opted for the one that was only one day a week for 5 weeks.

And it cost me $280. That covered my books, uniform and access to open labs.

staciababy0702 · Jun 9, 2005

Hello everyone!

I am a CNA about to go back to work for a hospice company. I have not done CNA work since the last day of CNA school, and therefore have very little experience.So tell me, how does a 126 pound woman change a much bigger person by herself? I know it can be done, I ve seen it.Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

NicInNC, CNA · Jun 9, 2005

I did that route.
As far as I could tell, the things I did as a CNA were completely unrelated to nursing. OK OK, I wiped butts, but it's not the same cause now, when I wipe butts, I'm not mentally moving on to the next pt, I'm assessing this one.
And just try using your nursing education to report a change in assessment. Your a CNA, not a nurse. %$!@$%@#% student thinks they know everything...
Lots of work for about the same amount of pay you get at McDonalds; and you get more respect at McDonalds without having to pay for the priviledge of being a minimum wage employee.
If you want to be able to say that you came up through the ranks from CNA on then, great, go for it.
If you want a job that you can truly put your mind on autopilot - don't do it. Being a CNA is very hard work for very little pay and absolutely no respect.
I'm not trying to diss being a CNA; been there done that. The ones that actually do their jobs (shaving cream in the pits DO NOT count as a bath) work too dang hard for not enough money and respect.
~faith.

Good grief, you sound like the CNA position is the worst job in life. I've always enjoyed CNA work. I loved being with the residents and caring for them. Yes, it's hard work, but SOMEBODY has to do it. Would you do it for the pay you get now? I'm not in this for the money. I'm in it for the thanks I get from the residents. Making a residents day makes mine.

ZASHAGALKA, RN · Jun 9, 2005

No I wouldn't do it for the money I make now.

It's not the worse job I've ever worked, but it was the one where I got the least respect.

I love spending time w/ residents/patients. But when you have 30 to change 3 times in 8 hours, really, how much time can you spend? And when you work day shift and get 10 residents up and actually bathe them before dressing them and it takes till lunch and your supervisor complains cause your co-workers were done by 930 (cause of the shave cream trick), well, i felt it was a thankless job.

Like I said, I'm not trying to diss being a CNA. You're right, somebody has to do it. but you are grossly undepaid: y'all should be making $15/hr - at least. But. . . It has been my experience, CNA - LVN - RN - CCRN that the more initials I put after my name, the more I got paid for using mental skills instead of physical ones (and the more of that precious time w/ patients/family members that I have available to give). And I'll admit that I wouldn't be a CNA today at any price -- y'all work too hard.

~faith.

NicInNC, CNA · Jun 9, 2005

No I wouldn't do it for the money I make now.
It's not the worse job I've ever worked, but it was the one where I got the least respect.
I love spending time w/ residents/patients. But when you have 30 to change 3 times in 8 hours, really, how much time can you spend? And when you work day shift and get 10 residents up and actually bathe them before dressing them and it takes till lunch and your supervisor complains cause your co-workers were done by 930 (cause of the shave cream trick), well, i felt it was a thankless job.
Like I said, I'm not trying to diss being a CNA. You're right, somebody has to do it. but you are grossly undepaid: y'all should be making $15/hr - at least. But. . . It has been my experience, CNA - LVN - RN - CCRN that the more initials I put after my name, the more I got paid for using mental skills instead of physical ones (and the more of that precious time w/ patients/family members that I have available to give). And I'll admit that I wouldn't be a CNA today at any price -- y'all work too hard.
~faith.

It also depends on where you work. One LTc facility I worked at was HORRIBLE. The CNA's that worked there had no business working there. WHY do people get this job when they are so mean and hateful to the residents? I'll never understand that. You're right...the pay is NOT good....so these people that aren't cut out to be CNA's should go somewhere else.

The place I did my clinicals at the last time was wonderful. I loved it and the CNA's and staff there were all so helpful and all got along. They had been there years and one of the girls I was working with one day had been there for about a month and said she loved it. It was a huge change from where she was at previously. Each CNA has about 15 patients each.

I'm hoping to start working in the hospital or possibly home care this summer. (I'm waiting until I get back from vacation before applying) I'm just unsure as to what I want to do. I've done the LTC thing and love working with the elderly and mentally disabled, but I want to try other areas. That's what I love about the medical field....there are so many different areas!

LPN-n-2005 · Jun 9, 2005

Hey, if you can deal with being a professional feces slinger, more power to ya! I couldn't stand it and made more moola in retail while in school just to stand there,smile, and say How are you? Nothing more refreshing than the smell of a major "Code Brown" at 7 am in the morning!

sweet4dalejr · Jun 11, 2005

You know I read that your not DISSING CNA's, but to me it sounds like now you are a nurse CNA'S are below you, well the only thing different between you and I myfriend is you give out meds were as I donot. That is it. What I do as a Nurse Tech, has everything to do with Nursing. Within 8-12 hrs (depending if I do 8s or 12s) I have enough time to make sure my pts are clean & dry. I make sure all my glucose monitoring is done when needed, my treatments are done, I am able to spend time with the resident/family and I do get the RESPECT I deserve and expect. I sooo make more money then you do at Mc D's, and I have the satisfaction of knowing that I took care of my pts the way they should be taken care of.

And I have to say to this little comment,

"And just try using your nursing education to report a change in assessment. Your a CNA, not a nurse. %$!@$%@#% student thinks they know everything... "

just because there is not a RN or LPN behind my name does not mean I can not report a change in anything. I am very proud of what I do and I sure hope that when I finish my RN I donot have the attitude you have!!!!!!!!:angryfire

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