CNA Info

sweet4dalejr · Jun 12, 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

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 12, 2005

:uhoh21: :uhoh21: :uhoh21:
God Bless the CNAs, PCTs, LPN/LVNs, RNs, BSNs, MSNs, NPs, CNMs, etc. We are all a team.
I am an LPN. I am a feces slinger. I am an RN student, I am a feces slinger. :stone I don't know where the "Then again, maybe LPN's will be 'feces slingers' then" comment came from. Is that a personal attack, or are you hoping that LPNs get further demoted? *No malice, just wondering*

I would NEVER try to demote an LPN. I'm currently waiting to get in the RN program, but am thinking of going into the LPN program instead, so that would be stupid of me to say an LPN is any less important. I got mad at the casual way that she said "feces slinger" and so I just said LPN since I saw that she was an LPN. If her name said RN, I would have said "RN's".

You are right. We are ALL a team. So, when someone considers me a "feces slinger" and turns their nose up at that, then I'm going to take it personally and I WILL get mad. It's not fair that CNA's make less money, but I thoroughly enjoy what I do by knowing that I'm keeping my patients comfortable and trying to make their life better.

ZASHAGALKA, RN · Jun 12, 2005

Y'all are all correct and I'm wrong.

Mea culpa.

There was a cross somewhere between what I intended to say and how it was said.

Keely-FutureRN · Jun 12, 2005

In regards to the original post, I have been a CNA/ PCT(patient care tech)/ HCA (health care assistant)/ Tele Tech for one year and I love it. I was certified through the American Red Cross and went sat. and Sun. 8-5 for 6 weeks. It was about $300 and was very straight forward and easy to pass if you did your reading and homework. I got a job working on the step-down cardiac unit and I helped patient's with basic ADL's (bathing, tioleting, dressing, etc.) We also did bed changes, transfer's, vital signs, backrubs, I&O's, daily weights, etc. When I started work I was trained how to do glucometer checks, read telemetry, change chest tube dressings, JP drain dressings and management, tube feed management, D/C iv's and foley's, pacer wire dressing changes, etc.

I was paid 8.42 to work and I left my previous secretary job (9.50) to do it. It is completely worth it. I don't care what I get paid, as long as i can live off it. The experience is so valuable in the knowledge that you gain and also in the interaction with patients and knowing that you have been an integral part of the team. I mean think about it..would you want some aide coming in your room, no privacy, no dignity, changing your brief, short changing you on a bath, etc or would you want a kind, considerate aide helping you bathe and dress (who wants to be stark naked in front of ANYONE especially a complete stranger...) We as CNA's think that it is hard to do changes and wipe a few bums but what if your on the other side and someone just comes in and changes YOUR brief.

CNA's are just as much a part of patient care as the nurse, doctor, resp. therapist, laundry aide, or anyone else because we are on the front lines, assisting people with things that are very personal. On my floor, you can tell the difference between nurses who had been aides before and those who haden't.

Now I'm starting a new job as a CNA with an oncology hospital. It is worth everything to be able to made a difference. We are a team, no one is above anyone. We all just have different roles in the care of the patient. And in the end that's who it's all about.

Keely

Keely-FutureRN · Jun 12, 2005

Oh, I forgot to add that reporting changes to the nurse is part of our job whether it's skin breakdown, vital sign changes, heart rhythm changes, abnormal runs (v-tach, fib ,brady, blocks, anything) patient orientation changes, BM's, urine output, problems with the chest tube, pacer wires, increased jp output, etc.

Keely

Jena60303 · Jun 27, 2005

i am in nursing school as well and just recently got my cna. because you are in school you may only have to take the compentency test. i had to pay 50 dollars and then take a test. all i needed to do was show proof that i have completed a nursing fundamentals class with a c or better. contact your states department of health and they may be able to send you in the right direction i hope this helps. :) [/ color]

i'm thinking of taking the cna course to work while i'm in rn school. i'm looking for some general on the course and what a cna actually does. how long does the course itself take? is it easy to find a job? what are the duties of a cna in a nursing home? what are their duties in a hospital? what is the general pay (in rural areas)? thank you so much for helping me if you can :)

okie2 · Jun 27, 2005

I'm thinking of taking the CNA course to work while i'm in RN school. I'm looking for some general on the course and what a CNA actually does. How long does the course itself take? Is it easy to find a job? What are the duties of a CNA in a nursing home? What are their duties in a hospital? What is the general pay (in rural areas)? Thank you SO much for helping me if you can :)

I am about to start an Individualized Study course at a local tech school. I can go anytime M-TH from 9:00am - 8:00pm and work on my skill labs. Then I test out and when I finish- I take the certification exam. This course cost $250 and I can take up to 16 weeks to complete it. I will have two 8 hr shifts for clinicals. I'm happy with it. Maybe you could search for something like this in your area. It works great for me and my pre-nursing classes, as well as my kiddos' schedule.

When I'm done- I'm looking at any facility/dept/shift-take your pick. Hospitals pay around $7.00, LTC a little less, and home health $10/hr. I'm also considering what areas will give me good experience. There is an opening in the ER, but it's mainly transporting pts, and gophering. I really want to be in pt care.

Good Luck!!!