If I hate being an CNA, will I hate nursing?

MassED, BSN, RN · Jun 22, 2008

You worked as a team? Lucky you! At my first job, my supervisor told the other nurses NOT to help me because they "were doing my work".
I thought to myself, "isn't nursing a team effort?"
And I ended up straining my back and then she would not let me fill out an incident report.
I could go on, but I won't. The thing is, they don't tell you any of this in nursing school! And they don't teach you how to look out for yourself because others won't!
Want to know more? Just ask me.

It's really unfair and not necessary to spread negativity to a new nurse. Let her find her way and her environment within nursing without a black cloud placed over her. She has come to this forum for support. There are supportive environments with good people still left. :confused:

MassED, BSN, RN · Jun 22, 2008

You worked as a team? Lucky you! At my first job, my supervisor told the other nurses NOT to help me because they "were doing my work".
I thought to myself, "isn't nursing a team effort?"
And I ended up straining my back and then she would not let me fill out an incident report.
I could go on, but I won't. The thing is, they don't tell you any of this in nursing school! And they don't teach you how to look out for yourself because others won't!
Want to know more? Just ask me.

It's really unfair and not necessary to spread negativity to a new nurse. Let her find her way and her environment within nursing without a black cloud placed :weathercloudandrain over her. She has come to this forum for support. There are supportive environments with good people still left. :confused:

Simpleplan · Jun 22, 2008

you are a GN with your BSN? Let that CNA know that - tell her and she ought to knock it off. I think, despite you not appearing to be "comfortable in nursing", you could move on anyway and you'll find a better environment - just keep searching. Is this a LTC facility? Why not be a CNA in a hospital (less patients sometimes and more CNA's to help) until you're working as a nurse... just my thoughts. BTW, you can get into a facility or environment that challenges you and feel a little comfortable (which is a good thing). Becoming comfortable is not synonymous with complacency .

She knows I am about to take my boards. She treats everyone that way, especially new nurses. I think it's insecurity. I admit she can turn and change a patient better than I can. It does worry me when I correct her on things like restraints. We had a patient who we had to reapply restraints. She told the patient, "that's what you get for not staying in bed." I told her not to say that and that its not punishment. The patient had fluctuating mental status and had become disorientated. I explained to her it was for his saftey and not a punishment. She responded by critizing me on every minor task, mostly technique. She did not like being corrected. I took it to the nurse manager. We are both trying to find our place with each other. She will attempt to undermine me and make me look foolish in front of patients and family, yet always request to work with me. I let most things slide. I do need to find a way to let her know when I am serious and its time to listen to me. Also she needs to understand its important I have the patient and their family's trust.

To address your other comments. I do work in a hospital on a cardiac floor. I want to start shadowing but they always seem to be understaffed on CNAs and I get stuck filling in. Bummer.

When I said if I get too comfortable it's time to move on... I didn't mean go to a new hospital, I meant it's time to further my education, perhaps go for my masters. I think people should always feel challeged. If they don't feel challenged then perhaps its time for more responsiblity.

SunnyAndrsn · Jun 22, 2008

Being a CNA and being a nurse are two totally different jobs at this point. All nursing, to some extent, includes some CNA tasks, but the purpose and role of the CNA is to help the nurse do those task for which a nursing license is not required. It has evolved into its own job.

Second, this is the first time you've ever done this job, right? It's going to take time to learn everything. There is a hard learning curve, but it does get better.

Third, your experience as a CNA is going to help your comfort level with patients once you start your nursing program. Just don't think that once you are a nurse, you won't have to reposition a patient or toilet them, or help bath them!

I've been planning for about 6 months now to apply for MEPN/GEPN programs for fall of 2009, with a nurse-midwifery degree being the end goal. I recently (three weeks agao) started working as a CNA at an LTC while taking pre-reqs and I am miserable. Even with 10-12 patients, I feel like I never get eeverything (even enough) done and I take all my work-related anxiety home with me and worry on my days off about my previous and upcoming days at work. Is nursing different? Or will I carry all this stress with me all the time, and should I get out now before I've invested $$$ in an education?

MassED, BSN, RN · Jun 22, 2008

She knows I am about to take my boards. She treats everyone that way, especially new nurses. I think it's insecurity. I admit she can turn and change a patient better than I can. It does worry me when I correct her on things like restraints. We had a patient who we had to reapply restraints. She told the patient, "that's what you get for not staying in bed." I told her not to say that and that its not punishment. The patient had fluctuating mental status and had become disorientated. I explained to her it was for his saftey and not a punishment. She responded by critizing me on every minor task, mostly technique. She did not like being corrected. I took it to the nurse manager. We are both trying to find our place with each other. She will attempt to undermine me and make me look foolish in front of patients and family, yet always request to work with me. I let most things slide. I do need to find a way to let her know when I am serious and its time to listen to me. Also she needs to understand its important I have the patient and their family's trust.
To address your other comments. I do work in a hospital on a cardiac floor. I want to start shadowing but they always seem to be understaffed on CNAs and I get stuck filling in. Bummer.
When I said if I get too comfortable it's time to move on... I didn't mean go to a new hospital, I meant it's time to further my education, perhaps go for my masters. I think people should always feel challeged. If they don't feel challenged then perhaps its time for more responsiblity.

She won't stop saying things in her way to patients. Though if a family member hears it, the poop will hit the fan. I'd just make sure to say, "no, Mr or Ms. so and so, it's not your fault, we just want you to be safe, so we're going to use our belt to keep you in your chair." This may irritate her, but you are correct, she is blaming the patient and when they are demented, it's a fruitless attempt anyway to reason with them. This CNA doesn't seem to understand that it is futile. If you explain that, she will likely not take that well either... :scrying: You are doing what you can - and if she does that to all new people... you're doing the right thing to take it to management.

She's requesting to work with you, though? That's confusing! Well bring her a sour apple and tell her that you were inclined to bring it because it reminded you of her. Ha!

Simpleplan · Jun 28, 2008

She's requesting to work with you, though? That's confusing! Well bring her a sour apple and tell her that you were inclined to bring it because it reminded you of her. Ha!

I have to say, I was a little confused as well. My manager though is very good and didn't personalize it. Also, like I said she (the CNA) treats everyone that way. Anytime her (the CNA's) name comes up in conversation with other techs and aids it is almost always negative. I really don't dislike her and for the most part get along with her.

lossforimagination · Sep 2, 2008

In my opinion .....you will definately hate nursing if you hate being a CNA. Chances are you will likely be doing the same CNA work IN ADDITION to the nursing duties.

I've worked in hospitals where you're lucky to have 1 CNA for 30 patients. Believe me, that is of little use to the nurse except maybe for getting some of the vital signs. Where staffing is lousy, the nurse will still have to do most of the turning, cleaning, pottying, bathing, fetching, passing trays, feeding, etc. for all the assigned patients. And of course, there are the meds, IVs, charting and everything else the nurse has to do as well for all 7, 8 or more patients.

And this is precisely why I hate nursing.....I hate feeling like I'm seriously abused and taken advantage of on the job.... because everyone knows perfectly well that its absolutely impossible for 1 person to do everything for that many patients.

queen777 · Sep 2, 2008

She won't stop saying things in her way to patients. Though if a family member hears it, the poop will hit the fan. I'd just make sure to say, "no, Mr or Ms. so and so, it's not your fault, we just want you to be safe, so we're going to use our belt to keep you in your chair." This may irritate her, but you are correct, she is blaming the patient and when they are demented, it's a fruitless attempt anyway to reason with them. This CNA doesn't seem to understand that it is futile. If you explain that, she will likely not take that well either... You are doing what you can - and if she does that to all new people... you're doing the right thing to take it to management.
She's requesting to work with you, though? That's confusing! Well bring her a sour apple and tell her that you were inclined to bring it because it reminded you of her. Ha!

I think she requests to work with you because she knows and can see by your reactions how she makes you feel, a little on the insecure side. I have worked with CNAs like that. I tell them when they get a nursing degree above me, then they can tell what to do and how to do it! It just depends really on her because I don't know her.

One CNA said something "smart" one day, then she had the nerve to ask,"you didn't like that, did you?" I told her "I could have said something mean too, but I didn't want to look childish like you!" She was the nicest person to me ever since. You have to nip it in the bud with those types of attitudes.

I always let them know I will help them,but that we are all here for the same reason, to take care of our pts, not to see who can outwit the other.

NursKris82 · Sep 14, 2008

Not necessarily. I work with a girl that became a CENA during nursing school and hated it and is now a nurse and loves it. They are very different jobs.

queen777 · Sep 14, 2008

Not necessarily. I work with a girl that became a CENA during nursing school and hated it and is now a nurse and loves it. They are very different jobs.

How did you go from LPN in Feb to RN in Dec? I am an LPN, I was going to RN training until I missed passing by .3 of one point and the head of the nursing rubbed my face in so badly that I didn't pass, but thought I did, and that "we all can't be astronauts". I have never gone back. She isn't there anymore.

metalhead · Oct 25, 2008

sorry to break it to u guys but a cna does what a rn is suppose to do...i know some rn's who help out a whole lot and some well they claim they were a cna but they can't help with a single pull up..u see nursing is teamwork...usually an rn who was once a cna will respect the cna more than the rn or lvn..the thing is nursing is patient care if the patient needs to be changed does the r n wait for a cna to come along?what if that cna was on break? that's right rn's it is now ur job to do ur required duty and stop complaining about it

queen777 · Oct 25, 2008

sorry to break it to u guys but a cna does what a rn is suppose to do...i know some rn's who help out a whole lot and some well they claim they were a cna but they can't help with a single pull up..u see nursing is teamwork...usually an rn who was once a cna will respect the cna more than the rn or lvn..the thing is nursing is patient care if the patient needs to be changed does the r n wait for a cna to come along?what if that cna was on break? that's right rn's it is now ur job to do ur required duty and stop complaining about it

While this is a nice thought that RNs should clean or turn a pt, at my first job I remember one night I was on my way to answer a call light when my RN supervisor pointed out to me that the light was on, duh? I was almost there, she never once asked or offered to help. This was at Winter Haven Hospital in FL. The same hospital my mother-in-law died at because the care was so crummy! They just kept feeding her PO until she aspirated even after I told them to stop bringing her food.

Glad I didn't stay there!