I have been loosing sleep over which route to take 1st in order to lend my 1st healthcare job in a hospital? I believe that a CNA would have to work in a nursing home for a while before being hired in a hospital just like my SIL is working. She tried getting a hospital job with her CNA but everyone told her she needed experience in a nursing home first. Is this most often the case or could a fresh CNA get a hospital job? How about if I get my CMA, could I just get a job in a hospital or would I need something more like, EMT(emergency med. tech.)?
I am already decided on becoming a medical assistant because I found a quick school that allows me to sit for the state exam but I still wonder if I should take those 10 weeks before and just get my CNA as well or maybe an EMT in order to be able to get a hospital job. I also wonder if I do get a hospital CMA job, will I have to work night hours and weekends? If yes, I think I better skip hospitals and just work in a dr's office since I'm a single Mom with little kids...but I desire a hospital daytime job. Am I wrong to have such desires, am just dreaming ?
I have been on a tele floor and I myself have never seen a CNA by themselves go and hook a patient up to an EKG and bring the results back to the RN. I don't mean to insult CNA's and I even stated that they are an important part of the medical field but from my point of view their importance is because they free up the RN's time to do the more important things. I often go to major hospitals such as county USC, UCLA med. center, huntington memorial, long beach memorial and I have never seen a CNA do more than change a bed.
Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
I think the statement "something a CNA couldn't comprehend" can be seen as insulting. Doing EKG things might not be in their SOP but it doesn't mean they can't comprehend it. I have met many CNA's that knew lead placement and a lot on the subject,because it's an area they work in. ( like the tele floor) Just wanted to point that out.
I am a CNA in a busy ICU unit we perform EKG's on patients and at night when there is not an EKG technician if another floor calls we do EKG's for them. On the cardiac floors the CNA's watch the monitors and interpret the waves for the nurses. Doing an EKG is not exactly rocket science and CNA's can certainty comprehension how to perform an EKG.
If there is a PCT (patient care technician) course in your area, I would highly recommend taking that. I know everyone is going to tell you that most hospitals will train you for those duties, but I would still try to take that course. There is a PCT course that I am currently taking this semester and we are learning EKG's, venipuntures, "finger sticks", catheter removal, IV removal, wound care/dressing changes, etc. If you already have that knowledge, it might be easier to get into a hospital. Having just a CNA might not cut it unless you get lucky or have connections. The large hospitals in my area won't even take CNA's without one year acute care experience... nursing home work doesn't count. Good luck to you.
I am a CNA in a busy ICU unit we perform EKG's on patients and at night when there is not an EKG technician if another floor calls we do EKG's for them. On the cardiac floors the CNA's watch the monitors and interpret the waves for the nurses. Doing an EKG is not exactly rocket science and CNA's can certainty comprehension how to perform an EKG.
Agreed. I started as an NA (not certified, just in nursing school) and was trained to do EKGs and phlebotomy by the hospital during my orientation. I am an extern now and I still perform both of those things. I don't work in cardiac, nor does my hospital have "EKG techs". If an EKG is ordered the RN delegates the EKG to the NA/CNA. It isn't rocket science at all, and it is insulting that someone would day a CNA cannot "comprehend" how to perform one.
By watch the monitors and read the waves do u mean when the big flashing light and alarm goes off u go get a nurse? And you tell them how many pvcs it's throwing cause the monitor spells it out for u?
By watch the monitors and read the waves do u mean when the big flashing light and alarm goes off u go get a nurse? And you tell them how many pvcs it's throwing cause the monitor spells it out for u?
No what I mean is there are aides that watch the waves and interpret them. They take a basic dysrhythmia class and they literally sit in front of the screens at the station for their whole shift. I haven't been trained to do that because I would not want to sit in front of a monitor for 12 hours I would rather be on my feet.
Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
No what I mean is there are aides that watch the waves and interpret them. They take a basic dysrhythmia class and they literally sit in front of the screens at the station for their whole shift. I haven't been trained to do that because I would not want to sit in front of a monitor for 12 hours I would rather be on my feet.
I am guessing you are talking about Tele Techs? That is what our hospital calls them. One of the hospitals I have done clinicals at use Tele Techs for all the tele monitoring in the hospital. The tele techs I met were CNA's. These techs were perfectly fine at comprehension, in fact, they knew more than the float nurses that would go to tele.
I couldn't imagine being one either. I need to be doing something.
I am guessing you are talking about Tele Techs? That is what our hospital calls them. One of the hospitals I have done clinicals at use Tele Techs for all the tele monitoring in the hospital. The tele techs I met were CNA's. These techs were perfectly fine at comprehension, in fact, they knew more than the float nurses that would go to tele.
I couldn't imagine being one either. I need to be doing something.
Yes! My hospital just started this a few months ago on the cardiac floor only. I have a friend that works on the floor and she was excited about it at first but is now bored. It might be good after a long night on your feet to sit down for awhile.
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EMT6530
24 Posts
I have been on a tele floor and I myself have never seen a CNA by themselves go and hook a patient up to an EKG and bring the results back to the RN. I don't mean to insult CNA's and I even stated that they are an important part of the medical field but from my point of view their importance is because they free up the RN's time to do the more important things. I often go to major hospitals such as county USC, UCLA med. center, huntington memorial, long beach memorial and I have never seen a CNA do more than change a bed.