CNA=Poop cleaner?!

[BSNMomOf6]

I told a neighbor I was thinking of maybe doing a CNA course in a few weeks, and they told me "why would you want to clean poop off people for a living? That's all they do, you know, right?" This was from a nurse! That kind of made me wonder if this is really something I should bother even pursuing. I get that it's part of the job, but I didn't realize it's the MAIN part. Is this true?

ETA: No, i'm not afraid to clean poop, I've cleaned tons in my 11 years as a mom, I have no issues with it. I just don't want it to be the only part of my job as a CNA, which this nurse told me it will be. I want to know if she's just trying to talk me out of a CNA course. She thinks I should just go right into nursing, which isn't in the cards with my young family right now. BTDT.

[AshBuggin]

I worked on a transplant unit where lactulose was given to about 3 out of 5 patients. - A big part of my job concerned poop but I did a lot more than that. Yes I cleaned up more poop than the RNs.. Nurses have a lot of charting and don't always have time to help. It's part of the job.

[AshBuggin]

I don't think any nurse I've ever known will say a cnas role isn't important. You make there job so much easier. The only time I've ever heard nurses get snippy is when cnas start to think they are nurses. It's the whole stay in your lane thing.

I've had new grad nurses get snippy with me numerous times. I've been a tech for about 8 years so when a baby grad comes into the floor, at that point, I am only trying to help bc I've been in the game a long time and I've seen a lot. Sometimes my intent to help can come off as stepping on toes. I have leaned to I just brush it off bc eventually the nurses I work with will appreciate the CNA's help if they don't when they first come into the unt.

[idletalk]

As someone who works nights on a neuro unit where the majority of my patients are incontinent, yes, cleaning poop/urine is a huge part of the job. I get vital signs 3X per shift and check blood glucose etc, but between those times we pretty much just do baths and toilet patients.

[Kystudentrn]

I've had new grad nurses get snippy with me numerous times. I've been a tech for about 8 years so when a baby grad comes into the floor, at that point, I am only trying to help bc I've been in the game a long time and I've seen a lot. Sometimes my intent to help can come off as stepping on toes. I have leaned to I just brush it off bc eventually the nurses I work with will appreciate the CNA's help if they don't when they first come into the unt.

It depends on what you're doing. I'd be tickled pink if you are helping with vitals, getting the room set up, getting supplies for the pt, etc...

I do get irritated when cnas/techs try to be nurses. Mainly because it's my butt on the line not yours.

[akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P]

Where I work, we don't have "traditional" CNA's. I work in the ED and our assistants are ED Technicians. Basically they're EMT (or Paramedic) trained folks that do a LOT of varied work that ranges from department clerk to CNA-type stuff. While all the nurses are capable of doing "their" work, having them on the team definitely makes our jobs a lot easier because they're very useful in coordinating transfers, communicating with outside departments, relaying info to various places (including to us when we need it, like Lab calling critical values...). They clean and make the beds when our patients are discharged. They help us do a LOT of the basic stuff such as getting patients changed into gowns and obtaining vital signs during triage.

Honestly, without them, our job would be so much harder to do. They're among the lowest paid members of the team but I definitely value them immensely. There's no way I'm ever going to malign them. They're just too valuable.