Published
I work in a nursing home, where most of the residents are elderly. The work can be hard and stressful due to time management. I enjoy what I do, and the work pays off because working as a cna is a rewarding career. I'm a bit curious as to why you have doubts about working with the elderly, many cna's do in fact work with seniors.
I almost quit class when I found out I had to do clinicals in a nursing home. I did not even want to think about having to deal with an "old person." I was so set on doing clinicals and working in a hospital (I had such an inaccurate perception of the field all the way around :)). I followed my teacher's advice and just tried clinicals in a nursing home.
I loved it.
Yes, it was/is very hard. But I'm happy I made the choice. Now I would rather work with seniors than middle aged- or younger adults.
Where do you work?
I work at an assisted living facility that exclusively caters to those with Alzheimers or other forms of dementia. I also work as a private duty aide at a continuing care retirement community (CCRC).
Is it hard?
The assisted living job is, yes. The private duty-no.
Does the hard work pay off?
It all depends on how YOU view it. I like to think that at the end of my shift, I've made a difference in someone's life. The pay is sucky & we're often mistreated, understaffed, etc..but you have to remember that the #1 priority is to the residents.
I didn't want to work with the elderly either at first. But I really do enjoy them, and you can learn a lot from them. Working in a nursing home isn't the only place a CNA is limited to though. You can work in home health, hospice, assisted living, and depending on where you live some doctors offices hire CNA's. Give it a try though. You may just like working with the elderly :)
I almost quit class when I found out I had to do clinicals in a nursing home. I did not even want to think about having to deal with an "old person." I was so set on doing clinicals and working in a hospital (I had such an inaccurate perception of the field all the way around :)). I followed my teacher's advice and just tried clinicals in a nursing home.I loved it.
Yes, it was/is very hard. But I'm happy I made the choice. Now I would rather work with seniors than middle aged- or younger adults.
Same here! "Old People" scared the crap out of me, but I actually am looking forward to working in a nursing home. Not because of the work, but because of the residents...
Where do you work? I worked for a year on the med/surg unit of a hospital. I've since transfered to the cardiovascular department.
Do you like your job as a CNA? I disliked some co-worker drama, some staffing problems, and feeling like I never got to everything I needed to by the end of the day. It was very draining. The experience, though, was invaluable.
Is it hard? At times. There were days I would cry in the breakroom at work because I was so frustrated with having too many patients and them all needing things from me...it wasn't their fault, but I just didn't have enough time to do everything. And sometimes I had to work with some really rude, unhelpful nurses.
Does the hard work pay off? Definitely. I know I'm going to be an awesome nurse. I know I can cut it on a busy med/surg floor. I know I like direct patient care. I know I have the right brain for it. The experience, and the confidence, is totally, totally worth it.
I'm taking a CNA course and not sure if I like to work with ederly...
To be honest, me either. I *hated* my LTC clinicals. But I love working in a hospital. A lot of our patients are elderly, but it's such a different environment, their age doesn't really play a factor. They're just *patients* now.
Maybe you'll just need to find the right work environment that fits for you? CNA experiences are so different from type of facility, and from facility to facility. Good luck!
alexandra.jenx
3 Posts
Here are my questions...
Where do you work?
Do you like your job as a CNA?
Is it hard?
Does the hard work pay off?
I'm taking a CNA course and not sure if I like to work with ederly...