CNA-Undecided if Am or Pm shift

pinksunflower · Aug 31, 2010

Sure, most of the procedures happen on day shift (since you said it will be a rehab/LTC, probably all the PT and OT will happen during the day), but to be honest, most places you're not going to have the time to watch/help the nurses, or a chance to practice RN skills. The nurses probably won't let you do anything outside your scope of practice, and you'll be so busy doing things that ARE in a CNA's scope of practice that you won't have time for much else. I don't mean to be a downer, but I don't think working as CNA is a good way for you to keep up your RN skills...I'm sure it will have been a valuable experience when you do become an RN - but I don't think any shift will help you learn or stay sharp on RN skills over any other.
I worked as a CNA in a hospital and I *rarely* had time to sit in on/assist with a procedure, and they were going on all the time. You might want to read some posts on the CNA forum....

Yes you are correct. Well at least being a CNA, it kinda give me a GLIMPSE of how an RN works. Thanks anyway.:)

CVmursenary · Aug 31, 2010

working as a cna wont help much with NCLEX, i think you should devote your time to studying so that you could get paid at least twice that of a CNA. But you sound insecure so maybe just practice as a CNA

pinksunflower · Aug 31, 2010

working as a cna wont help much with NCLEX, i think you should devote your time to studying so that you could get paid at least twice that of a CNA. But you sound insecure so maybe just practice as a CNA

CNA for me is just a stepping stone for my nclex RN since I am a Graduate of Bachelor of Science Major in Nursing. I took the CNA exam just to prove something for myself.

Blueroses91 · Aug 31, 2010

Sorry my sentence was incomplete. Earn more EXPERIENCE AND LEARNING IS WHAT I MEANT. LOL Im after the skills that i will learn since I am reviewing for my nclex rn.

A CNA has a very limited scope and the skills you learn are much less intensive than being a nurse. However, I will tell you that working as a CNA will help you recognize skin breakdown, the begining of a pressure sore, ect. It's very valuable experience. BUT a CNA skills are mostly ADL oriented. Knowing how to deal with pts and being comfortable with them is important but it isn't going to really help you pass your NCLEX.

Ok...if you work in LTC this is how it is...

Day Shift: Very busy, no one will have time to help you if you're slow. The nurses are very busy as well so it'll be hard for you to observe their technique and ask them questions. You have to be quick and efficent. You'll be doing showers, getting people ready for breakfast, lots of heavy lifting. No down time at all.

2nd Shift:Also very busy. Towards the end of the shift you'll have a little bit of down time to rest. The nurses however won't. You'll be doing showers, feeding dinner, getting people ready for bed, then doing last rounds to make sure everybody is dry.

3rd shift:Slow shift. A good opportunity to develop technique and to gain speed. The nurses will also be a little bit less busy and you may be able to interact with them more. You would mostly spend time turning and changing. However, some resident's stay up at night and many are more confused at night. You'll have to learn to deal with that effectively.

pinksunflower · Aug 31, 2010

A CNA has a very limited scope and the skills you learn are much less intensive than being a nurse. However, I will tell you that working as a CNA will help you recognize skin breakdown, the begining of a pressure sore, ect. It's very valuable experience. BUT a CNA skills are mostly ADL oriented. Knowing how to deal with pts and being comfortable with them is important but it isn't going to really help you pass your NCLEX.
Ok...if you work in LTC this is how it is...
Day Shift: Very busy, no one will have time to help you if you're slow. The nurses are very busy as well so it'll be hard for you to observe their technique and ask them questions. You have to be quick and efficent. You'll be doing showers, getting people ready for breakfast, lots of heavy lifting. No down time at all.
2nd Shift:Also very busy. Towards the end of the shift you'll have a little bit of down time to rest. The nurses however won't. You'll be doing showers, feeding dinner, getting people ready for bed, then doing last rounds to make sure everybody is dry.
3rd shift:Slow shift. A good opportunity to develop technique and to gain speed. The nurses will also be a little bit less busy and you may be able to interact with them more. You would mostly spend time turning and changing. However, some resident's stay up at night and many are more confused at night. You'll have to learn to deal with that effectively.

wow thanks i appreciate it

Cinquefoil · Sep 7, 2010

Also a great thing to check out: in your state, what are the differences between skilled nursing facilities and assisted living facilities?

In my state, CNA's work at skilled nursing facilities (SNF's), or nursing homes (NH's). Caregivers (who can have but aren't required to have their CNA), paid less, work at assisted living facilities (ALF's).

I have my CNA, chose ALF. I work evening shift 2-10. The one and only facility nurse leaves at 5pm sharp daily. After she leaves, caregivers are responsible for all health care decision making, with this one major rule to follow: you can't do anything (other than change a care plan) without a doctor's written permission, and without being delegated to do it by the nurse. Some nurse-delegations are simple and just involve getting her permission. Other nurse delegations require in-depth in-person trainings.

I started as a caregiver and ended up as a med aide/caregiver mix. As a med aide, I review the doctor's orders coming in, transcribe them and clarify as needed. I give meds to 60 people and supervise the rest of the staff sometimes. I've changed dressings on some pretty gnarly wounds that involved packing. I've been responsible for sending people out via 911 and saving their lives. I'm in charge of contacting doctors if a resident changes in condition. Recently I helped a resident who was being badly neglected by their regular doctor and family get placed onto hospice where they could receive better care. I've also made one or two horrific med errors, and failed to recognize when an infected wound was becoming life threatening, and the resident died.

I also have a lot of family member contact, whether it's soothing and problem-solving with a distraught family member whose relation called them crying in pain after refusing pain meds repeatedly (rather than using their call light, they used their phone) or trying to tactfully hang up on the inebriated family member that calls sloshed out of their mind while still conveying that I respect them.

And for this I get paid pretty much minimum wage, no shift differential, no increase for promotion. My training is: all my nursing pre-reqs, and a CNA class. All the rest is caught on the fly. This is very scary for the residents' sake but the nurse and admin tell me they're happy with the job I do. I agree LTC shouldn't have a situation where a person like me is in this position but at the same time this drives me harder to do the best I can with what I've got. If I left, there are definitely worse people who could fill my shoes. And I'm getting an awesome set of experiences.

But be careful....some ALF's can suck the life out of you like a vampire. I'm lucky enough to be low-paid in a decent facility where staff is...well, not treated great at all times, but treated with respect a fair amount of the time, and almost never actively abused. And when we talk to management we're usually heard, if enough of us do it over and over. All that responsibility plus terrible management would be past awful.

All of this depends on what your state allows, but if your state has this available does this sound like your cup of tea?

northernguy · Sep 20, 2010

Where I work, day shift is much more difficult than evenings or nights. You dont have time to take breaks, or take lunch, you are going non stop from the time you get the first resident up until the mad scramble at the end of the shift to get all your charting done. There are days when circumstances make it virtually impossible to get everything done you need to, which can be stressful.

Evenings arent nearly as bad, we are busy all shift, but there is actually enough time to get everything done if your efficient, you may actually have time to take a break towards the end of your shift.

If I had the choice I would take evenings without hesitation.

brewey · Sep 20, 2010

It definately depends on the unit & what you are personally in it for. I have worked all shifts as a CNA in the ER & ICU & have found evening shift to be the most busy yet exciting shift to work. This is key for me because I am able to gain the most experience from the work.

smw1123 · Sep 23, 2010

Good information.