CNAs deserve more appreciation in nursing!

Nurses Relations

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Before i go any further with this i would like to say that i totally understand that only a Nurse should be called a nurse, because they work very hard to get that title. But, its ashamed that most Nurses and Society degrade nurse assistants, and call them Aides, Orderlies. It is ashame that most nurses pretend like a CNA has nothing to do with being a nurse, and it shall be forbidden and un godly to mention the two in the same sentence. They blow it way out of proportion when a patient who is uneducated or knows little about medcine might call them a nurse. Some nurses act like "O my god how can you possibly c onfuse some orderlie aide for a nurse" when CNAs hold a professional certificate in the NURSING and MEDICAL field. Patients may often make the mistake of calling a Physical Therapist Assistant a Physical Therapist, they may often refer to a Physician Assistant or Nurse Practicioner as a Doctor, some may call a Deacon a Priest, an EMT is sometime referes to as a Paramedic!! I know that you should correct it if you catch it, but its not that uncommon, since these careers are so closely related. Its no different in nursing. I really hate when somewhen calls a CNA an aide. An aide can be any lay person of any profession with no education or training . A CNA is a certified nurse assistant. It cost alot of money and takes at least 2 months of education to get that title. How would Nurses like it if people would interchange their title with "Bedside Attendant" or "Doctors Aide" or "Hospital Maid". You Nurses work hard to get the title Nurse, and it cost you lots of college costs. Nurse Assistants work hard to get that title CNA. They should be called by that respected title CNA rather than Aide, Patient Caregiver, or orderlies. THE GOLDEN RULE. Whether Nurses like it or not since 1987 CNAs or in the same profession as Nurses, the Nursing proffesion. Not some janitor or custodian.

I agree-that's why I am bowing out of this thread-it's not worth the aggravation -especially when you consider that the OP has not worked ONE 8 hour shift as a CNA/AIDE.

WHAT?? I missed that....seriously, OP, you don't even do the job you're complaining about not getting enough respect for?!

This one takes the cake for me, by golly.

...not everyone can calll themselves nursing professionals, but CNAs can, they earned that nursing in their name!! :)

The Secretary of State does not take dictation or answer phone lines, yet the title says "secretary". CNAs are not "nursing professionals", they are nurse's aides. Hardly the same thing. To BE a professional, one must have a professional standing. Aides do not. Important, useful, downright life-saving, but it is NOT one of the 'professions'.

Specializes in Nursing Home.

You are all right, all of you, im young, im 18 years old. But I have been working in nursing homes for two years now. You can pull up anypast posts threads you want to. I spent 9 months as a housekeeper/janitor and now an Activity Department assistant. For you to tell me that i have not the knowledge of what nursing home staff does is beyond you. Ive have best friends who are CNA, best friends who are LPNs. And you know what im proud of my accomplishments. Ive worrked many hours of overtime as a housekeeper even 13 straight days without a day off once. So for you to imply that i dont know how to earn respect of others is beyond your knowledge. Iwork eaqually as hard as a an activity assisatnt. This post was about CNAs deserving more respect. And you know what so do LPNs. So do RNs from there Docotors. I have no problem it would be ridiclous too when a patient calls you an aide or caregiver or whtaever to even worry about that. But when Nurses trained professionals who know the profeesion call you hey aide, hey care giver, hey worker, to make theirselves feel better, thats not right in my opinion. And if you dont think CNAs or disrespected you have either never worked in a nursing home or have an object lodged in your eye. Listen to this, a while back at our facility we had a CNA, she was cheerful, shed do her job well she try to say goodmorning to everyone. The Nurses ignored her. Didnt say goodmorning back. She befriended an LPN, who was also my friend who was very nice, so she decided for lunch one day go sit next to her friend at a table where LPNs were sitting i guess 3 or 4, they told her no honey you cant sit here, this is the nurses table. She quit. Yea yall thats the real world of how it is over hear with some people. So tell me again that the disrespect doesnt exist college grads. Also in college English you should have learned that any subject should be narrow and focused, "Aide"is not narrow, and not focused. Yea i took 2 english college classes at community college. And FYI LPNs dont graduate college, they graduate they same places CNAs do, Vo TECH. GOD BLESS!!! Im done with this thread, hate me if you want to, love me if you can!

Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
I'm not upset; the OP is, haha. I'm not claiming that CNA should be considered professionals, because we aren't.

I just don't like that UAP is a euphemism, and in my state UAP is associated with people who have never been trained and do things that are borderline illegal (i.e. crossing into the LPN/RN's scope of practice simply because the hospital says it's ok to). That's all. I know the difference between being certified and being licensed.

I think UAP began it's life as a blanket term for people discussing policies and budgets etc but as I'm not familiar with it in the workplace - how do you pronounce that? "yew-app" or "you-A-pea" (notice how I spelled the word "pee" so as not to offend).

Something else? :) Kind of reminds me of the MRSA discussion. We say mer-sah they say each letter M-R-S-A in some countries. :-)

WHAT?? I missed that....seriously, OP, you don't even do the job you're complaining about not getting enough respect for?!

This one takes the cake for me, by golly.

It gets better! 1st post on 1/26 is talking about how LPN's don't use their skills

on 1/29 talks about him entering an LPN program in May and how he has NO desire to become an RN (WTH??? He bashed LPN's and 3 days later he's talking about how he's starting LPN classes in May?).

The next post on 1/30 (yes ONE day after the I don't want to be an RN post) he posts that he's starting his RN classes in September.

And last but not least, on 2/4 posts about STARTING CNA classes in May.

And in this post talking about how much time, energy and money he put into the title..blah blah blah, yet stated the CNA classes start in May..

Someone needs to get their story straight..are you a CNA?? aren't you? are you going for LPN? or are LPN's useless? You have no desire to be an RN? You're going for RN?

My head is spinning..

you are all right, all of you, im young, im 18 years old. but i have been working in nursing homes for two years now. you can pull up anypast posts threads you want to. i spent 9 months as a housekeeper/janitor and now an activity department assistant. for you to tell me that i have not the knowledge of what nursing home staff does is beyond you. ive have best friends who are cna, best friends who are lpns. and you know what im proud of my accomplishments. ive worrked many hours of overtime as a housekeeper even 13 straight days without a day off once. so for you to imply that i dont know how to earn respect of others is beyond your knowledge. iwork eaqually as hard as a an activity assisatnt. this post was about cnas deserving more respect. and you know what so do lpns. so do rns from there docotors. i have no problem it would be ridiclous too when a patient calls you an aide or caregiver or whtaever to even worry about that. but when nurses trained professionals who know the profeesion call you hey aide, hey care giver, hey worker, to make theirselves feel better, thats not right in my opinion. and if you dont think cnas or disrespected you have either never worked in a nursing home or have an object lodged in your eye. listen to this, a while back at our facility we had a cna, she was cheerful, shed do her job well she try to say goodmorning to everyone. the nurses ignored her. didnt say goodmorning back. she befriended an lpn, who was also my friend who was very nice, so she decided for lunch one day go sit next to her friend at a table where lpns were sitting i guess 3 or 4, they told her no honey you cant sit here, this is the nurses table. she quit. yea yall thats the real world of how it is over hear with some people. so tell me again that the disrespect doesnt exist college grads. also in college english you should have learned that any subject should be narrow and focused, "aide"is not narrow, and not focused. yea i took 2 english college classes at community college. and fyi lpns dont graduate college, they graduate they same places cnas do, vo tech. god bless!!! im done with this thread, hate me if you want to, love me if you can!

just sayin...

Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.

@downsouthlaff: You're 18 years old, so I'm gonna tread lightly now. You've been working very hard for two years, and I do think you should be proud of your work ethic and the work you want to do. Most 16 year olds want to be on XboX online, rather than working in a nursing home. You should be very proud of that! However...

...you really should stop worrying about the drama and the titles and the hierarchy that you yourself have set up in your mind about CNAs, LPNs, and RNs. Those terms such as "aide" and "caregiver" are not derogatory, no matter how much you want to think they are. Eventually, if you do go down the path to become certified or licensed--and show some maturity, which, in all honesty, you have not in this thread--I hope you'll be much more concerned about doing a good job for your patients than worrying about being called an "aide" or who sits together at the lunch table.

Specializes in Nursing Home.
It gets better! 1st post on 1/26 is talking about how LPN's don't use their skills

on 1/29 talks about him entering an LPN program in May and how he has NO desire to become an RN (WTH??? He bashed LPN's and 3 days later he's talking about how he's starting LPN classes in May?).

The next post on 1/30 (yes ONE day after the I don't want to be an RN post) he posts that he's starting his RN classes in September.

And last but not least, on 2/4 posts about STARTING CNA classes in May.

And in this post talking about how much time, energy and money he put into the title..blah blah blah, yet stated the CNA classes start in May..

Someone needs to get their story straight..are you a CNA?? aren't you? are you going for LPN? or are LPN's useless? You have no desire to be an RN? You're going for RN?

My head is spinning..

i wil answer all of your questions!! One at a time! Life happens, things change!! I work in a nursing home as an Activity Assistant, i was a housekeeper for 9 months. I was planning on Starting a CNA/LPN class in may in wich the CNA class is the frist part of the LPN class. my school requires that you work as a CNA for a month after being certified at the schools partnered nursing home. But , i was able to start the CNA class a few weeeks ago rather, things change, i found a class where i could start sooner. So now insted of starting an LPN program in August , i will start an RN program in September. Change of mind. I was given better opprtunitues. No part of the healthcare team is useless, to even implie that is wrong, and i never did. In a prior post i just stated that from my view point, and from my Aunts who is a Hospital LPN, and from me whos been working in nursing homes that nursing home LPNs dont use all of their medical skills like Hospital LPNs do!! So to answer your question NO, Im not yet a "CNA"im a nurse assistant student of 3 weeks!

Specializes in Nursing Home.

Again its just my opiion guys, good nurses who value patients and cnas, and arent snobby and stuck up, this really isnt about you at all. But nobodys perfect, everybody has complaints about something, i thought this sight was a place where people who work hard, who keep all their worries, complaints, within to let it out freely, anonmously. We all have differet opinions about matters EVERYONE of us do. We should not let it turn to personal attacks. I guess this was the wrong area to post in though, i will take fault for that, and apoligize, i probably shold of posted this in the CNA, MA column rather. But i was always told that when theres alot of people who argue, it must be a big issue, and a good topic to discuss JMO!!

Just sayin...

Winner! :)

This thread is full of win.

, i thought this sight was a place where people who work hard, who keep all their worries, complaints, within to let it out freely, anonmously. We all have differet opinions about matters EVERYONE of us do.

It is!

It's also a place where people will be honest with you and tell you to your (invisible internet) face when you're being stoopid. Take the criticism in stride. It's not necessarily that your base assertion is patently "wrong" but your presentation and subsequent defensiveness shows a lack of consideration to the big picture.

You're venting from an emotional, myopic, and non-constructive place. And then defending it.

Take a step back, and breath.

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