CNA's/PCTs are worked real hard.

Orange Tree · Mar 17, 2011

I appreciate their hard work, but I'd stop short of saying that I feel sorry for them.

carolmaccas66, BSN, RN · Mar 17, 2011

I worked with a PCA who constantly moaned about how hard her job was, about life in general - you name it. I have worked with some fantastic and very hard working PCAs as well.

All I can say is nobody is stopping them from becoming a RN or getting their BSN. They just don't want to do the hard slog. Personally I get so tired of listening to people whinge non-stop re their 'hard' job and 'nobody appreciates them'. Join the club! Get off your behind and do something about it - but they never do; they enjoy their little comfort zone of depression and negativity. And they are too lazy to look for another position, or to study to better themselves, or constantly make endless excuses as to why they can't study.

And we ALL work hard.

NPinWCH · Mar 17, 2011

I worked with a PCA who constantly moaned about how hard her job was, about life in general - you name it. I have worked with some fantastic and very hard working PCAs as well.
All I can say is nobody is stopping them from becoming a RN or getting their BSN. They just don't want to do the hard slog. Personally I get so tired of listening to people whinge non-stop re their 'hard' job and 'nobody appreciates them'. Join the club! Get off your behind and do something about it - but they never do; they enjoy their little comfort zone of depression and negativity. And they are too lazy to look for another position, or to study to better themselves, or constantly make endless excuses as to why they can't study.
And we ALL work hard.

I totally agree with you that we ALL work hard and on how difficult it is working with the "woe is me" types, BUT I wanted to point out that they aren't all PCAs. I've worked with plenty of LPNs, RNs and yes, even a few docs, who are exactly the same way. So, even if that PCA went back to school and got her RN/BSN/MSN/MD, she'd probably be still saying "woe is me". It's not the situation that causes it, it's the personality and until they change the way they look at things they will always be just as miserable.

allnurses Guide · Mar 17, 2011

If you choose a position, you shouldn't complain about it.

However, don't think all CNA's are unhappy with their roles.

I looooved being a CNA. I loooooved being on the go go go! I have always been proud of how hard I work... but... being a CNA doesn't pay the bills.

That said, there is almost NO REASON why they cannot get their education furthered if they CHOOSE to do so.

There are grants, tuition reimbursement, scholarships, etc.

If they choose not to, they shouldn't complain and if they do complain, welp, I don't feel bad.

However, I do feel bad when CNA's (and nurses) are treated like stupid slaves by people who think they are superior. That is something I cannot tolerate.

MouseMichelle · Mar 17, 2011

Yes I agree being a CNA can suck. It's not easy work, and for what they do in my state they are paid 10 an hour. That's not showing them appreciation. They get blamed a lot for things that go wrong. Yes we have CNA's who have attitudes and I don't like that. Yes I do in a way feel badly for them, but they chose that position and if they want to can further their career.

However, most love their jobs.

danh3190 · Mar 17, 2011

On our floor nurses sometimes have to function as PCTs/NAs. The good ones do work hard. What surprised me was the amount of charting they have to do, such as % of each meal each person eats etc.

Kgusty30 · Mar 17, 2011

I love the CNAs that I work with, but sometimes, we have to work with no CNA, usually when they are needed as sitters for pts on 1:1...that annoys the crap outta the nurses bc then we need to take each other away from what we are doing to help each other with weighing pts, cleaning pts, doing vitals and blood sugars, while in turn taking away more of our time to spend with pts, and answer pt's familys questions, etc etc....I had a CNA say to me,' hey are you going to stay and do a double, they need help..?", and I thought to myself, yeah, sure I would love to sit on my butt for 8 hours!!!!!!

Katie5 · Mar 17, 2011

I worked with a PCA who constantly moaned about how hard her job was, about life in general - you name it. I have worked with some fantastic and very hard working PCAs as well.
All I can say is nobody is stopping them from becoming a RN or getting their BSN. They just don't want to do the hard slog. Personally I get so tired of listening to people whinge non-stop re their 'hard' job and 'nobody appreciates them'. Join the club! Get off your behind and do something about it - but they never do; they enjoy their little comfort zone of depression and negativity. And they are too lazy to look for another position, or to study to better themselves, or constantly make endless excuses as to why they can't study.
And we ALL work hard.

I see this too.

kandikane · Mar 17, 2011

As a current nursing assistant, I absolutely agree that some CNA's are worked extremely hard. Notice that I did say some because there are some that don't do anything but clock in and clock out. There are some nurses that don't want to do anything and expect the CNA working to do everything that they are supposed to do, except get the medicine, of course. At times I have between 12-16 patients by myself, and I work in a recovery area and so we have to do everything for the patients including getting them into and out of the bed and walking the patient, and our nurses who only have 2 patients won't do some minute things such as taking a temperature or a blood pressure. I feel that some nurses do treat us as slaves and are nice to us only when they want us to do something for them. I do not believe that having drive or being determined has anything to do with the job title. I am currently a nursing student myself and some of the other CNA's I work with have degrees in other fields and just don't work in them. I think that nurses need to appreciate the help that the CNA's are doing and not try to take advantage of them and then maybe the hard workers will stop complaining so much, or better yet stop finding other jobs that actually value them as an individual. Another thing I would like to add is that I hear nurses complain more than actual CNA's and then are quick to say what is not their job and what the CNA job is. If I remember correctly, CNA stands for certified nurses aide/assistant, which mean we can aid or assist them with job duties that they should be more than willing and able to do themselves.

Orange Tree · Mar 17, 2011

There are some nurses that don't want to do anything and expect the CNA working to do everything that they are supposed to do, except get the medicine, of course.

There are actually very few nursing tasks that can be delegated to a CNA. If you feel like you're doing all the work, you're misguided.

JDZ344 · Mar 17, 2011

There are actually very few nursing tasks that can be delegated to a CNA. If you feel like you're doing all the work, you're misguided.

A couple of our nurses delegate EVERYTHING they possibly can; from vital signs to dressings and one even once asked me to take a pot of pills to a patient. (I refused). There are one or two where I work that really push the line of delegation and yes, we do do the majority of the work in that situation. Like I say, just the RARE, lazy, work-shy nurse (the same ones who get away with skimming over the absolute bare essentials).

In general, though, I do agree with you.