CNA's/PCTs are worked real hard.

JDZ344 · Mar 17, 2011

And, to get back on topic: I am a NA. Don't feel sorry for me, I could leave. I was hired to work and to work hard. I just wish I got paid more, I deserve it. We all do.

allnurses Guide · Mar 17, 2011

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.

True.

However, the aide is given specific tasks and they must complete those tasks.

The nurse has way too many tasks that cannot be delegated and so... the nurse has to see that those are completed because no one else can help them get those tasks done.

Is the aide going to do all the assessments, do all the treatments, pass the meds, call the doc, call the pharmacy, call the lab, deal with the families, do the admits and discharges, do all the unnecessary and redundant charting and blah blah blah?

No.

If the nurse was still expected to do the "aide's work" too, there would be no point in having an aide.

I am not saying "aide's work" in a demeaning way. Hear me on that.

I am saying, that that is what the CNA was hired to do and that is what they should be doing.

I'm sure most nurses are "more than willing" to do these things themselves, but with all the other demands they have, they usually can't...

Hence, they have an aide.

Personally, I don't want anyone to feel sorry for me because I "work hard". There is no shame in it... and I'm not the only one.

Katie5 · Mar 17, 2011

And, to get back on topic: I am a NA. Don't feel sorry for me, I could leave. I was hired to work and to work hard. I just wish I got paid more, I deserve it. We all do.

See that's the tricky part I was trying to avoid.Not pity, just empathy sometimes.

3dayRN · Mar 17, 2011

I worked as and aide before becoming a nurse and it is hard work but ultimately you are not responsible for the patient the nurse is. Everywhere I have worked as and aide or nurse it was ALWAYS the nurses fault if the aide "forgot" to do something. Try having that responsibility. I believe aides do work hard but there is always that one or two that does the least amount possible and yes there are nurses with that work ethic also. I appreciate the aides that do a good job and care about the job they are doing. I always thank the aide for their hard work at the end of the night. I have worked as an aide after I became a nurse (we were short aides one night), I got all my work done, did a few baths(more than the other aides that were working that night). I couldn't believe how much free time I had that night and was a real eye opener for all the times the aides said they couldn't get their work done. I guess when I didn't take 7 smoke breaks that gave me some extra time to actually get my work done. Oh yeah and I didn't complain the whole night either.

allnurses Guide · Mar 17, 2011

I worked as and aide before becoming a nurse and it is hard work but ultimately you are not responsible for the patient the nurse is.

Yep, that!

Years and years ago my instructor laid it on the line like this:

When you, as a CNA, fail to do your job, not only do you fail the human being you were entrusted with AND not only do you make yourself look bad... but you are also risking the license and livelihood of the nurse who entrusted you with the care of their patient.

I know that's a bit off topic, but I don't think a lot of CNA's even realize this.

mkahnlpn · Mar 17, 2011

I would say this this whole deal is a matter of perspective. I was a CNA for three years prior to getting my nursing license. Nursing is a whole new world. It is a responsibility that is hard to understand to those who have not experienced it.

In the end, we all need to work as a team. We are never going to "get them to understand" because I have tried....

When you work with people who understand when their job responsibilities are, and are willing to assist you with what little they can help with...it does make your night run so much smoother.

sistasoul · Mar 17, 2011

I know how hard the aides work and I appreciate them. I worked as an aide before becoming a nurse and I feel I work harder as a nurse. The mental stress of nursing is much harder than the physical work of being an aide. As a nurse I rarely leave on time and never get breaks. At times I do feel bad about delegating but if I don't I will never get to the duties only the RN can do and may miss a change in a patient that is life threatening.

fuzzywuzzy, CNA · Mar 17, 2011

I have worked as an aide after I became a nurse (we were short aides one night), I got all my work done, did a few baths(more than the other aides that were working that night). I couldn't believe how much free time I had that night and was a real eye opener for all the times the aides said they couldn't get their work done. I guess when I didn't take 7 smoke breaks that gave me some extra time to actually get my work done. Oh yeah and I didn't complain the whole night either.

Obviously I know nothing about your workplace or the aides that you work with, and I'm sure a good number of them are lazy (just like where I work!). I just have to point out that maybe you were able to get more baths done because they were answering most of the call lights, busy with vitals, passing waters, or whatever else. When someone "new" to the unit gets thrown to the wolves because of short-staffing, usually the regular aides on that hall will pitch in and do a bunch of their work so they don't get swamped. Sometimes my hall has an "extra" aide around that does a lot of those side duties, and whenever I'm assigned to that job I feel totally useless... but when someone else is the "extra" it's a HUGE relief and that's when you realize how valuable they are. I'm not trying to defend anyone you work with who is truly lazy, but it may explain some things.

fuzzywuzzy, CNA · Mar 17, 2011

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.

That's not fair. There are plenty of things beyond laziness that can hinder someone in furthering their career! You need a support system for a lot of this stuff. I'm an example. I'm actually not planning on getting a nursing degree, but something else in the healthcare field. It takes a lot more schooling, and the schools are more scarce, but I think it's a better fit for me. I'm trying, but it's taking FOREVER. I've been on my own since 18... I don't have any family to stay with, just a boyfriend who is just starting out in his career (so he doesn't have any money either) so my full time job has to come first so I can pay my rent. On top of that, after a certain point I'm going to have to move to be closer to a school that offers my degree, and the rent is going to go up, and I have no idea what I'm going to do then. So it's bit by bit. I can understand why other people with even less resources than myself would just throw their hands up and say forget it.

3dayRN · Mar 17, 2011

Obviously I know nothing about your workplace or the aides that you work with, and I'm sure a good number of them are lazy (just like where I work!). I just have to point out that maybe you were able to get more baths done because they were answering most of the call lights, busy with vitals, passing waters, or whatever else. When someone "new" to the unit gets thrown to the wolves because of short-staffing, usually the regular aides on that hall will pitch in and do a bunch of their work so they don't get swamped. Sometimes my hall has an "extra" aide around that does a lot of those side duties, and whenever I'm assigned to that job I feel totally useless... but when someone else is the "extra" it's a HUGE relief and that's when you realize how valuable they are. I'm not trying to defend anyone you work with who is truly lazy, but it may explain some things.

NOOO!! I am a nurse, we had more nurses on the schedule than needed and were short one aide. A nurse had to work as an aide one night and I volunteered. I had my own assisgnment and my own group of patients as an aide. I answered all my own lights, passed water pitchers, emptied trash, did my own vitals, etc. I worked as an aide not as "extra" staff. I had NO help from the othe aides. I just did my "job" and didn't complain and take extra breaks all night. I was still able to get everything done, oh and I also did a couple of extra things for the nurse that I could do because I also am a nurse. Not saying being an aide is not a hard job but so is being a nurse. I can do and aides job you can't do mine.

carolmaccas66, BSN, RN · Mar 17, 2011

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.

I was actually just talking re that particular PCA in my post, to use her as an example.

I agree with what you say. Negative thinking people will be negative in every situation - where it be work, home, out shopping - and rude people are the same. That is the point I was making. My Dad is prime example of negative thinking people - he doesn't like anything and makes negative comments re things he doesn't even look into. Interestingly enough, he was abandoned at a young age by HIS father. Coincedence?

I've worked a lot in mental health and counselled & tried to help many people on this subject, getting them to view their situation or situations they've been in or encountered in a different light. You can make excuses and justify anything in your life to get people to feel sorry for you.

I also worked with a guy when I was finishing my 3rd year of nursing school, and he ALWAYS made excuses as to why he couldn't go back and finish his degree. He failed nd year subject by ONE point, and couldn't move past that fact, and he couldn't go onto his next subject. His excuses as to why he couldn't study included the following:

1) he was too tired (so is the rest of the world mate)

2) his young daughter kept getting sick. When I questioned him as to what he meant she wasn't REALLY ill, just kept getting a bit fluey, and being run down (she'd had numerous blood tests done etc, nothing showed up). Worrying but not life threatening at all. I suggested politely one day perhaps all the chips (crisps) and McDonalds he shoved into her might not be a good idea.

3) he had to work full time (join the club!)

4) why should he finish study when they failed him by ONE POINT! He was furious re this - I told him to follow it up but I don't know if he ever did.

5) Work was stressful (don't even get me STARTED on that one).

6) How was he going to find the time to study with ONE daughter (oh God do it AFTER SHE'S ASLEEP).

7) Any other excuse you can think of.

So, you can sit and whine endlessly, but you only end up annoying other people around you I told him, and you can make excuses till the cows come home. I told him (basically) that he needed to be a man and just go back and pass the other unit, and just DO THE COURSE. Everything else would have to be worked around in his life, and he would have to just fit it in, like the rest of us. I said you will never finish it making all these excuses, cos that's what they are. I don't think he really wanted to finish it TBH. Or maybe his wife didn't want it, who knows. Maybe the 'real' world of nursing for him was just too scary after all.

You're only doing yourself a disservice when you sit and whine, but you just annoy everyone else.

carolmaccas66, BSN, RN · Mar 17, 2011

That's not fair. There are plenty of things beyond laziness that can hinder someone in furthering their career! You need a support system for a lot of this stuff. I'm an example. I'm actually not planning on getting a nursing degree, but something else in the healthcare field. It takes a lot more schooling, and the schools are more scarce, but I think it's a better fit for me. I'm trying, but it's taking FOREVER. I've been on my own since 18... I don't have any family to stay with, just a boyfriend who is just starting out in his career (so he doesn't have any money either) so my full time job has to come first so I can pay my rent. On top of that, after a certain point I'm going to have to move to be closer to a school that offers my degree, and the rent is going to go up, and I have no idea what I'm going to do then. So it's bit by bit. I can understand why other people with even less resources than myself would just throw their hands up and say forget it.

I agree other things hinder people in their career. I'm sorry life is hard for you at the moment.

Life is TOUGH no doubt about it. But if you constantly make endless excuses, it will only hinder you more. Many people have struggled through adverse situations to study to better themselves. I worked full time to support myself whilst studying, often in crappy, very low paid, dirty jobs, and I am on my own so can't rely on another income. Many nights when I came home, all I did was eat dinner (sometimes I even ate raw stuff cos I was too tired to cook), fell into bed then up again at the crack of dawn for work. I studied nearly every night (except when I was sick or had a special outing to attend). I studied every weekend as well. I re-arranged my schedule to ACCOMMODATE MY STUDY, not to accommodate the rest of my life. I rarely saw friends and turned down outings to study for exams etc. People are unwilling nowadays to make the sacrifices necessary to finish their study and gain their degree.

And no, sorry to sound rude, but life isn't fair. You can't walk around with that 'unfair mentality'. Nobody cares if your life isn't fair. You need to set a plan of action and STICK to it. Remember you're doing this for yourself, nobody else. You can make endless excuses about ANYTHING, but it won't get you anywhere. I've known people who have made excuses their whole life not to finish study, and they now regret it.

I had to change my attitude also to finish my study, it was very hard, but I did it.

If you want help or advice in any way, please feel free to contact me. I am always happy to help you.