CNA's are underpaid and overworked

[Knew45]

I have read several post regarding CNA's and the job it entails. I have been toying with the idea of going through a three week CNA training so that I can get back in the work force again. I was recently laid off from work last year and I've since then returned to school. At first I was looking into applying for the nursing program. However, from past medical experience working in a hospital as a PCA (patient care associate), I find that most RN's don't have as much patient contact as in the past. The CNA spends most of there time with patients. I have seen LPN's spend more time with patients than RN's. So that's why I wanted to try being a CNA and see for myself if I really want to go further in the nursing field. Honestly, my real goal is to become a certified Phlebotomist. The hospital I worked in 11 years ago as a PCA, offered free phlebotomy training, which lead to an increase in pay and was also one less task that the RN's had to do.

After reading some of the post. I don't think that working in Long Term Care would be for me. I would rather work in Assisted Living or Home Health. I will say this, as a PCA I had my fair share of run-ins with rude nurses who had this "I'm better than you, I make more than You" mentality. That is somewhat of a turn off in my going into the nursing field. CNA's, NA's, and PCA's work very hard and the pay is terrible. They spend more time with the patients than most nurses do and they should be compensated more. There is such a demand for CNA all over the country. So many are leaving that field because of the amount of work and the pay. A lot of CNA staff just don't want to be treated disrespectfully by nurses.

It's quite sad that society gives praise to RN's and not CNA's when we are all part of patient care. You know what patients aren't the only customers out there, your co-workers are also your customers. Customer service is not limited to the bottom it goes to the top also. So no matter how much you make, or how much education you have, you should treat your co-workers with respect. It all boils down to one thing patient care and being a team for the recovery and health of that patient. Not all nurses are rude or lazy. There are a lot of nurses with a kind loving heart and who are very down to earth people. They are the ones who stand out because they are few in number. But it's the nurses who are rude and snooty and lazy who make good caring nurses look bad. If I decide to become an LPN I know my character and personality will treat everyone with kindness and I will definitely not look down on anybody. A title is just what it is Just a title.

To anyone who wants to become a CNA or who is a CNA and has doubts. Think about the positive aspect of the job not the negatives. If your negatives out way your positives then you are probably in the wrong field. If not let the negatives roll off your back and take charge of your career and don't let anyone poison your accomplishments with rudeness or disrespect.

Good luck to all CNA's who work hard.

[Dorali, BSN, LPN, RN]

If you have an interest in nursing, then go for it! It sounds like you have a good head on your shoulders and a realistic idea of what the job entails. Being a CNA is great experience to find out if you want to go further without spending thousands.

Good luck!!

[MedChica]

True...but, you're not doing it for the money.

Honestly, my nurses are kick a..s! You stay on top of your folks, give the nurses a heads up when somehting's amiss, answer the dang call-lights...you won't have an issue.

Do your job and you won't have a problem.

It's my CNA coworkers who have me climbing the walls! I can't count the number of times that I've ended up alone on the floor. Where do they go...who knows?

*laugh*

Or, how about when I'm coming on shift, making rounds with the CNA that I'm relieving...?

A heavy barrel-chested resident (whose a known 'wetter' is wet). I ask if she can just help me lift him and suddenly it's, "...but I changed him..."

Somehow, she heard, "You didn't do your job..."

I said, "No, I understand. You probably did but - he's wet, right now. So, can you just...,like, help me?"

She was protesting. Still hearing, "You didn't do your job...."

I just let her go. Got someone else to help me move him...

I'm not a nazi. I don't care who changes the resident...so, long as they're changed. The man is a 'wetter' and he's heavy. 6 ft something; 280+ lbs.

Honey...I am 5'2!

I asked HER to help me because he is HER resident. I mean, who the h..ll else am I supposed to ask but the CNA who attended him?

Ultimately, I wanted to change him because I'd rather change a diaper vs an occupied bed...with his heavy a..s in it!

[Bbo.W]

True, all of the above! CNA's do work hard, we are the "eyes and ears" for our nurses! When I go to work, I don't even think about my paycheck, I ask myself, "who can I bless today, with my cheerful heart, able hands, and strong spirit?". If I thought about the paycheck, I would quit my job! There are plenty of retail/telemarketing/customer service jobs that I can work at and make $9 an hour. I work as a CNA because the people that I care for can't care for themselves anymore....they are someone's Mother, Father, Grandparent, Aunt, Uncle, etc. I feel so blessed to have the privilege of caring for our aged/rdisabled population. They have so many stories and so much wisdom to share! Think of the privilege of caring for people that have seen so much in their lives, and they have no one to listen to them now, they are lonely and have nobody to talk to now...nursing is about caring for the whole person, including their spirit....

[BabyLady, BSN, RN]

I have never, ever been rude to any of our CNA's or PCP's that work in my unit or units I float to. I see it that they are there to help me and in fact, I buy many of them occasional gifts or cards when they have really bent over backwards to help me. I cannot get through a shift without them and I have no idea of why some RN's are rude to them...all of ours are very helpful.

I did have one on a floor that I floated to that pitched an absolute fit to the point of "ranting" about me to other staff members when I asked her to bathe a pediatric patient that had just thrown up on themself...because I had two-post op patients in my assignment and one of them was not doing well and needed additional attention. I went back to the room 30 minutes later to find out that the mother of the child was still waiting for someone to bring things to clean the child...I found out later that this CNA was being very vocal that if I wanted the patient cleaned up that I needed to do it myself.

Well, I would have been happy to do it, other than the fact that the CNA couldn't do my med passes, hang my IV fluids, catch up on my charting to continue to assess my post-op patients along with another that lost her IV, etc. etc.

Another CNA agreed to do it (who received a very nice e-mail to her manager from me) while I wrote up the other one for failure to provide patient care upon a directive...she had time to go smoke but did not have time to help my patient.

I understand the frustrations that CNA's go through when dealing with difficult RN's. I try not to be one of them...in fact, make it a point to not be.

However, unfortunately, we do live in a country where most jobs are paid based on educational level. You guys have no idea of what we go through in nursing school...it was an absolute nightmare on my end. People with zero skill level are paid minimum wage in this country and CNA's are paid a few dollars more for a few weeks of training, I cannot argue that isn't fair pay.

While many of them may spend more time with the patient than the RN's, it does not equate to being legally responsible for that patient. If anything goes wrong on the RN's watch, it is the RN who will be hung out to dry, not the CNA.

However, no CNA should put up with ANY abuse from the RN's...and hospitals need to stop permitting the practice and in fact, should have a "no tolerance" policy to it.