Do CNA's do ANYTHING other than bedpan work?

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I"m starting a CNA program, They say i need a get a stethoscope, bp cuff, etc,,,but I heard all cna's do is change diapers/clean vomit. I"m not saying i wont do that as I think its good to start from the "bottom" up in a business,,,,but surely if its a 12 week course there will be other things you get to do as well. I"m male by the way if that will matter.

I am also in prenursing at local college hoping to get in RN program in fall.

Thanks guys....oh,,got my first pair of scrubs today!!

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Specializes in ICU.

Yes, you do others things. Your class won't be like what working day in and day out as a CNA is like, but there are definitely more skills to learn than toileting and bathing.

As for the day-to-day, it really depends on where you work. In LTC, there is a lot of toileting. In a hospitals, there are more vitals, FSBS, nursing-assigned tasks, but still a fair amount of toileting and bathing.

Working as a CNA is not right for everyone. Are you planning to work as a CNA, or are you just taking the class for nursing school?

It's great experience to work as a CNA, but it is also very difficult. Good luck with your class and future plans!

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Specializes in LTC, rehab medicine & therapies.

Being a CNA is much more than bedpan work. When I worked LTC, the work involved vitals, transfers, feeding, and being a social person for the residents who didn't necessarily have people coming in to visit them often. I created a lot of really good relationships with my residents and I think of them often...and that was three years ago.

I work in a hospital now and the work still involves vitals and transfers and even some toileting and such (I'm in a specialty clinic) but I also do other things: assist with catheter changes, assist with wound care (which also means I do a lot of talking with patients to keep them distracted from what's going on - I make a point of checking the local news and sports scores and weather reports every morning to give myself some talk fodder), assist with care plans, assist with the different therapies, paperwork, ordering...and the more I put myself out there to learn more, the more the RNs and MDs offer to give me. (Does that make sense? I'm home sick right now so I'm not "all here".)

Good luck and congrats on your first pair of scrubs! I felt so important the first time I put on scrubs. :)

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Specializes in Rehab, Med Surg, Home Care.

Nosy RN jumping in here. At first,about all you will be able to do is try to keep up with the personal care stuff. However, as this becomes more automatic to you, you will be able to be more observant and will be able to pick up if a patient is developing a pressure ulcer, or their BM looks abnormal, their breathing is labored or in general if they just don't look right. You will be able to practice a pretty complete nursing assessment in the few minutes you spend washing or toileting a patient. An observant CNA is the RN's 2nd set of eyes and ears. There have been many times I have been alerted to an early change in a patient's condition by an observant CNA and was able to avert a crisis. Also, policy differs from place to place re: what CNA's are allowed to do. But if I know someone is interested I try to grab them if I am doing any procedure like wound care, placing a foley, doing gastric tube care etc.

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I plan on being a cna while i go thru two years of RN school, working on the weekends. I figure i can make some money and learn/get experiance also. I hope i can meet up with a nurse that can show me things and dont mind doing it, I sure plan to teach all i can to a younger generation when I"m a nurse. If i can say i've been a cna once myself, I'm sure i'll be able to better teach them and treat them well.

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Specializes in ICU.
I plan on being a cna while i go thru two years of RN school, working on the weekends. I figure i can make some money and learn/get experiance also. I hope i can meet up with a nurse that can show me things and dont mind doing it, I sure plan to teach all i can to a younger generation when I"m a nurse. If i can say i've been a cna once myself, I'm sure i'll be able to better teach them and treat them well.

Definitely! I hope it works out well for you, sounds like you have a good plan! :)

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Do you plan on working in LTC or a hospital?

In LTC you'll be doing a lot of toileting, dressing, shoving pureed grool down half-concious throats, things of that nature.

Hospitals are probably different.

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mainly my job (in a hospital) involves: assisting with personal care, toileting, turning/repositioning, taking vitals, blood sugars, feeding patients and making sure they have enough to drink, making sure they are comfortable and happy.

I will not do the extra stuff like taking bloods and ECGs (we can do those if we do the training) unless I am caught up with my own stuff.

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Being a CNA before going to Nursing school is the best decision, it help you in many ways. It has more responsibilities that you think so kip up your hard work because patients and nurses need CNA.:up:

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Specializes in med/surg and Tele.

I work in a hospital and I have many roles to what I do. Right now my current job is a monitor tech, meaning I read and interpret cardiac rhythms. But I can work on the floor. I do v/s, simple dsg changes, insert & d/c foleys, d/c IV reseals. But of course I have had more training once I got into the hospital. Lucky for my I have never had to work in LTC or ALF setting, no offense to the CNA's that do but I personally think that type of work is crappy, I dont want to chage dipers and beds all night (yes I still do that but not to the extent the do in LTC) I like the excitment of acute care, love participating in codes and other emergencies. :)

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Specializes in telementry, medsurg, icu, surgery.

Hey! 1st of all..... I noticed ur name was northmississippi... I am also from MS! What school are you applying to? I am applying @ MDCC. I am also going back through the CNA program, I have been a CNA for a while but let my liscense lapse. I am hoping this course will help me with the basics of nursing AND it does! I worked in various aspects of the hospital INCLUDING the long term csre unit of our hospital... SO, to the previous poster(TampaTech) LTC work is not "crap work" it takes a very special individual to take care of people that most people consider "throw aways." Everyone needs to remember that these people were once moms, dads, sisters, and brothers. It hurts my heart to think that someone in the healthcare field such as the previous poster would consider taking care of a poor innocent old person as "CRAP WORK!" But, everyone know what opinions are like!! As a CNA, I worked in ICU, surgery, and OB.. so there are plenty of opportunities out there for you as a CNA. Good luck to you, and please let me know if you get accepted to RN school!

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Nosy RN jumping in here. At first,about all you will be able to do is try to keep up with the personal care stuff. However, as this becomes more automatic to you, you will be able to be more observant and will be able to pick up if a patient is developing a pressure ulcer, or their BM looks abnormal, their breathing is labored or in general if they just don't look right. You will be able to practice a pretty complete nursing assessment in the few minutes you spend washing or toileting a patient. An observant CNA is the RN's 2nd set of eyes and ears. There have been many times I have been alerted to an early change in a patient's condition by an observant CNA and was able to avert a crisis. Also, policy differs from place to place re: what CNA's are allowed to do. But if I know someone is interested I try to grab them if I am doing any procedure like wound care, placing a foley, doing gastric tube care etc.

Just had to say that I always appreciate it when an RN/LPN actually listens to the CNAs! We may not have the training to deal with the problem, but we do know when something is wrong with the residents we spend so much time (yes mostly dealing with bodily fluids) with. :yeah:

It is a lot of keeping residents clean and dry in LTC. It is so great to have the experience though before RN school. I just applied to RN school for the fall and just started working as a CNA a little while ago. I think I am going to be so much more confidant with patient care in nursing school. I know the best ways to handle patients, turn them, coax them into giving me a urine sample, ect...

It's true that some nurses will let you come watch them do some of their more interesting procedures if they know you are going to school to be a nurse. It is a great opportunity to learn! I feel like I am already 1000x more equipped for RN school than I was before getting my CNA.

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