Do you like being a CNA?

Nursing Students CNA/MA

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Like or hate being a CNA? Why or why not? So many people are telling me how much they hate it and they are "certified butt wipers." I hate that name. Yeah it's a demanding job that does dirty work--but people need CNAs or "certified butt wipers."

If it was one thing I hated--it's the coworkers and workers who treat patients horrible.

What's your view?

Working as a CNA is certainly not my dream job, but its OK. I have done a lot worse jobs in my life, and in todays economy any job is better than none. Busting my knuckles wrenching on cars is not something I look back on with fondness, even though I got paid better. Working in a hospital as an aide is definitely nicer than LTC, although occasionally more stressful. It would be hard to go back to LTC.

I am impressed by how hard working and dedicated some aides are, especially in LTC. Past jobs in my life you just punched a clock and did what you had to do to get a paycheck, but a lot of aides take the job REALLY seriously, which is a good thing for the most part.

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Specializes in Hospice & Palliative Care, Oncology, M/S.

I LOVE MY JOB!!! How's that? :)

It only gets frustrating when we're short-staffed, because I feel as if my patients don't receive the very best care that I can give. I do the best I can but have to move on.

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Specializes in geriatrics, dementia, ortho.

I love my job(s). I work in acute care at the hospital 75% of the time, and as a medication aide in a dementia facility 25% of the time. I've always liked the hands-on, helping people aspect of the work, it's just the understaffing, low pay, inadequate equipment/coworkers side that gets to me. Luckily I've been doing this a few years now and have gotten to where I'm working in good places that minimize those negative sides of the job.

The only time I've felt like a "certified butt wiper" was when I worked at a really bad assisted living facility on NOC (for about 2 weeks). There were residents sleeping on mattresses on the floor, and I was down there with them, changing their briefs by myself with no one around to help. I had half the building to do by myself and it was just crazy; I felt like all I did (in between doing their laundry) was drag myself from room to room changing people as fast as I could. It was super hard on my body and I felt uncomfortable working there because of the lack of care the residents got in general.

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You'll hear a whole lot of complaining about CNA work on this forum....but it won't be because people don't like their jobs. Most of the people attracted to this kind of work are those well suited to it: compassionate, caring, hard-working, good-humored. Of course, in any facility you'll also find the lazy ones, the complainers, the back-stabbers, and the control freaks, these are the ones who make CNA work more difficult....however, you'll also find people who'll tell you that they've never had a more personally rewarding job than being a CNA.

For me, dealing with incontinence and toileting has never bothered me. Probably because I'm a mom of 4. I just wish people would get over it, all the fuss about wiping rear-ends and stuff. It's just no big deal, y'know? There's nothing 'undignified' about it, it's just part of life. The most wonderful thing you can do for anyone you're taking care of is to let them feel from you that you care for them, that you don't mind giving them whatever help they need. They're just trying to survive, like all of us are.

Truth is the world would totally crumble without CNA's. Everything would just go to hell, just fall completely apart without all the wonderful talents, skills, and abilities that all CNA's possess. Hospitals would go bankrupt, LTC's would disintegrate, home health care would cease to exist!!!! All the nurses and all the doctors and all the king's horses and all the king's men could never fill all the gaps left by the lack of CNA's if we weren't there to save the world!!!! It's true!!!! CNA's -- we make the rockin' world go round!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :yelclap: :rotfl: :bow: :lol2: :D :redbeathe :kiss :hug: :bowingpur

That's my rant.

Can I get an A to the Men????? I just finished LPN school and currently awaiting my testing day for NCLEX. I think EVERY nurse should have to be a CNA, then an LPN then RN.....etc....Then maybe "some" nurses wouldn't be so high an mighty and think they are too good to wipe a little bootie!!! When I hear a nurse say, "I didn't go to school to wipe butt, that's the CNA's job!" I quickly remind them that when they, including myself went to school to be a nurse you know that when you are taking care of patients, they are your number one priority and you are responsible for them from the top of their heads to the tip of their toes. Health care is a TEAM effort and when we ALL work together as a TEAM everything comes together and we have unity. Patients get the best of care and everyone is happy. A CNA can be an angel :saint:to a nurse or they can be their worst enemy. So my advice to each and every nurse is to treat all CNA's with the utmost respect because they are human beings too!!:yelclap:

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Can I get an A to the Men????? I just finished LPN school and currently awaiting my testing day for NCLEX. I think EVERY nurse should have to be a CNA, then an LPN then RN.....etc....Then maybe "some" nurses wouldn't be so high an mighty and think they are too good to wipe a little bootie!!! When I hear a nurse say, "I didn't go to school to wipe butt, that's the CNA's job!" I quickly remind them that when they, including myself went to school to be a nurse you know that when you are taking care of patients, they are your number one priority and you are responsible for them from the top of their heads to the tip of their toes. Health care is a TEAM effort and when we ALL work together as a TEAM everything comes together and we have unity. Patients get the best of care and everyone is happy. A CNA can be an angel :saint:to a nurse or they can be their worst enemy. So my advice to each and every nurse is to treat all CNA's with the utmost respect because they are human beings too!!:yelclap:

Any nurse who thinks they're not going to be dealing with a little doo-doo must be unaware that they might have to administer an enema once in a while (CNA's in my facility are not allowed to do it).....not to mention an occasional manual disimpaction of a constipated person. Yeah. A nurse in the LTC facility I worked in called it her 'magic finger.'

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Yep, not to mention that most places I've worked will pull nurses to the floor to work as aides in times of extreme short staffing. And, some hospital units (usually the more critical) don't even use aides or techs, and are staffed such that the nurse is in charge of everything for 1-3 patients, including incontinence care. If you're going to work in nursing, you're going to deal with poop at some point.

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I'm a compasionate and protective person by nature so I love making sure people around me feel good. Despite the butt wipping, the many C-diff and GI bleeds I encounter within a course of a week, being a CNA has acutally taught me a few unexpected things. I've learn to command a room full of people and assure them that I'm adept to take care of their family member. My job is rewarding in it's own realm but can I see myself being a CNA in a next five years? The answer would be an emphatic NO! I extol people who are CNAs for more than five years because not only is it challenging work, we don't often get the accolades we deserve. We frequently get new grads nurses who have never worked in a hospital, with so much arrogance and yet have no idea how to put tele on. Its quite zany but these are the little hassels that drive me crazy.

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Specializes in 10.

No, I don't enjoy working as a CNA.

This is why I have another full time

Job, that I work at and get great

Benefits, and retirement.

I do know some people who love

Their job. That is great for them.

Me, I just can't do it full time.

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I take great offense when people view us as professional butt-wipers! Wiping butt is 10% of the job. The other 90% is making patients feel safe and advocating on their behalf. Half the time I feel like I'm a therapist but I'm more than happy and willing to lend a ear. I can't tell you how much I love engaging with patients and their families. I'm very lucky that I work at a place where CNAs are treated with respect and met with genuine gratitude by both the hospital staff and the patients themselves (IMHO, doctors, on the other hand, still have trouble seeing CNAs as an integral part of the healthcare team. whatevs!!).

I'm currently waiting to get into nursing school. In the meantime, I am treasuring my experience as a CNA. It's been an affirmation for me that I'm on the right path.

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I've been a CNA for 30+ yrs. (A dinosaur for sure) I'm proud to call myself a "Certified Hiney Wiper" thankyouverymuch! I do what others cannot do. My residents appreciate it, their families trust me and my nurses are grateful (because many have no clue how to). I love being able to meet the needs of the people I take care of. Some will always be 'difficult' to work with (either co-workers, residents or staff) but for the most part my job is very rewarding. When I walk onto the unit and my resident says "I'm so glad you're here today, I've missed you" you know you're doing something right.

Being a GOOD CNA is something to be proud of. Some of the best nurses start out this way, hopefully I'll be able to count myself among them as I'm finally in nursing school.

A little funny that I'm sure many can appreciate........ A experienced RN was hired at my job and when a resident asked for help getting a bedpan she replied "I'm an RN! I don't do bedpans!" Unfortunately for her it was over heard by a unit manager and she was given a "warning" regarding her conduct...... Needless to say her behavior continued and gratefully SHE no longer works at my job.

Me? I do "do bedpans" and I still have my job. Her? Not so much!

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...A experienced RN was hired at my job and when a resident asked for help getting a bedpan she replied "I'm an RN! I don't do bedpans!" Unfortunately for her it was over heard by a unit manager and she was given a "warning" regarding her conduct...... Needless to say her behavior continued and gratefully SHE no longer works at my job.

Me? I do "do bedpans" and I still have my job. Her? Not so much!

Let us quote from the Book of Dilbert - "Loose Lips - Pink Slips!" ROTFLMAO!

As for me - still doing clinicals for my CNA (doing the state exams at the end of the month) but I already love it; here's why. Yesterday, got hit with 2 "code brown"s - the first one my CNA took, the second one I got to do myself. Really pretty straightforward (albeit messy); my patient had a bit o' diarrhea so it was a challege to get a pair of briefs on him & keep 'em on. Finally got him tidied up & off to the spa for a good scrub-down; my CNA & I got his bed straightened up and housekeeping disinfected the area around the commode.

After that - went over to the next room, shared by 2 ladies. Bed A has one of the sweetest little dementia patients you'll ever see - she was asleep. She had her hands clasped together on her breast in a position of prayer, sleeping soundly, and she had the most angelic expression on her face - about the best I can do in terms of describing the scene is that it was the personification of beatitude, but that's still pretty wide of the mark. It was so peaceful, so serene, so beautiful; all I could do was stand there and watch.

Yep - it's a tough job; but, it has its moments.

----- Dave

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Specializes in Med-Surg/urology.
Can I get an A to the Men????? I just finished LPN school and currently awaiting my testing day for NCLEX. I think EVERY nurse should have to be a CNA, then an LPN then RN.....etc....Then maybe "some" nurses wouldn't be so high an mighty and think they are too good to wipe a little bootie!!! When I hear a nurse say, "I didn't go to school to wipe butt, that's the CNA's job!" I quickly remind them that when they, including myself went to school to be a nurse you know that when you are taking care of patients, they are your number one priority and you are responsible for them from the top of their heads to the tip of their toes. Health care is a TEAM effort and when we ALL work together as a TEAM everything comes together and we have unity. Patients get the best of care and everyone is happy. A CNA can be an angel :saint:to a nurse or they can be their worst enemy. So my advice to each and every nurse is to treat all CNA's with the utmost respect because they are human beings too!!:yelclap:

^^This! I am currently wrapping up my last semester in LPN school, and I think that the time I spent as CNA was very much beneficial to me. Without it, I think I would have struggled sooo much in nursing school. And I hear ya about some nurses complaining about "wiping butts". Ugh. Yesterday I had Peds clinical..well the pt I was assigned had a BM explosion everywhere. And who cleaned him up w/o a complaint? Me & the RN. The floor I was on (adolescent med/surg) didn't have a tech.

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