Emergency Rooms

yousoldtheworld · Jan 25, 2012

Well, I can't answer for everywhere, but around here, there is no need for CNAs in the emergency room, and I've never seen one that has them. The ER tends to be short term- accidents, etc. and people who are going to be admitted to other units, and patients aren't generally there long enough to need a CNA.

As for a clinic, I've heard of aides working in similar environments, but I do know that those positions are few and far between...

RunnerRN2015, ASN, RN · Jan 25, 2012

Around here, there are CNA/Healthcare Tech positions in the ED. I've applied to a few but they all want experienced CNAs.

MVitiello · Jan 25, 2012

I find that so frustrating. Everyone wants CNAs experience, I even read a job add that wanted someone with ten years of experience, but how am I supposed to get any experience if no one will hire me so I can develop some experience? Its like having credit, credit card companies, banks, etc. won't give you any credit if you dont have any. Well when you're 20 years old, married, and just starting out you obviously have no credit. So like with the experience, how do people expect you to have credit if no one will give you a way to get some credit.

I feel cheated in the experience portion with employers, its like they are saying that I am not smart enough because I haven't been working in the medical field. How do they know if I'm really good or even really bad at what I do if they don't give me the chance to show them? :mad:

JDZ344 · Jan 25, 2012

Some will, but make sure you check the duties carefully. Here, the ED assistants spend most of the day pushing patients to X-Ray, other departments, scans, etc. There is very little patient contact, just portering duties.

However at another hospital in this area, they do more things like vital signs and ECG's. So it depends how they run the ER in that hospital.

RunnerRN2015, ASN, RN · Jan 25, 2012

I'm right there with you! I've raised 2 children, taught early childhood for 20+ years, and have volunteered in both a hospital and a nursing home (in the 80s as a teenager). I've been pooped on, peed on, puked on, and bled on....I've dealt with high fevers, broken bones, crazy parents, and wild kids. I've changed sheets and diapers in the middle of the night covered in puke and diarhhea and have spent countless hours in the ER, urgent care, and doctor's offices......and you're telling me I don't have experience to be a CNA?!?!

MVitiello · Jan 25, 2012

Goodness thats even worse than my pity party. Im just young, but youve even been through so much and people are still tell you youre not experienced enough. I made an entire thread about this whole experience thing, figure we cant be the only ones out there. You're a wonder women! I dont think I could do all that, having a husband, dog, cat, parents, and in-laws are a lot for me right now haha. The only thing close to experience similar to nursing home patients is I worked at a day care. I cared for children from the age of 1 month to 12 years old. So I too have been peed on, pooped on, puked on, snotted on, vomited on, etc.

https://allnurses.com/cna-ma-nursing/you-need-experience-666433.html

Here is the link to the experience thread, maybe we can get some info on this problem!

yousoldtheworld · Jan 25, 2012

Some will, but make sure you check the duties carefully. Here, the ED aides spend most of the day pushing patients to -Ray, floors, scans, taking bloods to the lab. There is very little patient care, just portering duties.

They hire people for those tasks around here, but they don't require them to be CNAs and usually just call them transporters. Probably saves money because they can pay less than they would need to pay someone certified.

yousoldtheworld · Jan 25, 2012

I feel cheated in the experience portion with employers, its like they are saying that I am not smart enough because I haven't been working in the medical field. How do they know if I'm really good or even really bad at what I do if they don't give me the chance to show them?

Unfortunately, it's one of those fields where most people have to start at the "bottom". The non-nursing home positions are in high demand, because so many people prefer them, so they are able to be picky. My former DON (at a hospital) told me that she doesn't even look at applications with less than a year of experience, because why start fresh with someone when there are so many experienced people competing for it?

Which sucks for the job seekers, but I guess I get it.

northernguy · Jan 27, 2012

Pretty much all ER techs do blood draws, start IVs, start foleys, and do EKGs. Its a lot more than portering and generally beyond the scope of practice of a CNA. There may be ERs that hire CNAs and then train them on the job, but most probably prefer experienced EMTs and Paramedics.

Ev1987 · Jan 28, 2012

Beggars can't be choosers. Good luck with your search.

blackandyellow · Jan 30, 2012

I float the ED frequently where I work and they use CNA's. We dont transport anyone where I work we have patient transport for that. We inset foleys, do EKG's, draw blood, and other thing's. I work in a hospital with a big ED so it depends where I end up. If I work in triage I do vital signs, EKG's, draw blood, and get people in and out. If I work on the floor it is a big mix of cleaning patients up, starting foleys, hooking patients up to monitors. If I work in our psych part it is watching the video cameras that are in each patients rooms to make sure they arent harming themselves. And if I am doing trauma it is a mix of everything. I had to be trained in how to do EKG's, reading the cardiac monitors, and phlebotomy all that was taught in a class the hospital offers. The ED is one of the few floors I dont mind floating to if I have to float. Our hospital will only hire CNA's in the ED if they are experinced, nursing students, or EMT's. Hope this helps!