For The Love Of God Help Me

caliotter3 · Sep 30, 2007

Unfortunately $9.00 an hour is what CNAs normally start out at. I started at $5.45 an hour. If you want more money, you will need to get some experience, some good references, and go to work at good places, like the VA or large hospital chains. Then, there is private duty. After you have the experience and the references, you can name your salary in private duty. You have the advantage of being able to do heavy lifting, so you can command a higher salary. If your state has it, get your HHA certificate after you finish the CNA course. Then, of course, if you still are unhappy with your wages, go to LPN or RN school. Sorry, couldn't be of more help.

P.S. I forgot the CNA job I got right out of high school, $1.65 an hour.

SarasotaRN2b · Sep 30, 2007

I know that this isn't what you want to hear, but unfortunately CNAs (just like nurses) really don't get paid what they deserve. If you look under salary.com, you can find an estimate of the amount of money that you could earn within a particular region. There are other things to keep in mind though. While the base salary may only be $9, if you work in a hospital and work weekends and nights, you usually receive a differential. Also, if you want to continue and become a nurse, the hospital will pay for your classes.

While wiping butts isn't the only thing that you will be doing, assisting patients to the bathroom, bedpan, commode etc. is a substantial part of the job. I'm sure that the majority of the patients wish that they could take care of these things on their own, but unfortunately they cannot.

Richarda8770 · Oct 1, 2007

Does HHA certificate stand for (home health aid) it must? I was just looking back on Career Builder for my area and there is some openings for home health aids, so this means what?? CNAs/HHAs drive to patients house to work sounds better to me than a nursing home and it looks like it definitly pays better. Well finally some encouregment thank god. I can work in a nursing home for up to two years knowing that I would be able to be a HHA making around $12 an hour. I am sure after that I will want to further my education.

Thanks for the responses so far you people made my day.:roll

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Oct 1, 2007

As an RN in 1994, I was legally responsible for 8-18 patients, all acute care, some getting blood products. w/physical assist of an LPN or two aides (never both) on an Ortho floor. My payrate was $12.50 before diffs.

jb2u, ASN, RN · Oct 1, 2007

Well, first of all, you are right. CNAs deserve more; however, in our society, we don't pay based on that scale. I worked as a cna making $6.25/hr and there were LPNs there making $9/hr.

As far as people "not telling you to re-evaluate yourself." Well, I will say that it is a fact that CNAs are low paid. If you are looking for more than $12/hr, you would either need to move to a city with a high cost of living (ie: CA, NY) or get lucky. There are many CNAs that go from nursing home to nursing home or stay in one and just complain and are unhappy, but the ones that are doing this as a stepping stone to a nursing career or those that love providing care at the CNA level find this profession to be fulfilling. Most jobs do not want their employees telling others what they are making. It's not limited to nursing. I've had many, many types of jobs and they have all required that one keep their pay confidential!! Unless it is a union job, everything is negotiable, but only to a point. Would a nursing home be willling to pay you more than others that they hire. Perhaps, but would they be willing to pay you $5/hr more than the others? Probably not, especially if they have a stack of applications on their desk. I agree with the saying that many times you "get what you pay for," but many nursing homes/hospitals are happy with what they are getting for what they pay. Some think it is too much!!!!

For me, the pay was not just about monetary paper, but also the joy of giving of myself and caring for the most precious thing in the world, human life. Now, that kind of "pay" does not pay the bills, but it did get me through nursing school and I believe that I am a better nurse because of my CNA experience. The pay is great as a nurse, but still not what a nurse is worth! I do hope everything works out for you. If you want to pursue a nursing career, I'd say the CNA experience will be invalubale; however, if you are just looking for a career as a CNA, based on what you have typed, I would say that you probably would not be happy with your career switch. Have you considered seeing someone like a job coach or personal advisor that might help you find a career that is a good fit to your personality?

Good luck,

Jay

amanda1229 · Oct 2, 2007

I am only nineteen, no kids, no husband, my parents pay for college, I am not living on my own yet, my car is paid for, my cell phone is paid for, the only thing I pay for is gas and shopping sprees. My opinion may be irrelevant here.

I would obviously prefer high over low salary, most do! But if I find a nice well-staffed facility where residents and employees are treated well, staff gets along, and I feel good about myself and feel like I'm genuinely helping/making a difference, it is the biggest pay-off to me.

Finding a comfortable place to work is, at this time in my life anyway, so much more important than a big paycheck! But I tell you what -- working in a place I love makes it easier to say yes to staying over and racking up all those overtime hours!

mrsraisinkain · Oct 2, 2007

Unfortunately being a nurse's aid is not something we do for the money or for the glory. We do it simply because we love taking care of people.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Oct 2, 2007

I signed up for this two week (80hours) course at a nursing home its two weeks monday through friday for two weeks... I used up the rest of my vacation.... (CNA)

Typically, the highest-paying jobs require postsecondary education and abstract thought, and don't involve much manual labor. Doctors, lawyers, and engineers have high-paying jobs because they have attained plenty of postsecondary education, and utilize abstract thought on a daily basis.

You cannot reasonably expect to earn a whole lot of money after completing an 80 hour course for CNA training at a nursing home. Society simply does not reward workers with high salaries after accruing only 2 weeks of on-the-job (OJT) training to do a job that entails backbreaking manual labor. If you're entering this career field with the expectation of good money, then you'll be terribly unhappy.

metalhead · Oct 3, 2007

Unfortunately $9.00 an hour is what CNAs normally start out at. I started at $5.45 an hour. If you want more money, you will need to get some experience, some good references, and go to work at good places, like the VA or large hospital chains. Then, there is private duty. After you have the experience and the references, you can name your salary in private duty. You have the advantage of being able to do heavy lifting, so you can command a higher salary. If your state has it, get your HHA certificate after you finish the CNA course. Then, of course, if you still are unhappy with your wages, go to LPN or RN school. Sorry, couldn't be of more help.
P.S. I forgot the CNA job I got right out of high school, $1.65 an hour.

that is way low are u serious 1.65 an hour..

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Oct 3, 2007

that is way low are u serious 1.65 an hour..

The aforementioned $1.65 hourly wage must have been earned many years ago, as the federal minimum wage has not even been that low in a very long time.

socalpca · Oct 3, 2007

I currently work full time I decided that I would like to leave my general labor job for this type of career... So I signed up for this two week (80hours) course at a nursing home its two weeks monday through friday for two weeks... I used up the rest of my vacation.... (CNA)
:balloons::balloons::balloons::balloons::balloons::balloons::balloons::balloons::balloons::balloons::balloons::balloons::balloons:
I am going crazy because I have been on Career Builder and looking in wisconsin to get an idea of what I can expect for a base salary out of the 134 job posting in Wisconsin for CNAs only 10 say what there base salary pay is which is between $9-12, the base salary in most of them(99%) is left blank!!!!!
That is rediculus please dont tell me that even in this profesion I have to deal with corporate none sense such as how much do you think your worth? Every raise period tell me I have to keep my raise a secret, its confidential bla bla bla bla why because that cute blond that you date, started 2 years after me and is making 2 dollars more an hour than me oh I see I wont tell any one ok MR. Boss. Well Ill tell you what I would find it very difficult to wipe elderly butt for under $12 an hour... I love old people dont get me wrong. I am really confident that I would love this type of work and pay would not be the only reason for me to leave my current job that I hate... Which is a decent retail job as far as retail goes. I really dislike factory work/mill work.
So I was hoping that this would be it. Sounds like there is tons of advanment opportunites and that I can be really picky about where I work. My problem is I dont want to be siting down in a interview after every thing goes well, they want to hire me, and then they tell me that they are going to start me out at $9.00 an hour I would seriously freak out!!!! and tell them that they can keep there job. My question I guess is do I have to have 10 interviews before I get offfered a decent base pay. Any suggestions would deeply deeply be appreciated. I dont mean to sound so hostile. I really am not just frustrated thats all. I know CNA is just a entry level position but come on if it was really that easy then every body would do it. And the people that except the $9.00 probably dont last, start becoming alcoholics, get totaly peed on(lituraly), or are the people that are the most cranky at work that no one wants to work with.....
Any way I am positive that I want to do this. I just want a pleasant transition thats all with out having to tell any one to keep there job. Advice givers please dont tell me to re-evaluate my self I do more than I should and am sure I want to do this. I need interview tips. What I should expect. Job tips and recomendations. And any stategy advice such as take any crapy pay job just for just 6 months because then you can go do this (???)..... which is so much better!!!:balloons: Personal examples of what you people have done with your career would be terrific as well. I would like only encouregment please so if it its not encouraging please sugar coat it and go easy on me. My test is Nov 28th wish me luck! Please respond ASAP THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

At my SoCal hospital, CNA's make $11+/ hr, but you need to factor in cost of living.