I know this isn't the norm, but it's a situation I've found myself in. I became an LPN in 1991 and worked for about 10 years. I totally became burned out due to the paperwork, 12 hour shifts, and ridiculously high patient loads (16--25 patients a shift) that I was responsible for. I became a nurse to take care of patients and wasn't being allowed to do so due to paperwork and other hinderances. The CNAs were taking care of my patients and I was doing paperwork. I hated it.
As a result, I left nursing and stopped re-newing my license. Recently, after spending time with my father who was hospitalized a great deal before he passed, I have been bitten by the undeniable urge to get back in a hospital to work!
I don't want to be an LPN, so making my license active again doesn't interest me. I want to be a CNA/PCA in a hospital setting. I want to do hands-on patient care without all the rest of the stuff I hated. Since leaving nursing, I have been working in a domestic violence shelter as a victim advocate.
My question is this: Can I take the test to become a licensed CNA/PCA as I stand now? I live in Tennessee. Any suggestions on how to take this next step and be able to do what I truly love?
Why don't you try homecare nursing, eg pediatrics or adults--one on one care, I think you'll like that and it pays. You'll be looking after 1 person with all types of needs, some of them spinal cord injuries, head injuries, auto-immune disorders doing skills such as G-tube/Peg tube feeds, insulin, vents, etc. etc . Look around your area fr agencies. Goodluck!
darkbeauty
119 Posts
Why don't you try homecare nursing, eg pediatrics or adults--one on one care, I think you'll like that and it pays. You'll be looking after 1 person with all types of needs, some of them spinal cord injuries, head injuries, auto-immune disorders doing skills such as G-tube/Peg tube feeds, insulin, vents, etc. etc . Look around your area fr agencies. Goodluck!