RN floating as a CNA

Mattigan, RN · Jan 23, 2003

Have done it alot- love it. Great work if you can get it. Lots of time with patients and none of the stresses.

shygirl · Jan 23, 2003

Only the LPN's can float as CNA's in our facility! Thank God! I don't think I could do the work. They kill themselves. Gos Bless them!

Shygirl

Sleepyeyes · Jan 23, 2003

I've done it a couple of times. I kinda like it because you can get to do a really good skin assessment on the incontinent folks while you're changing them. :)

mattsmom81 · Jan 23, 2003

I agree with the majority here...I never mind helping out and it's a nice change of pace 'back to basics'...variety is the spice of life. :)

I make a high priced CNA but that's :cool:

Hardknox · Jan 24, 2003

On our OB unit we float as PCA's to other floors when our census is down and they need help. The Special Care Nurses didn't feel comfortable taking care of adults in this limited capacity. They called the state board of nursing. If you are an RN and are employed by the hospital as an RN and are being paid as an RN the BON said that you are working as an RN and will be held accountable as an RN taking care of that patient. If the shyte hits the fan, your ass is toast. Since many of the SCN RN's have never taken care of adults since nusing school and felt very uncomfortabe in assessing them, they caused a great hullabaloo and the policy is "being reevaluated" by administration.

You may think it is OK to float as a CNA, but if anything happened and you ended up in court, the lawyer would hold you to the job discription of an RN, not a CNA. You'd better check with your BON. (I am in MA.)

Tweety, BSN, RN · Jan 24, 2003

Right now I think that would be a blessing.

P_RN, ADN, RN · Jan 24, 2003

I wouldn't do if they "called me a CNA." Remeber you will be held to the standard of RN no matter what they say. Let them call you a "floating RN." And make sure there is documentation somewhere that you are not taking your own patients or proclaiming yourself to be totally qualified in the floated to area.

indynurse · Jan 24, 2003

I've worked as a "tech" twice since I became an RN. The first time I was a fairly new RN and got pulled from my med-surg unit to a gero-psych unit to be used as a tech. When a tech they had missed seeing on the schedule showed up, they decided to still keep me as a tech anyways. I quickly figured out why they weren't using me as an RN. The RNs on that particular unit sat on their rears and let the techs do all of the patient care. One nurse left the nurses station one time in the eight hours I was there. (the bathrooms and breakroom was in a locked area behind the nurses station, so they didn't even have to go onto the floor for a potty break. After that evening, the only time I had ever set foot on that unit was to respond to a code.

Where I work now, I was on-call one day and was called in to replace a tech (on my own unit) who was too ill to finish her shift. It was fun. Much less charting. If the nurse I was teamed up with was busy, I was able to give PRN's to her patients so they would not have to wait. The other nurse thought it was great to have a nurse tech with "super powers". We tried to talk our manager into staffing like that more often, but for some reason she would not go for it.

ohbet · Jan 24, 2003

Thanks for your replies,as most of them have given me a new perspective and a positive outlook of having to be floated and work as a CNA.

zudy · Jan 24, 2003

ohbet, I have also floated as a nurse tech, but I was paid my RN salary. I enjoyed it because the staff was SO appreciative, I helped everyone out including the ward clerks,(so they could take breaks) assisted other techs(turning and lifting heavy pts) bathing pts etc. Iwas able to take my time with the pts, and that happens so rarely anymore that I really enjoyed myself. And like I said the staff was so nice to me. We don't have a union, so that didn't affect me. Hope I helped.

renerian, BSN, RN · Jan 24, 2003

I worked for a couple days at a long term care facility like that. They said there was no RN to orient me so I had to work as a CNA and get CNA wages. I said I don't think so. I did not stay there.

renerian

mattsmom81 · Jan 25, 2003

Oh Renerian, no way would I have stayed there either...uggh. How unprofessional of them. Bet they have major trouble getting nurses with that attitude....

If I'm asked to float/help out in a CNA role, I don't mind, but I better get paid for my RN title. I also make sure good policies are in place for float staff before I agree to go so we're not made a scapegoat if the 'shyt hits the fan'.