Got my first CNA job. Really scared.

Sweetbeth · Apr 8, 2016

Why do you think you are too stupid? If you are really too stupid you wouldn't have been able to write or compose what you have above.

Sweetbeth · Apr 8, 2016

Just be yourself and be calm you will get along

Envy45 · Apr 9, 2016

Give it some time. Don't be so hard on yourself. I completed my CNA course in Feb. and have been doing that for a little over a month at a LTC facility near me. Every morning for my first two weeks I was filled with anxiety. I would go to sleep worried about the next day. I felt stupid,slow and incompetent. I always try my best though. A month in and the anxiety is not so bad. I can sleep through the night without waking up every two hours with crippling fear of what the day ahead holds. I know I am still slow compared to the other NA's but working on being more efficient. What is important is that the residents are safe and we are doing our best to get them toileted/ kept dry, fed, bathed, and whatever else is needed to make each individual comfortable.

You are not stupid. You are learning. It takes time and practice to get better. If you have the heart and want to be a CNA to help others then don't give up. If you are being forced into it as a last resort it may continue to be an issue for you. The pressure is real when you are short staffed and down a wing by yourself with 12-15+ residents. That could make you want to quit if you are not passionate about caregiving.

Give it time. Don't force yourself to do something you don't love in life. There are different kinds of jobs out there. Find your thing and do it. If the CNA thing doesn't work out it doesn't mean you are stupid. It just means you were made for something else.

God Bless and good luck!

doodlebuttRN · Apr 9, 2016

STOP. Take a deep breath. This is not something you can really prepare yourself for... except to do the best that you can, to learn from your mistakes (though they may be many) and to take good care of your residents. You will get flustered. You will be in a situation where you aren't sure what to do. THAT IS OKAY!!

When you aren't sure, ask for help.

When you are overwhelmed, ask for help!

When you feel like you need help, ask for it! And if you get resistance to that, please ask someone else.

From your OP, you sound quite intelligent, and if you feel like you're in over your head, you probably are. This will happen. Learn from it, and take these lessons to heart to become a better CNA. It can only serve you to make you a better nurse, should you continue on that path.

Best wishes!

P.S. Nobody in this field started out knowing everything. There is always a learning curve

Dyvinite, RN · Apr 9, 2016

You are just too nervous. Just remember that everyone goes through this and you can handle it. Everyone makes mistakes. Good luck.

HiroEB · Apr 9, 2016

Thank you. I hope it gets better and that I'm able to do the work after all.

HiroEB · Apr 9, 2016

It can be really difficult to tell myself that at times. Yesterday we had an inservice about transferring a patient and I didn't do a single thing correctly. It wasn't just in my head either; I could tell my the evaluator's reaction that I'd truly done badly. It's so hard not get discouraged. While being a CNA wasn't my first choice, I do want to be a good CNA (or at least decent) and hope I am capable of doing the work. Thank you for the advice.

Missingyou, CNA · Apr 17, 2016

You must have passed a certification test! You can do this. Right now, you are learning SO many new things. You are learning your way around the facility, learning new "rules", documentation, new coworkers, new techniques, not to mention new resident's and all that comes with taking care of them (their preferences, things that get them to cooperate, make them comfortable....). You shouldn't wonder why your head is spinning and why you feel "stupid".

You're NOT stupid. Just a bit overwhelmed. Especially since you've only been there a week! Every new CNA in a LTC facility goes through what you are feeling now. You'll get the hang of it.

Goodness, give yourself at least a month to start feeling comfortable.

You really need to go easy on yourself. You are only making this whole new experience more difficult on yourself by putting yourself down like that.

If you must, call yourself "overwhelmed", "stupid" isn't going to make it easier for you.

all.is.silent · Apr 22, 2016

Before I became a CNA I was a HHA, so it wasn't hard to transition. You're not stupid or slow, you got through it all and they even hired you. Just take it easy and ask for help when you need it, ask questions and watch the other cnas when you get the chance. Don't be afraid to ask for a couple of more days of orientation. Ask the nurse even, if you're not sure. Once you know the routine and the patients, it will become easier to handle. When I first started, I never told patients I was new, that made me an easy target. I asked a lot of questions and watched other cnas for weeks, and when it was my turn to cover their assignments, I knew what I had to do. Write things down on a piece of paper with instructions, that's what I used to do. I know all the nurses and the cnas, and what they expect of me, and I didn't think I'd be able to handle it when I first started. Let some time pass, and you'll get a hang of it.

HiroEB · Apr 28, 2016

I couldn't do it. They fired me yesterday because I needed a lot of direction and got overwhelmed easily. In some ways I'm glad because I don't think the job was good fit and the place had serious management issues, but I'm still very disappointed in myself. I'm applying for home aide and assisted living jobs hoping I'll be able to manage that.