Hard but rewarding work

[Sara2.0]

I am thinking about becoming a CNA to get my foot in the door towards my RN. I'm a mom of four so I'm not afraid of hard work. But honestly elderly peoples bodily fluids, (elderly people in general are not my forte), but particularly those fluids that come out of their nether regions I find hard to handle. Was it difficult to get in the groove of changing bed pans and doing toilet work? Are you able to just see it as routine work, or is it something that is still hard at times to get past? I want to become a RN because I do genuinely want to be in the health care field. I love people and being social and being able to help those in need. So please don't take my aversion to the elderly as shallow. I am a single mom who has been a Stay a home mom, and I am willing to do what it takes to better the lives of my children and myself. Thank you for reading

[Missingyou, CNA]

yes, all those toileting tasks will likely just become routine for you.

You will have to do it SO MANY TIMES during a shift, it just becomes no issue.

You will never like it but, you will be able to do it, then go to lunch without a thought about it.

[marissam]

Yes! So important to become a CNA before getting your RN. Not only do you learn basic tasks such as toileting, brief changes, ect. But, you become accustomed to the environment and you can really tell if the medical world is for you or not. I just started my first CNA job not too long ago, and I honestly feel like it will be less of a culture shock, if you will, when I become a nurse, because I have already seen the good, the bad, and the ugly of the medical field, and I have had those days where everything goes wrong and I don't feel adequate at my job. It also helps with CNA respect as a nurse.