Hello I am a new CNA I am 19 Years old and had a question for everyone

Beauty85_2011 · Mar 31, 2011

Girl, I know what you mean. I am a CNA and i have been for 4 yrs. I 've had some good days and bad days on the job. I m currently going to school for nursing . I must say that in my career as a cna I ve had some great jobs, so laid back... and for the most part i love it!! I work in home health, nursing home , private duty, and etc... You are young and there are plenty of opportunities out there for you. Ask your self is cna work what you want to do forever? Do you want to get a degree in nursing? Or do you want to explore other fields? You dont have to limit your self, or take bull-crap from no job... Life is too short to be stressing over CNA work or any other job....I hope this helps.. Good uck to ya girl!!

bsyrn, ASN, RN · Mar 31, 2011

Hello,

understaffing in nursing homes is a pretty widespread issue and not likely to change in the near future. That being said, there are things you can do to make your work life easier. Try asking one of your more organized co-workers how they manage to keep up with everything. Always make sure you are prepared with everything you will need to provide your residents care before you walk in the room. Keep your residents rooms/bathrooms stocked with supplies. Try and maintain an organized schedule of tasks, thing will come up that interupt you, the trick is to get back on your schedule ASAP. As for people not caring how you treat the residents..you may be misinterpreting things, patient care is very very important and anyone who works in health care will agree with that. You are young but I am sure more than capable of being a productive member of the healthcare team. In time you will develop your own groove. Best wishes for a long and happy career :nurse:

noctanol · Mar 31, 2011

Hello,
I became a CNA at age 18, I have been struggling with the whole job situation.. It seems like every nursing home I work at they are always under staffed. I remember countless nights having 20-36 patients by my self. I am new at this, so it was horrible. My recent job I had was not a good ending, and people just seem like there not interested nor care about how you treat the residents as much as "getting the job done" How do I better equip myself for this career? and how do I better mannage my time? I know I am young but it just seems like I am always pushed over because of it in the work place.

Most nursing facilities "understaff" their facilities by purpose, if you are looking to make this your career, then find something other than nursing home aide job. If you have more than one year experience or close to one year, apply at hospices and home health, they usually have a 1:1 ratio, the only problem is that you might have to drive and put some mileage in your car. Mileage is usually re-emborificed and the pay is higher. good luck

julyemrn · Mar 31, 2011

You're young and you can do far better jobs than CNA in the future. Consider your CNA job as stepping stone for an advanced healthcare career, i.e. if your heart is really for healthcare.

jaznia15 · Mar 31, 2011

Hello I am 21 now and have been a CNA since I was 18 as well. I am proud to say I am graduating with a BSN this May. I used being a CNA as a stepping stone and have worked in a nursing home setting during my CNA career. I did as others have suggested for you and used my CNA as a stepping stone. It was a humbling experience for me and I know it will help me with my direct patient care skills when I become an RN.

hnt1987 · Apr 1, 2011

Find another job

Cinquefoil · Apr 1, 2011

Different facilities have different CNA-to-resident ratios, and also different attitudes towards patient care.

Your facilities so far sound like the kind you could stay at....if you wanted to really hone your time management skills plus get an advanced degree from the School of Hard Knocks.

If you're liking the kind of work you do, just not the amount of it - or the organizational culture -research other facilities and find one that works better for you.

You can look up state inspection ratings most places and that will help give you a clue. If places are terribly understaffed all the time and don't give a ***** about the residents their scores may be lower.