HELP! I DON"T WANT TO GO THROUGH CNA first...

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This is really not to put any profession down but I've dreamed of being a nurse for soooo long, now only to discover that before entering my LVN program, I have to get the CNA title first! I am horrified of having to do some of the tasks described! This is not whaat I dreamed of all these years, I was thinking more along the lines of changing newborn diapers, not old folk diapers! CAN ANYONE BRING ANY CONSOLATION?

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I am not sure, that you should even think about being a nurse, what do you think that you will be doing as a nurse? please don't waste your time. we don't need more people like you. Nursing is part of taking care of people no matter they be young or old.

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The impression I'm under is that RNs do these things, too. Maybe not as often, but they do them. You'll be old someday, too, just try to remember that. :saint:

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Hi there, it is a small part of the job and the more that you focus on it the more gross it can get. Rather than focus on the $hite, focus on the poor embarrassed person you needs help and that your empowering them to get on with their day. $hite comes and goes (pardon the pun) but the kindness of a stranger and one that doesn't get embarrassed themselves is usually never forgotten.

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Specializes in High Risk In Patient OB/GYN.

I can't offer consolation, but some advice. Lose the attitude, because you'll be changing plenty of diapers, making plenty of beds and emptying plenty of bedpans in nursing school alone. There are things to be learned in doing this--great time for assessments, plus building rapport and whatnot.

And who's to say that as an LPN you'll get right into newborn nursery or peds? You might have to (out of financial need) "do your time" in long term care. Also, many hospitals are phasing out LPNs. The one I work at does not hire LPNs in any specialty areas-the ones that are employed here were grandfathered in, and when they're gone, they're gone.

And if you're that against it, get the "CNA title" but don't work as one. And FYI-CNAs don't only work in LTC or even with adults at all.

I can say, however, that the nurses I graduated with who had previous experience as either a CNA, CMA, phlebotomy tech, EMT, etc tended to grasp material and learn more quickly than those with no such experience. they were more familiar with medical terms, common plans of care, and more comfortable dealing with Pts and other nurses.

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Specializes in The multi-faceted world of Med-Surg!.

Here's my quote of the day:

"Everyone POOPS."

And it is the last thing in the world you should care about when it comes to working as a nurse. It's nice that you want to work with the newborns, but you have to start from the bottom before you can specialize. Think about it, if you can't properly care for an older person, what would make you think they would entrust you with a newborn?

Starting off as a CNA is not the worst thing that could happen to you. Maybe it would give you some perspective. A nurse has far more responsibilities than a CNA, so if you wouldn't be able to handle that than you might want to think about doing something else.

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I am not sure, that you should even think about being a nurse, what do you think that you will be doing as a nurse? please don't waste your time. we don't need more people like you. Nursing is part of taking care of people no matter they be young or old.

This attitude is not helpful!! Ignore this sad person. It's true that your attitude at the present may not the presently ideal... because your scared of the 'gross element' of cleaning up bodily wastes of a larger proportion... but let me tell you, babies can make JUST as much mess as the adults. Plus, the 'oldies' can be just as cute as the 'little' ones.

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Hello, If you are "horrified of having to do some of the tasks" then nursing is not the job for you. RN and LVN's change diapers and do everything that the CNA does. Many times the CNA's have 12-15 patients, so if your CNA has to change 3 or 4 diapers take 4 blood sugars all by lunch, it is your responsibility to help out the aid and take care of your patients. If I were in your shoes I would swallow my pride and think of CNA as a learning experience or I would think of a different career. I am seriously not being hard or mean to you, just honest. Best of luck.

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Specializes in LTC, Psych, M/S.

I think it is only fair that CNA's, EMT's, or any other 'support' person get priority in nsg school admissions over a person who has never worked in health care - so long as they have comparable GPA's.

My CNA experience has come in very helpful as a RN.

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Specializes in High Risk In Patient OB/GYN.
I think it is only fair that CNA's, EMT's, or any other 'support' person get priority in nsg school admissions over a person who has never worked in health care - so long as they have comparable GPA's.

I don't agree. Maybe it should be worth a few "points", but I don't think it should put them as a priority. OT, though

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I am currently a CNA. I would eventually like to become an RN. In the state that I live in, it is not a prerequisite to be a CNA, before entering nursing school. However, I chose to get my CNA first, to see if this was something that I wanted to pursue, before investing a lot of time and money. It's a shame when people spend two or more years in college, get a degree, and then find out that they are not happy with their career choice. I did not want that to happen to me. I wanted a "heads-up" on what nursing was all about. Not some delusional, glorified perception of what I THOUGHT nursing was all about. As a nurse you will see all kinds of gross body fluids from people who are at their most vulnerable. If you are gagging in the corner, then you are no help to your patients/residents. Especially, when they need you the most. I agree with the above posts. Perhaps you should think about a different career.

BTW, babies wear diapers. Adults wear briefs!

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Specializes in Peds Critical Care, Dialysis, General.

Our nursing school requires that you have a CNA license prior to entering the program. I wasn't thrilled with this part, but I learned many valuable lessons there. Was there poop - yes, and lots of it. But there was also the opportunity to make at least 1 resident at the LTC smile. That was the payoff. Trying for dignity in a population that at times, are forgotten. Focus on how you can make a difference, if only for just one person.

Yep, there is poop involved with nursing and other not so nice tasks. If you don't like or think that this is "not nursing", then nursing is not for you. I an a PICU RN. We do primary nursing, and poop is a part of my job. Poop can be a really wonderful thing - an ileus is not such a wonderful.

My best moment every came during bath/poop care duty with one of my stroke patients in nursing school. He thanked me for respecting and guarding his privacy during his "personal times". He said he had family members who had no shame about such matters, but he was very, very private.

As others have said, please put yourself in the patient's place. They are even less thrilled than you are and THEIR dignity and privacy have been terribly and humiliatingly compromised.

So, off my soapbox.

Cindy

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