I almost quit today.

Nursing Students CNA/MA

Published

Omgosh. It was the worst day ever. I am still orienting as a CNA in a LTC facility. I have been doing home care for a year and a half. It is so completely opposite of this job. I have had over a week of orientation so far. Today I was on my own with a CNA to shadow me. Let's just say I was on my own a lot, with quite a few total care patients, all of whom had very active bowels. All of whom also happen to move slower than molasses, all while my orienting CNA is telling me I need to step it up -- *a lot*. Said patients were less than welcoming. Most were very unhappy to have me as their CNA and let me know in the most colorful language possible.

Needless to say, I almost left at lunch but I called the person on staffing and let her know what was going on. Her and several other staff members, including the director of nursing, talked me off the edge of my cliff. A really nice patient gave me a boost of confidence at the end of my day as well. My DON said she is going to see how I like the PM shift and we'll go from there. Everybody was super positive and said I just need to get past this and that they know I can do this.

I am one step closer to being a nurse someday. I can do this. I will do this.

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I have never worked as a CNA in LTC but I did work on 2 very difficult hospital floors. I'm sorry you had such a hard day. I certainly had days where it was *very* difficult to come back from lunch shift. That CNA saying you need to "step it up"...consider the source. It is possible she is just very efficient and has good relationships with her patients (which might help them move faster). It is far more likely though that she is cutting corners and not doing a standard of care that you have been taught. No doubt there are some well managed LTC's out there but it seems common for them to be understaffed.

It's one thing to learn things like care clustering (considering what supplies you need before going, making sure needs are met before going to next pt), and another to try and rush people, leave them unattended to cover other rooms and thus encourage a fall (or worse). You only have so much control over time spent in a patient's room. Do what you can to be efficient and kind and then let the rest go.

Finally, when you get discouraged, just remember that this experience is helping you become a great nurse. It's definitely not necessary to be a CNA before becoming a nurse...but it will help your skill set and perspective once you pass your boards. Stay strong! Stick it out a bit longer and see if it gets better.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Trauma.

When I orient somebody, I hate having to remind them to keep it moving, but it's something we need to instill in new aides until they have their own routine downpat. In LTC if you're going to give all your residents the care they need, then you need to master moving quickly (without looking rushed) and keeping chit-chat down to a minimum, because there simply isn't the time. I don't like tearing someone away from a conversation with a resident, but when 5 other call lights are on...

HOWEVER, reading your post I would take it as a good sign that your orienter left you alone to care for so many residents. I personally do not leave a trainee alone to provide care unless I am 100% confident that they can get it done and get it done correctly.

When we have new employees on my hall at work who make it through training without quitting, the other aids and I make a point of helping them out a little until they get used to everything. We also have those moments where we need to let the new aide get something done on their own, no matter how long it takes, so they can learn how to master that task.

LTC can be brutal, but who you're working with makes all the difference. You're the new aide, but you won't be for long and soon you'll be a natural. The girls on my hall are some of my closest friends now.

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Thank you both for your helpful comments. I appreciate your input. When I talked to the DON, she demanded to know where my orienting CNA was while I was struggling and I said I didn't know but I was sure she was with other patients. The DON called BS and said "No she wasn't, she was sitting on her ass." I didn't want to throw her under the bus, but in hindsight, this seemed to be the case. I felt like I was thrown to the wolves.

I mean, she had me change very difficult and heavy patients by myself with no instruction whatsoever. One of them had a severe wound that had just been skin grafted and nothing was mentioned about being careful with this patient and how she was in tons of pain and could barely tolerate being touched to be changed.

Anyway, I did a PM shift on the same floor today and it was a lot more layed back. Still very busy but different. I actually learned a lot from both of the CNAs on this shift. At the same time, I decided that I really don't want to do the LTC floors. I much prefer the rehab floors where people go home after a couple of weeks and the patients change much more frequently.

I am on reserve and will only work once or twice a week. This is hard when you are dealing with residents who are used to the same CNAs day in and day out. On rehab, they really don't care and there are less total care patients. Maybe I sound whiny, but when you are new and trying to get into your groove, the less total care patients, the better.

At any rate, this job is really making me second guess nursing. I have always wanted to be an OB nurse. I guess I feel like if I can't cut it at this job, maybe I should just rethink my whole game plan. I have to do micro in the fall and I am ready to just throw the baby out with the bathwater.

My plan is to tell the staffing department that I am a special snowflake princess and will only do PM rehab shifts and if they don't like it, tough cookies. I also want to apply in acute care as a PCT, and hope I get in there. I just found out, they make about $7 more per hour and the job is totally different than what I'm doing now. If I don't get that job, I will stick with my home care job, hope to get into L&D someday, and if not, I can always do home care or dialysis as a back up.

If I have a real, total melt-down, maybe I will become a CPA or a teacher or anything but a nurse. What a whiny freaking baby I am. But you know what, I really don't care right now.

Ugh.

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Specializes in Med Surg/Orthopedic Med Surg.

I am an State Tested Nursing Assistant for a Acute hospital (I have been for two years now) but did my clinicals at a LTC. Aides are usually hit or miss with his or her performance. Most aides are either very passionate, intelligent and hardworking on his or her unit. Others however are quite the opposite. These people are there for the rate the job pays with the minimal education requirement and the degree of independence the person has with his or her work (i.e some aides may claim/chart they performed such care but really didn't because other RN's are busy doing other things and are delegating and ultimately entrusting these tasks to the aide). It is kind of a sad thought when you think about it.

I hope you can find a form of mentor to look up to that shows the joys and perks of being a passionate aide. Also, I suggest looking for an acute care (hospital) job after you build your resume at a LTC. I work in Ohio, which is a weird state, and has multiple levels of nurse aide degrees, but an aide can find work in a hospital in any state. Best of luck to you, the job gets better and you become better at it every day that passes. Anything good in life doesn't come easy.

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It sounds more like the CNA shadowing is pushing you. Us trainers push the new trainees we see the most potential in. I wasn't there so I don't know for sure how bad it was but if I don't say a word to a trainee ,then I just don't see potential in them.every CNA usually hates the first couple weeks but once you get used to the work it's an amazing job. I take care of alert oriented people so I'm a firm believer in talking to them with full respect as they have lived theirlived their full life I haven't. Don't ever talk to patients like children, they will hate you. As for co workers,wqtch the the best workers around you and go above and beyond to be hard workers like them. Offer help to co workers and work harder than anyone around you and co workers will kiss the ground you walk on.

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Thank you both for your comments. You both made a lot of sense.

I think the situation is two-fold. I know the CNA who was shadowing me was upset when she heard I would be continuing on to the nursing program eventually. She said something to the effect of "Darn, I thought we were going to have a CNA!" (Her emphasis, not mine.) I also know that she was shadowing me on the last day before her two-week vacation and was stressed out about a personal matter, so I think both of those issues played into it.

It helps to think that she may have been pushing me because she saw potential in me. It also helps to hear that things will get better over time. I know that to be true, so I will hang in there.

Incidentally, I did not tell them I was a special snowflake princess after all, LOL. That was just a part of my melt-down, haha. I am going to be on my own for the first time this Friday, on the hardest floor. I have a mental game plan and I know who my "tough customers" are, so I am going to hit the ground running and tread carefully.

BTW: I agree -- I love the alert & oriented patients. Even with the not-so-oriented patients, respect is a huge deal and I also cannot stand when people speak baby-talk to them.

Anyway, thank you for listening to my very whiny vent and responding with such helpful and positive comments. It is much appreciated. I will keep you all posted.

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Awesome. By yourself,take it a little slow. Is the hardest hall going to be Alzheimer's patients,alert, or rehab? Just make sure to READ the tech sheets.

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The hardest hall is made up mostly of residents who have been there for years on end. Many are relatively young and resentful, bed-bound or wheelchair bound, and very, very picky. Of course, I don't blame them for being unhappy, bordering on miserable -- I would be too in their situation. I keep that in mind all of the time when I'm there. Without empathy, there is no way anyone could last at this job. I also have to keep in mind that some of them can be quite manipulative and like to turn people in a lot for minor issues.

I'm kind of nervous but feeling better about things today. I will be myself and be sure to read those tech sheets -- and get report. The CNAs usually just run off the floor at shift change because most people are familiar with the residents but I need that info, so I'll be sure to speak up, politely of course. Thanks for the great advice and support. I'll keep you posted on how it goes.

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Ahhh, today was such a better day. First of all, it ended up being a half-day, which was nice and unexpected. Secondly, it was just like night and day from my melt-down. The tough customers were still tough, but I took everyone's advice here, as well as the advice from other CNAs on the floor, and it worked out so great. Every person that I was able to get up, dressed, and into their wheelchair, or cleaned, changed, and fed felt like a personal victory to me. I know there will still be some really hard days, but I also know that I can handle it and will be stronger for the journey.

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Haha. Good. Just be confident like you've been doing it a long time. Always be EXTRA nice to family members(thats how I've gotten alot of raises) sounds like it's going good for you. Just stay positive!! Yeah and keep me posted. It's been interesting reading about what new CNAs say on these sites.

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Thank you. I will be sure to keep the families happy. I can imagine a lot rides on that. I already got more hours than I signed up for, so I'm hoping that's a good sign. I'll be sure to heed your advice and will keep you posted. :)

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