I hate being a CNA? Should I still be pursuing nursing?

[CNAmatt]

I am twenty-one years old, done with my prereqs for nursing school and waiting to see if I get in the nursing program this year at my college. The last two years, I was a tech aide in the emergency department at my local hospital. I loved it. I had excellent hours, excellent coworkers, the work was even great, I had a great time working with patients and ER nurses. The pay was reasonable for the work I did. Well, because of Covid, they got rid of all the tech aides in the ER. So my choice was to either do an EMT program and become an ER tech, or a quick CNA program and get a job upstairs on the floor. I ended up just going with the CNA program because it was paid for by the hospital, and I already had a job lined up. Plus I thought change would be good. But here I am, absolutely hating this job. I am miserable because of it and I do not know what to do or if I should continue pursuing nursing. The floor I work on gives me about 10 patients per shift, when in the ER I had 6 at most. It feels overwhelming. I hate the hours as well. My ER job had me doing 11AM-11PM and it was perfect. But this CNA job has me at 6:30-6:30PM. When I first started, they had me rotating from days to nights, to see if I would be tough enough for the job (they do this to all of their CNAs and nurses, to see if they can make it) and it was terrible. That entire time period I was miserable and exhausted. But either way doing two twelve hour shifts back to back is exhausting but regardless, the job itself I am not enjoying and this is making me second guess myself about nursing school. My entire shift I get a one hour break, and the rest of the shift I am running around doing vitals, blood sugars, cleaning patients, bathing, feeding them, trying to memorize which patients need what, which patients need vitals at what times and same for blood sugars. Not to mention the insane amount of charting I have to do. I am supposed to do hourly rounds and Is and O's which I feel like I am barely getting done. The floor is no fun. Nothing is happening that is enjoyable. In the ER, I had fun with a lot of my coworkers and patients. I used to look forward to going to work, and I had / still have my job planned out when I graduate nursing school. I was going to work the same hours in my ER where I felt "at home". I loved the adrenaline rush of the ER, the teamwork, everything about it. I looked forward to being a nurse in the ER. And now if someone told me I would be a nurse on this floor, I probably wouldn't take it. It's miserable. All of the women I work with gossip all day and talk about each other behind their backs (I'm a male). I am doing three times as much work as I used to for an extra buck an hour. And everyone is telling me if I am not enjoying being a CNA, don't go in to nursing. But to me being a CNA is completely different than a nurse. Nurses have a process, use science, use their brains, and in the ER that looks like a job I would enjoy. I would do a lot to get my old job back. I have been a CNA for about a month and since day one I hated it. I am trying to give this job more time to adjust plus I need a paycheck, so I am not sure what to do. Guess I am just going to have to be miserable unless I choose to leave this hospital entirely. I am on a contract with them too so if I quit I would have to pay back $1,200 for the CNA program (they paid for it). Any advice? Has anyone became a nurse after being a CNA and liked nursing better? Anyone been in my position? I just don't know what to do.... Also, the ER nurses I used to work with loved their jobs and were happy when they were at work. This job, all the nurses are miserable and spend a lot of time gossiping. None of them ever smile. It is hard to even think about something happy involving this job. 

[steph6737]

Hi! I'm actually in your position right now. 

I absolutely hate being a PSW (I live in Canada but it's the same as a CNA). I worked as a PSW last Summer and hated every minute of it. I have known I've hated it since my clinical in first year at an LTC facility. I am currently in my fourth & final year of my nursing program & there are SO many opportunities for work that is nothing like being a CNA. Of course, many places you go, you're likely going to have to work that 0700-1900 shift. If you choose to work in a clinic of some sort or public health etc, you'll find hours are very different, 9-5 kind of thing.

It does get better. You may never like CNA work and that's okay. You don't have to! There is so much more for you to learn and going to work at a place you love will be exciting again. Stick with it ? Even if you choose to not work in the ER like you thought you would, it happens and you have so many options.

[CNAmatt]

On 11/5/2020 at 1:18 PM, steph6737 said:

Hi! I'm actually in your position right now. 

I absolutely hate being a PSW (I live in Canada but it's the same as a CNA). I worked as a PSW last Summer and hated every minute of it. I have known I've hated it since my clinical in first year at an LTC facility. I am currently in my fourth & final year of my nursing program & there are SO many opportunities for work that is nothing like being a CNA. Of course, many places you go, you're likely going to have to work that 0700-1900 shift. If you choose to work in a clinic of some sort or public health etc, you'll find hours are very different, 9-5 kind of thing.

 It does get better. You may never like CNA work and that's okay. You don't have to! There is so much more for you to learn and going to work at a place you love will be exciting again. Stick with it ? Even if you choose to not work in the ER like you thought you would, it happens and you have so many options.

This gives me hope. I was telling a nurse I work with how I would much rather be a nurse than do this job I'm at now. It is seriously terrible. I am considering trying homecare since I have my CNA certification. I hear they get paid more too. But regardless being a nurse seems completely different than a CNA. Nurses use their brains and science, and don't get hit with a huge glob of patients like I am getting. The nurses I work with all get maybe 5 patients. 

[abz, ADN, BSN]

Short answer? Yes. Nursing is not CNA work. I worked as a CNA briefly before starting my program, and yeah, it's a hard and thankless job. Nursing is also hard and can be thankless at times, but it's far more engaging, far more fulfilling, and I make $50 and hour instead of $13. Also, if I ever get tired of working in the ED, I can go and do 100 different things with my RN license, which is a level of flexibility that very few others careers offer. 

So yeah, go for it.