I hate my job as a certified nursing assistant and want to quit after two weeks!

Nursing Students CNA/MA

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I am new at a long term care nursing home as nurse assistant and I absolutely hate my job. The co-workers are nice and friendly but I work on the dementia unit and it is extremely depressing. The patients fight me and hit me because I'm trying to change them and I don't want to help people who don't want to be helped (or do not know they need help) because I find it uncomfortable and I feel awful. I've already shed tears because of how depressed I am at this job and I'm still only training! I can't even imagine how stressed I'll be when I really start working and have to take care of between 10-14 people! I'm only 18 and I'm going to college next month so I'll have to focus on school mainly, so should I just quit and leave this stress behind? I've realized that working at a nursing home is not for me, I'm just afraid that human resources will get snippy at me for quitting after only two weeks, what do you think? Also, since I'm only training right now and not on the work rotation yet, do I need to give a two weeks notice?

Specializes in NICU, ED, Forensic Nursing.

I had an LTC job. At 19. I couldn't take it. The people I was working for picked me up straight out of PCT school, they gave me no training, and set me on a floor with 8-10 patients. I was behind, scared, and working with some of the laziest LVN's. And they didn't want to accommodate my Nursing School Schedule. I think I lasted 2 days.

One pt had dementia, and blind and hard of hearing, she was in a wheelchair and moved it around by shuffling her feet. she shuffled herself right into a wall, about five times in a row, while the LVN sat at the desk and watched her do it. I was escorting another patient to the showers I asked the LVN if she could please move her, LVN looked at me and said that's your job not mine. I moved her, and set her into a clear path, so she could shuffle to her hearts content, without walls interfereing.

I took the other patient into the shower, and she decides to get up and leave, she started to fall, and I let her slide down my body so she didn't get hurt, and I wound up pulling something, I informed my supervisor, and she told me that I should resign then because if I couldn't work with an injury like so many other millions of Americans, they didn't have a place for me. I was furious, I let that one go. Then I went home resigned and turned them in to State. I doubt anything was EVER done about any of it though cause they are still open....

I resigned and have vowed to never work in another LTC facility, I am doing home health and LOVE IT!

Just try out lots of different places til you find the best one for you!

Specializes in Acute Rehab, IMCU, ED, med-surg.

It can take a few months to become comfortable with this work, and those we serve. When I started, there were many, many shifts where I was just drowning, behind, and feeling inadequate.

Several of my coworkers (CNAs and LPNs who had been CNAs) told me it would take about 3 months to feel more comfortable with the job. They were all absolutely ccorrect! So, give it some time, it will get better!

There are other facilities that are not so difficult. Where I work they have 2 sections. The short term and long term. The short term is mostly for rehab clients. They are easier to deal with. Then there are assistant living facilities. Also home health care.

Presently I am looking into Hospice care. I have heard that you don't have to do much for them. Lady involved in hiring for one said," Working at a nursing home is like doing factory work. I would only have 4 to 6 clients. Do things like read to a client."

Just realized this was posted in August. What has happened since then?

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