I love being a CNA, but....

itsmyturn · Mar 3, 2009

It takes time to get into the groove of a new job and become a member, and then sometimes it just isn't worth it when everyone you work with seems to be as aggravated by the work conditions as you. Your new, they are gonna try to pick on you.

Are all nurses as mean as the ones you work with...NO. The environment you work in affects your mood, it just seems that some are willing to put up with more than others and then take it out on those around them instead of trying to make the team they work with strong enough to solve the problems they ignore rather than fix. That is life...you have to decide what is right for your life at this minute.

fuzzywuzzy, CNA · Mar 3, 2009

Are the nurses singling you out to do all this stuff, or do they just inform the nearest CNA that so-and-so is wet, etc.? And are the other CNAs only ignoring you or is there no teamwork at all?

You kinda have to expect that kind of stuff when you're new, even though it sucks, because people are trying to break you in. Most of them are not the nicest at first either, because these workplaces are all really cliquey and no one knows if the new girl is even going to stick around, so they won't warm up to you until they feel like it's worth it. You really do have to prove yourself. It takes time to do that, just like it takes time to get used to the job, develop time management skills, and get faster. So hang in there. If you've only been there a month and you have 130 residents to get used to, getting them all done and dry at 9 pm sounds like you're doing pretty good. When do the others finish? Also if people are asking you for help and not reciprocating, then when they ask you for something, say, "Okay I'll do that if you do this for me." Also, try to be more specific with your requests. And try to "bundle" them so you can get more stuff out of one request. For instance if you have 2 people who want to go to bed at around the same time and you need help with both of them, wash them both up, get them all set up for the transfer so literally everything that you can do by yourself is all done (like drag the chair right up to the bed, walker in front of the person, gait belt on), then go get someone for help. Say, "Will you help me throw A and B into bed? They're both ready right now. Then I can help you with C right afterwards." That's better than washing A, getting help, washing B, then finding help again. And the person you ask will be more willing to help you again the next day if she knows you won't be taking that much of her time.

I only had 30 residents to get to know, and for my whole first month (at least), I dreaded going into work. I had anxiety 24 hours a day, and I honestly thought I was going to get fired every day. I'm shy, high strung, sensitive, and I get flustered easily around people I don't know well (in other words I'm a huge wimp). So I screwed up a lot. And I went through the same stuff that you're talking about- not getting any help, nurses riding me for every little thing, everyone talking sh*t about me behind my back. I knew if I gave up and quit I would have to start all over again with the same crap I was dealing with then, so I kept telling myself to keep on trucking. Go there, do my job the best that I could, and keep getting that paycheck until they fired me. Well then they hired a new girl and I felt like the attention was off me, and everything suddenly got a lot easier. And I never got fired. Now I feel like I get as much respect as the next person there.

*Miss* · Mar 4, 2009

I know exactly how you feel! I was hired at a LTC facility as soon as I recieved my certification. I worked there for 6 months and then finally resigned. I couldn't take it anymore. I loved my Resident's and some of the people I worked with but my other co workers made it so difficult for me. No one helped me and every time I asked for one of the other CNA's to spot me with a lift they would give me the biggest attitude and then make me wait forever before they finally came to help me. I would always have to answer their Resident's call bells because they never did. They would speak another language to one another when I was in the room and I knew they were talking about me. I was a good CNA and they didn't like that. I was assigned a unit to work on but I floated on that unit. So when one of the other CNA's had off I would have their list and their Resident's loved me.They loved me so much, they would ask for me all the time and I guess that ****** the other CNA'S off. I worked the 3-11 shift 5 days a week and some nights I left there in tears, that's how bad they treated me. So I finally resigned a year ago and I've been out of work ever since. I regret my decision to leave. I really miss my Residents and I'm mad that I let those people run me out of there! Just hang tight and don't make the same decision I did because like myself, you might regret it. I do have to say that my experience working there has really changed my mind about being a CNA and that's why I haven't returned to work yet. It's so hard to work with people who make you miserable and treat you like dirt! Good luck to you!

sonomala · Mar 4, 2009

Hate to say it, but it sounds like normal stuff for a new cna.

I'm new at it and have gone through what you're talking about, but you just have to hold tight to the great moments and let the bad ones go. I always say to new cnas, rent GI Jane. You have to be tough to survive this.

A few hints that have helped me:

Nurses often they seem like your worst enemy but never ever ever go after them either by talking bad to another coworker, getting in their face ect. You think the nurse is on you now, they can make your day a million times worse. Whatever a nurse asks I do, no matter how impolite, how rude ect I smile and say yes mam. If I can't do it right then I let them know when I'll get it done. There have been times I wanted to blow up, I didn't. Almost every time the nurse came to me later and said sorry her day was really bad. I've made friends with them now and realized their stress is so much worse. Meds, wounds, doctors, call lights ect. When you go to them with an issue be polite and recognize how hard their job is, it goesa long long way.

Other CNAs it takes time. First learn to do the lifts yourself. Thats the whole idea of lifts. We never have two people on one lift unless its a maxi. Make learning the residents as important as passing the nursing boards thats how vital it is. Go home study name sheets ect. Eventually they will lighten up. Many cnas who have worked their jobs for years are sick of seeing new cnas come in and then quit. Stay around don't give up, it'll get better.

And I know I'm going get crit for this but your fiance is living in your car? Move him in with a friend, quick. Get married only after hes got a job and is in college.

greeniebean · Mar 4, 2009

I went through the same thing when i started at my LTC 2 years ago. The girls were hateful, never helped me, and would complain about me being slow while they were sitting on their butts! It drove me crazy and i wanted to cry all the time. i stuck with it though and now i love it. Most of those immature girls got fired, and for some reason when more new people get hired the other ones accept you. It's like they haze you until they think you belong!

Eventually it should get better and just remember- those girls that are calling you slow were slow when they started! It took me about 3 months to get as fast as the other employees.

A CNA is like no other job! You have one overall job to learn but with 130 residents you have 130 other little jobs to learn!

meggi2010 · Jan 1, 2010

I started as a CNA last week! These replys helped me a lot. Thanks everyone :).

NurseCubanitaRN2b, BSN, RN · Jan 2, 2010

Am I missing something? Since when is a CNA responsible for the dressing changes...Oh noooooo, that's the responsibility of the nurse. Even though you're going through nursing school and you're learning about dressing changes you're not responsible for it as a CNA. CNAs aren't trained to do the dressing changes and if you do it wrong you can damage some good tissue and make it worse. There are certain medications that can actually burn the patients skin if you apply it to the good tissue.

Regarding the CNA's not helping you, welcome to the real world. That's just the way it is. In the LTC facility you really have to fend for yourselves. As a new CNA it usually starts off like that. As you gain more experience and learn to work faster it does get better. Some nurses are really bossy as you stated, and that's just the way it is. Some nurses are great and they will help you if they have the time and others wont lift a finger because they see themselves as above that.

You will also have nursing students like that who feel they are above that and also boss the CNA around. When I needed help from the CNA as a nursing student I would ask them politely to let me know when they planned on getting such and such person up so I can help them because I had to do my assessments or wound treatments etc. By that time we were beyond the basic patient care. By part of 3rd and all of 4th semesters our instructor instructed us now to worry about patient care. We had to concentrate on actual nursing procedures and we needed to be readily available if something came up like discontinuing an IV, watching the dialysis patient, or any other type of special procedures that would go on. In the mean time, we were instructed to ask every patient if we could listen to their heart and lung sounds, check their sugars and give insulin to the whole floor. Then we had to do a full head to toe assessment on our assigned patients so we were pretty busy. So that's the reason why we weren't doing basic patient care by that time. But I would always explain to the CNA's as to why I wasn't going to do the basic patient care that way they would be aware of what I would be doing to the patient and what they had to do to cover. But that was just me. I didn't want to be a bossy nursing student because I was a guest in their facility.

FYI, you will meet all kinds in this perfession, just make sure that you do your job and you do your best because there's always going to be someone out there who will make your blood boil. You just will have to learn to deal. Good Luck

mizfradd, CNA · Jan 2, 2010

I started as a CNA last week! These replys helped me a lot. Thanks everyone :).

Congratulations!!! How are things going for you?

cjcsoon2bnp, MSN, RN, NP · Jan 3, 2010

To the OP: I understand what your going through because I am still a relatively new CNA myself (only been doing it for a year) but a lot of it has to do with the environment that your in and the people with whom you work. I am also a nursing student and so I decided that I wanted to get as much hands on experience as I could get in the hospital setting and so after working in home health I got a job as a CNA in a hospital and I really happy I made the decision to switch. I have found that in the hospital setting nurses tend to be a little more willing to teach (especially if you mention your a nursing student) and the CNA to patient ratios are a bit more manageable. I will be perfectly honest, I could never go back to LTC (either home health or a nursing home) because I just couldn't handle it, the CNA to patient ratio is too much to handle and it is often a thankless job where you are asked to just "feed and clean" and I don't like that mentality, so I really admire LTC CNAs. Obviously, the hospital setting isn't for everyone (some people just love LTC too much to go) but its an alternative that you might want to consider.

!Chris :specs:

NM nurse to be · Jan 4, 2010

OP, I totally understand everything you wrote!! Right down to not speaking English in front of me because they knew I didn't understand. This is my first CNA job (been in it a little over a year now) and I'm also a nursing student. I can tell you, I spent probably the first few months going home in tears most of the time. I was new to the whole caregiver role (I'm 41 and have done something COMPLETELY different up til now) and really bad at my job.

I was slow to start with, didn't know the residents, just learning how to relate to them at all and in general just bad at it. The best thing that happened was that I got on nights. I could get up on skills and speed in a much calmer environment. Maybe this is a possibility for you? The other thing I like about nights is that I can take my time more with my residents. Many are awake at night and like to talk a bit, I really enjoy that.

I have a little of the opposite experience with nurses though. They know I'm a student and seem to treat me a little better than the others. There are some who will ask for me on their floor and that doesn't sit well with some of the other aides. And we have some AWFUL other aides, I've written about some of the other issues on different threads.

The general environment at my facility does not promote teamwork in the slightest. It's not only every man for himself but also who can rat out the other first. That part truely does suck. The ones who are the biggest problems are rewarded and others give up and go away. Believe me, I've thought about that many times!

I've been doing this a year now and start clinicals in 2 weeks. I will tell you, it was a tough way to go to get here. But it's been worth it. There is nothing better than the feeling you get when you overhear two roomates talking when you leave and saying that you how kind you are, how they wish they were all like you :) Or my favorite LTC lady who calls me her Angel. We have the best conversations in the middle of the night. That makes some of the crap worthwhile.

dannyc12 · Jan 4, 2010

I don't know how to win them over so my work day with them will be more enjoyable.

I'm a nursing student and CNA also. I envy you for being able to handle school and 32 hours a week!

Above all, remember that YOU are in control of your feelings. No matter what is happening around you, make sure you take responsibility for how you manage it emotionally. If you let those other CNAs or nurses control how you feel, you are already lost.

I can tell you for sure that all nurses are not mean, bossy or unsympathetic. Many are pretty good and if you do your job well and maintain your composure, they will see that. You can only do what you can do, so do NOT panic. Nurses can smell panic and they are drawn to it like frat boys to drunk coeds. Sadly, the workload is not going to change, there will never be enough time to do what you need to do, so learn to manage the stress and own your feelings and attitudes.

Make sure you maintain an open line of communication with the floor nurses. At the beginning of the shift, ask them if they have anything they need done and note the tasks on your CNA sheet. KEEP A PAD AND PEN ON YOU AT ALL TIMES. Keep them informed on what you are up to. Your title is Nurse ASSISTANT so make sure you interact with them with that in mind. If they start piling on tasks, simply state to them what you are doing in a clear calm voice and try to work with them on plan for getting things done. If they give you grief over this (and some will), let it roll of your back.

This approach has worked wonders for me. I worked a shift last night on a floor I had never worked; they got some horrible CNAs. I plugged along, got behind, didn't get much help (but got some), but did my job as I always do. In my opinion I did not perform very well. I got the showers done, but everyone was not in bed by 9 and one non compliant lady stayed up. But the LPN in charge of most of my residents thanked me for the job I did and said he really appreciated working with me.

Same thing with the other aides. When they ask you for assistance say, "Absolutely, will you help me with Mr. G when we are done?" This works wonders for letting them know where you stand and generating teamwork. Be firm, steady, and a bit loud when asking for assistance. Try to make sure a floor nurse or other witness is around for their answer.

As far as the other CNA telling you to use the lift by yourself, I found a pretty good trick for that. Casually let the floor nurse know it is going on and mention how sad it would be if she lost her license if someone fell, especially if she knew it was going on. You need to be careful with this one, but used properly it can be very effective. If fellow CNAs refuse to assist you with hoyer lifts, tell them the same thing. I absolutely refuse to do single person lift transfers. I'll even get a person all hooked up then ask a nurse to just stand in the damn room and watch for 30 seconds while the lift is occurring. If they refuse, then the lift is tied up until one of other CNAs gets their rear end in the room and helps me.

Also, you are most likely NOT slow. The "more experienced" aides are often not doing their jobs. I get told I am slow all the time, then I watch other aides not change, reposition, clean, shower, or properly feed their residents and realize that I am just doing my job and they are not.

Can't help you with the fiancee.

Good luck!