I really hate my job as a CNA. Will I hate / suck at being a Nurse?

CanadianAbroad · Jul 16, 2016

I am also going to point out that psych nursing is demanding in other ways. I had a patient I was sitting for, who was in an extreme manic state. I lasted five hours, and then had to move out of the room. Five hours of NONSTOP intense talking. I remember saying "I would rather sling around a 500 lb patient, than to sit through that again". Why, because although it wasn't physically demanding, it did wear on me and left me exhausted. I have worked lockdown a good portion of my career, and that five hour shift will still be my worst.

Also with psych, they say way more personal things to attack you than on a regular med surg floor. That can get very tiring in how you handle it. It is a whole other world there, and although I do like it, I would never suggest it

to a new nurse. The burnout with psych nursing is very high, and there is a reason for it.

Banana nut, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Jul 16, 2016

Hi OP! I would suggest applying for a Mental Health Worker position in your local pysch ward. It is lots of fun if you like psych. I've worked acute psych as a MHW for 5 years. Its a blast! lots of interesting stuff, you will never get bored. You have the prior work experience as a CNA so you can easily to do it. Make sure its not a med/sug psych so you wont have to wipe butts or transfer pt. or deal with gross stuff. Make sure its a stable unit where everyone is walky talky. Best of luck to you!

ItsThatJenGirl, CNA · Jul 16, 2016

What does "personal care" consist of? Throughout the years, the CNAs I have met often have said, "I'm tired of changing diapers," or "I'm tired of giving bed baths."

Changing beds, bathing patients, changing diapers, wiping bums, peri care - stuff like that.

I loved being a CNA (I'm trying to get back into it), and I get that it's not for everyone. But if you want to be a nurse, it's something you'll have to do sometimes.

barcode120x, RN, NP · Jul 17, 2016

But if you want to be a nurse, it's something you'll have to do sometimes.

This is the truth. There are many older nurses where I work at that do the bare minimum in terms of personal care and it drives me nuts. I lose respect for those nurses that go out of their way to find the aide to do the clean up and walk away. That is disrespectful to both the patient (because he/she has to wait to be cleaned up) and to the aide. Nursing was founded on basic nursing care which is cleaning. Don't get me wrong, there are times that it gets busy to the point where I've had to leave the clean up to my aide, but I ALWAYS help when I can or if they ask. I hope you and other CNA's that are not going into nursing in hopes of not having to clean up the patient. This will sound cliche, but how would you feel if you significant other had to be cleaned up and the nurse walked away to find someone to clean your significant other and having he/she sit in their pee/poop for the next 15 minutes while both of you wait?

Then again, if you don't like cleaning up, then you can just avoid bedside care overall.

taraleee · Jul 18, 2016

It's just such heavy work, and lately I have been getting peed on, hit, over worked, to the point I throw up because I'm sick. And just simply disgusted, with how much there is to be expected of me to do, when I don't get the help that is needed. I have 20 + patients to myself. It is just too much

mspanthersbaby · Jul 18, 2016

It's just such heavy work, and lately I have been getting peed on, hit, over worked, to the point I throw up because I'm sick. And just simply disgusted, with how much there is to be expected of me to do, when I don't get the help that is needed. I have 20 + patients to myself. It is just too much

I completely getthis comment, I have been a CNA for 10 years+ and yes it is tiring, back breaking hard work. Your story is similar to mine I started out in care center and nursing homes and then "upgraded" to the hospital and it was the same work in a different environment. As a CNA we are- as sad as it is to say- the bottom of the totem pole which is why we try to work our way up. I have had 30+ patients to myself with call lights going off like crazy and my Nurses on facebook like nothing is going on and I'm going crazy. When I first read your post, my mind went completely negative but from your last thread I get it. So my question is have you talked to your nurses to tell them your overwhelmed? Have you talked to your clinical manager and/or the nursing supervisor? Talk to everybody and if nothing gets fixed then make the best choices for you. I left the floor I was on and went to another floor and was so much happier, have you thought about float pool? Sometimes you get sent to floors that haven't had a CNA all shift and you are a God sent (lol) just a thought.

Back to your question--yes being a CNA is hard work but I have learned that if you don't enjoy your moments now, you are going to turn into the nurses that are making you upset right now and your CNA will feel this way about you (sorry to the RN's that are reading this but it's the truth). Hopefully, that is not your goal, I have had nurses tell me "the reason I went to school, is so I can tell your what to do" "I don't have to do that I'm the RN your the CNA" Or my personal favorite after they have spent 30 minutes in the room already then spend another 5 min to track me down to take a patient to the bathroom and by the time I finish my work the patient is now soiled--haha gotta love it. Those are the Nurses I hated (yep true story couldn't stand them) and did the bare with them. However the nurses that helped with personal care or simply picking trays or just helped with patient care in General, Those were the nurses I went all out for and I'm sure the other nurses caught on eventually. I always kept my patients my number one priority and made sure they knew that.That's what you have to think of, at the end of it all you are taking care of some ones Grandmother, Mother, Father etc. and they deserve your best. I have had patients tell me to hurry up and get my RN because there were some nurses they didn't want in there room anymore lol. So learn to see that its about the patient not the task and it will get a lot easier. I have worked with CNA's that felt like you do all the time, and they would ask me why are you not overwhelmed?â€ Don't think of the tasks you still have to doâ€”You're only one person and can only take care of one patient at a time. If your team doesn't understand then you need a new team.:) Good luck to you

barcode120x, RN, NP · Jul 18, 2016

It's just such heavy work, and lately I have been getting peed on, hit, over worked, to the point I throw up because I'm sick. And just simply disgusted, with how much there is to be expected of me to do, when I don't get the help that is needed. I have 20 + patients to myself. It is just too much

I feel you, even though I was never a CNA. I was a lift tech for 4 years prior to RN so I literally know what back-breaking means. Don't worry taraleee, sometimes it may not seem or feel like it, but a lot of us nurses (if not ALL of us) really appreciate the work you CNA's do and some things wouldn't get done if it wasn't for you guys. Just know that it's only temporary for you. Stick with CNA till you get your RN and you'll be good to go.

bgxyrnf, MSN, RN · Jul 18, 2016

In the ED my experience has very little correlation with my exposure to being a CNA when I earned my certification.

I would detest being a CNA but I enjoy my nursing work.

42346_nurse_ · Jul 24, 2016

I loved being an aide. I miss seeing my patients! I miss having that time with them. Perhaps nostalgia? I do recall having the entire wing and doing my best just to breathe with so many patients and nurses sitting and doing nothing productive to help. Looking at magazines- does not count. Neither does chasing someone down the hall for 15 minutes to delegate the delivery of a glass of water for someone.

At the end of the day, it made me a better stronger nurse and a much fiercer person. I went back to school for advanced practice to get some time back with my patients that I missed when I went from an aide to the RN role. My best friend disliked being an aide. It wasn't that she didn't care for it, she just had a weak stomach despite how much she tried, and God love her- she tried. She and I both have went into and for advanced practice, her much before I. We have both loved our careers that including the nursing assistant role has spanned close to fifteen years with ten of those outside of being a nursing assistant. I don't think it is possible to judge how much you will love nursing in general based on how much you love a specific role. I think the more important thing to determine is: Are you compassionate about giving excellent care? Do you enjoy helping others? Are you happy when you have a day with enough time to help everyone? If you truly do not like the above things no matter the issue, then yes, you should consider leaving.

Being an aide is a weird role compared to other industries. Your direct supervisor is not the person telling you what to do and when. There is no way to build a strong working relationship with the person delegating, there is little means of building trust and a relationship that other industries or settings rely on. Essentially, it is hard to be a team when the captain changes almost everyday and the coach is absent. It has workedâ€ for many years, and it is the nature of the beast- but there is no doubt it is an odd role comparatively.

Mental health is taxing in and of itself, and it can certainly be filled with patients hitting and spitting. If they are acute or agitated they often do not know or care if you are a CNA, RN, LPN, NP, or even the MD or counselor.

Being disrespected and overworked will make Marry Poppins want to pull her hair out and run the other way, though.

NurseBre94, ASN · Jul 24, 2016

You won't hate being a nurse I promise. I am finishing up nursing school for my LPN in a few days and I have been a CNA for 3 years. I love it and I love my patients at my LTC facility. You still should assist the aide if they need help far as answering lights for the patient or even assisting them with a patient. Please do not be the nurse that just sits there while tons of lights are going off and the aides are busy. I really can't stand those kind of nurses and promised I wouldn't be THAT NURSE. I feel you will make a great nurse when you graduate since you have personal care experience like I do. Yes it is a tiring job, but stick it out because the results are so well rewarding :smug:

Janetnzrn · Jul 28, 2016

No you won't! I hated my stint as a CNA. Being an RN is very different and your goal of doing mental health has no bearing on your ability to feed or toilet someone. Don't give yourself the "guilts" for not enjoying doing personal cares. I work in NICU, and no way will I ever go back to changing an adult diaper! Doesn't make me an umcompassionate monster or a bad nurse, in fact I'm pretty damn good at my job!