If you are a CNA and work the night shift, is it possible to have tons of free time

[hhealthai]

Here is an example of someone who was a CNA and worked in a home health company as a overnight companion.

When I was a CNA I worked for a home health company, and some of the overnight companion jobs allowed TONS of free time.

One job was come in at 10pm, sit in a dimly lit room (with book + book light) and monitor an Alzheimer patient during the night (in case he tried to get up). Only a few times did he wake up confused, and I redirected him back to bed or called staff to help him (the facility was responsible for changing him, we just prevented falls). That lasted about a year.

Another was an elderly paraplegic - I would arrive at his house at 8pm, watch TV with him until 10pm, do a twenty minute routine to get him to bed (bathroom, transfer, etc), then I went to my room (I had a private bedroom/bathroom/shower etc) and monitor him via baby monitor during the night. I was allowed to sleep (just turning the radio up high incase he yelled for me),,,usually I brought my laptop and talked online to my wife each night, then sleep at around 2am, wake up at 7am, shower, wake him up and the next shift would arrive and begin cooking breakfast.

Another had me driving someone who was post stroke to the gym each day for rehab - he got me a temporary membership, but I preferred bringing books and studying.

It was a very nice gig while it lasted (I became a nurse), base pay was $10 but went up to $15 depending. I worked with that company for about a year and a half.

I don't think I'll ever get paid to sleep again though.....

Does working as overnight companion count as utilizing your CNA cert? Do you not have to renew the cert for not utilizing it?

Are there overnight CNA jobs where you do have tons of free time like this example?

[loriangel14, RN]

It may be possible if you are working in a private home. If you are working in LTC it won't be like that.

[Baubo516, RN]

I work at a hospital as a CNA while I am in nursing school. I work on a Rehab/Skilled unit, and during an 8 hour overnight shift, I sometimes have about an hour of downtime where I can study. The only time I get a LOT of "free" time is when there is a patient in the hospital who is made a 1:1. Usually this is because they are impulsive, getting up without calling for help, maybe pulling out their IV lines or their trach tube. If I get lucky and keep the room really dark and quiet, the patient sometimes sleeps most of the night, and I can get lots of reading/studying done. Recently I have had the opportunity to do lots of these 1:1's, and most have slept. I am studying for my NCLEX-PN. And posting on Allnurses.com!

Having said this, you can't count on 1:1's happening. You could work minimal hours somewhere and just let it be known that you are willing to do overnight 1:1's. They often have to call people in to do them, as it requires extra staff.

[Mewsin]

My night shift job is not like that.

[micheala]

I worked in an assisted living home and you didn't have to do anything but change a couple people. I had a nice cushy living room to sit in and a flat screen to watch tv. Also look at the wealthier area's for a nicer assisted living facility. I call these the money towns. :)

[mee9mee9]

I worked in an assisted living home and you didn't have to do anything but change a couple people. I had a nice cushy living room to sit in and a flat screen to watch tv. Also look at the wealthier area's for a nicer assisted living facility. I call these the money towns. :)

are the wealthier area's easier to work in?

[ChrisNZ]

I float across a large hospital filling in for roster deficits/high acuity.

Most nights when there is free time, which one could use for study/facebook/other unproductive activities I usually find myself cleaning trolleys/restocking supplies ect.

I find working across either ICU or HDU I have my most down time. Most of my time is spent doing two hourly turns when the hospital attendants come round, usually taking the head (if RN is administering PR meds) or doing the 'dirty work' of the turn. Other than that there's not much else to do apart from maintaining a 'clean and safe enviroment'.

I occasionally do 1:1 with patients exhibiting aggressive or challenging behaviors. If seems my luck that most of these patients tend to sleep for me so I usually just read/study.

[Baubo516, RN]

I, too, have pretty good luck with 1:1s. They usually sleep when I am there. It probably helps that I make the room really dark and don't initiate small talk. I am kind to them and talk if they ask me questions, but I figure night time is for sleeping, so I try to get them to relax and go to sleep.

[asiaan]

I, too, have pretty good luck with 1:1s. They usually sleep when I am there. It probably helps that I make the room really dark and don't initiate small talk. I am kind to them and talk if they ask me questions, but I figure night time is for sleeping, so I try to get them to relax and go to sleep.

What kind of place do you work at? Is that home health agency? Hospital?

[mvm2]

I do not personally work the 3rd shift with my Home Care agency. But some of the clients can definetly be this way for the evening shifts. MINUS THE SLEEPING. Our company would never agree to that. The 3rd shifters have to stay awake no snoozing which for me would be supper hard to do but if you can handle it more power to you. Not every 3rd shifter sits and reads all night, but sometimes you are there to just help them to the bathroom, or is they need to be changed or turned every 2 hours like in a LTC.

[kenya1005]

I used to work as a home health aid. I worked with a client who was developmentally disabled, but he was still pretty with it. At night, it was easy... he would usually play video games until right after I got there at 11. I would help him change into pj's, get him tucked in (he was paraplegic) and then he would sleep pretty much all night. I did TONS of homework then and watched lots of tv.

Working nights in a hospital I had at least a good hour or two total of down time, but it would still be hard to study because you're constantly interrupted with bed alarms, etc.

[Taiin]

There is never down time during the night shift where I work. There are two CNAs for 40 highly dependent people, most who have dementia, Alzheimers, or are huge fall risks in general. Many of the folks exhibit sun downing behaviors. So by the time you get the first round done to make sure everyone is dry, it is time for 2nd round. Plus whatever assigned tasks you are required to do in addition to CNA work (cleaning, for example) since they don't think you are 'busy' enough on nights. The nurse normally cannot help, because they are given a load of nurse-only tasks to do that keep them busy all night (like busy work for school, but this isn't school). Which sucks because the nurse counts as a warm body to 'improve' the ratio of caretakers to residents, but they can't actually help. All it takes is one resident having a meltdown and we're behind.

A 1:1 night sounds absolutely blissful!