I'm a nursing student thinking of quitting my CNA job?

[michigan94]

I've been working as a nursing assistant at a hospital for about 1.5 years now, also worked at a nursing home for a year before this job. I used to work night shift and when I did I really didn't mind my job, but I just couldn't do it with school and my sleep schedule so I switched to days. I work 3 12's a week with not too bad of a schedule, however I can just feel myself becoming extremely burnt out on aide work. I've been trying to stick it out (on the wait list for my RN clinicals) because I know I will easily be able to get a job here when I graduate, however every day I think about just quitting. I enjoy interacting with patients and love the medical aspect. But I just feel so unappreciated and over worked. A lot of the aides I work with don't do anything, which doesn't help my situation. My back always hurts so bad at the end of everyday because I'm trying to turn 200+ pound patients alone because I just can't find help. I could go on about what I dislike about the job but I won't. And yes I completely understand as a nurse I will still need to do some aide work which I don't have a problem with at all, but doing it for 12+ hours a day is just killing me. I do like my job when we are properly staffed but more often than not I have 10+ patients and even though I'm busting my butt I still don't feel like I'm doing enough. My plan was to keep working as a cna at this hospital, take educational leave when I start clinicals, then begin there as an RN but go elsewhere once I get a little experience. However the wait for clinicals is at least a year and I'm just having a hard time with work everyday. I used to waitress and part of me just wants to quit and do that again. I do rely on my job to pay bills and I know that waitressing isn't always a steady income, but then again I almost think I made more doing that.. But I don't want to quit the hospital and have it look bad to future employers either. I just don't know what to do. I know this is only a temporary stepping stone but I'm getting tired of the stress and tears. Any kind of advice would be great.

[Jedrnurse, BSN, RN]

Maybe it's not an all or nothing thing. Can you cut back your hours? (If you can afford it...)

If you'd like to work there after passing the boards, maybe you could go per diem now (and work elsewhere to make up the difference) just to keep you "fresh" in their memories.

[ottersloveoysters]

Can you cut down your hours to one shift a week? Can you go per diem and just work a few shifts a month?

[Sour Lemon]

I would also look into going per diem. It's enough to keep your foot in the door, but it's not too much obligation ...and you can pick the days/shifts you want to work which is great when you're working around another job or a school schedule.

[Coffee Nurse, BSN, RN]

You have to look out for yourself, too. If you ruin your back before you've even started your nursing career, it's going to close doors for you in the future. You've been at this job for a year and a half, so as long as you've done good work I don't see how quitting and going back to waitressing or cutting back your shifts would look bad to potential employers.

[Libby1987]

Why are you confident that you will easily get a job as an RN at this hospital? And why would you considering how you're under appreciated and team work isn't part of the culture?