I'm currently enrolled in nursing school and started my 1st job as a CNA. I am enjoying nursing school (so far), but I hate being a CNA. I've worked for 4 days so far on a floor in a hospital. Let me say, it is back breaking work. I've had anywhere from 7 patients on a good day up to 14 on a bad day.
Some of these patients can't even move in the bed. It's nearly back breaking to turn them to wash, or too change the linen. Some of these patients are confused or even suicidal, so getting them to cooperate so you can care for them is practically impossible.
Dealing with family members is another issue. The other aides are busy with their own patients and it's hard to find help. When I ask the nurses for help, their either too busy or don't want to help since they may feel they are above this type of work.
A part of me just wants to quit, I'm starting to feel that I'd much rather be unemployed then work as a CNA. I go home tired, battered, and stressed to the point it ruins my day. It came to the point in which I started questioning my career path and if I should bail and look for an entry-level office or desk job. It pays slightly more than a CNA and I wouldn't have to deal with back breaking work. Risking unemployment and not having a backup, a sacrifice I'm willing to make to regain my sanity. I do plan on continuing and finishing my nursing education.
My experience as a CNA has not lead me to quit on nursing. I can see that nurses on my unit do not do cna work. I have much respect for CNA's, sometimes I wonder how some CNA's have been doing this for 10+ years. It boggles my mind.
When I'm a RN, I certainly will look after and help my CNA's. I'm certainly not above them. They work hard and are dedicated. I've learned this being just 4 days on the job as a CNA.
You would quit that in a heartbeat, leaving all the other CNAs to take up your slack? Not to mention leaving the patients with even less care. Yeah, way to go...
I would quit that too. What, are people never allowed to quit jobs and move on? Weird perspective.
My thought on it is this: I can't stop the awful places from existing (wish I could) but I'm not required to destroy my body and spirit working in them.
In a lot of places.....I wouldn't bet on that. Sadly.
Maybe....But I know where I work the patient falling, is probably one of the worst things that could happen. And if you get hurt and are out of work for months, that means THEY have to pay (workman's comp) and they have to hire and train someone new (more $$ and time). Although the patient getting bathed is very important and a priority, it shouldn't be the first.
Duskyjewel makes an excellent point. I personally think management could give a damn about me. They care about the patient, who is the 1 paying lot's of money to receive care. "Money is the motive"....The mighty dollar rules all. Plus, I'm easily replaceable. I don't matter. I'm there to be used as a mechanical lift. To save the nurses the trouble of lifting and used so the unit does not have to invest in assistive devices. Why pay money into devices when you have willing bodies to do it for you. So in all honesty, they would much rather prefer that I get injured then the patient not receiving proper care and suing. I do greatly care about my back and my well being. If they don't want to help than that's fine but don't think that I will break my back for 10-15 bucks an hour. If you were paying me a million dollars per year, then I would take the risk. Yes, healthcare is about the patient but don't expect I won't watch out for my health too, it matters more to me then anything. My well-being receives priority.
You should care about your body and health, and what good is your future career if you are disabled in a year? Have you tried talking to your managers about the lack of help? Use the chain of command. I don't know where you work but they need to take your concern seriously, and if they don't go to the people higher up until a change is made. It is a physically demanding job, but nobody should be required to put themselves in harms way. SAFETY should be the number one concern of your place of employment (for both employees and patients) and if it's not, then I would find another place to work. Talk to people and stand up for yourself first. Don't cause trouble, just be an adult about it and they should respect you for that.
Prettyboyswag, you can always refer to the patient's care plan and state that the person is a 2-assist when they are. Therefore, it would be unethical of you to attempt to move/change position/or assist up a 2 assist because they might be hurt.
Find out if there are hoyer lifts available. Hoyer lifts save backs, but do require two people to use.
Give the job a month. It honestly took a month for me to feel comfortable, and now I have nurses who are happy when I'm on their shift. Literally had one say "Thank God you're on my hall" the other day. She did not feel the same way at the beginning of my employment.
prettyboyswag, I totally understand where you are coming from. I am in my first few days of working as an LNA and have a feeling of dread when I think of it. I am glad I'm doing it, however. I know I will get better. I know that much of what I don't like has to do with the environment and pay being so different from what I'm used to (I'm a career-changer). Most importantly, I am working on keeping my eyes on the prize: I want to be an NP. I know that serving as an LNA is not what I want to be doing in the long run, but it is a very good way to develop skills and knowledge that will help me in nursing school and as an NP. I know that I don't want to be in nursing school trying to learn how to take blood pressure when I could be focusing on higher-level learning. When I'm an NP it will be a relief to already be familiar with how pressure ulcers heal or how different kinds of wheelchairs work--not because I learned about it in school, but because I have actual experience with it. That's why I want to get really good at LNA skills now.
That said, I am taking the job lightly. That's not to say I won't do a solid job of it; I mean I understand that if it's really awful, I can quit and find an LNA job in an easier (but less educational) environment, or even another job (though I don't count on that so much).
I can't make any suggestions to you about what you ought to do. It's your choice, obviously. I hope you choose what is right for you.
Thank You for those who posted "positive" & "encouraging" comments. Ultimately, I decided too put in my 2 weeks notice. I simply can't stand that place or the co-workers. I don't like walking miserable to work everyday. I realized it wasn't that i hated nursing or patient care but I infact had an issue with the environment I was working in/management/coworkers. I found another job in a different facility that allows me to do more, allows me to move around, pays slightly more, and the commute is a little bit less hectic. Regardless of how this position plays out I plan to keep it. I need the money since like every1 else I have bills to pay. They have a excellent reputation and have an excellent training program. To those that think your stuck where you are I say don't lose hope. Try to find your niche, and I'm sure you will discover an area in nursing that you will like. Blacksimmer, NP is a great and growing field, I have a ultimate goal to become a Professor/educator. I know I can make a + impact on students someday.
It is true that nurse(RN) have a lot of duties and responsibilities that they have to complete during a day's work but in my opinion, just as the RNs ask for help from the cna when they need to do treatment on the buttocks and need help turning, or need help with a difficult resident, in return, they should help the cnas out by answering the call lights because sometimes the resident wants their medications or a pain pill instead of waiting for the cna to get it when she's on another room assisting another resident and the call light goes off for 15 to 30 mins.
I am not saying that the RN should do everything that the Cna does but at least help out a little. Some RNs just refuse to do that.
I like this post. I am a tech on a very busy sac floor and when I start getting down and think I can't make it in school or even as a tech on the floor one of the nurses says she's so happy I'm there I'm one of the best techs. Then nursing school doesn't seem so hard after that. I have still yet to decide if I want to stay on this floor, I learned so much but it really is hard.I feel lucky when most my nurses are like that and it gives me inspiration to do well in school and then help other text on the floor when I become an RN.
duskyjewel
1,335 Posts
I would quit that too. What, are people never allowed to quit jobs and move on? Weird perspective.
My thought on it is this: I can't stop the awful places from existing (wish I could) but I'm not required to destroy my body and spirit working in them.