New CNA

verene, MSN · Sep 21, 2014

Good luck! I really enjoyed the CNA training and clinicals. Do allow your interest in different topics to inform you on what kind of CNA work you might want to end up doing after you complete the program. I really enjoyed the units on dementia and mental illness and that pushed me to apply to LTC facilities with memory care units and psych/behavioral health facilities. I ended up with a job in community mental health after completing the program and I love it! Also network with other students and instructors - we had a very diverse bunch of students in my classes and learning from one another and supporting one another was really helpful. Hopefully you'll end up with a good clinical instructor. I was really frustrated with the CNA I was shadowing and after, particularly after few weird things happened on the floor. I brought it up with my instructor who was able to help me switch to a different CNA to follow around which ended up being a much better experience. (Pretty sure she also had a talk with the DoN about this CNA too). I ended up having a lot of really good conversations with her during our breaks, lots of advice was given, and she ended up being a wonderful reference for me.

As for jobs, remember that when you get an interview it is not just a chance to have the employer interview you, but also a chance for you to learn more about the employer. Don't be afraid to ask them questions during the interview! I was a little hesitant about the first place I interviewed, but asking the interviewer about some of my concerns put my fears to rest and I accepted the job and have now been with them for almost a year. In a prior life I had a job offer from a company, but I didn't feel right about how they'd avoided some of my questions in the interviews, I turned them down and good thing I did! I later found out that particular company was in trouble with the state. In short, if the place and people don't feel right in the interview it's okay to say no.

madisonnnn_ · Sep 25, 2014

thank you so much !! :) i have a few questions tho , first is i heard the pay for a CNA isnt enough for the work you do .. is that true ? and also what career/job opportunities will i have once i am certified? and what are the hours like ?

abbypoo · Sep 26, 2014

Being a certified nursing assistant is a hard job but I do believe that the pay is fair, at least from the perspective that there are so many options to move up in the position. Be a certified nursing assistant so that you can become a nurse in the future. I would not recommend it as a lifetime career because it would be so easy to burn out on it and it is certainly not a job you want to support an entire family with. Other people might feel different from my opinion though, so listen to what other users suggest. :)

cdsavannah59, CNA · Sep 26, 2014

CNA can be hard work, I took PCT PCT class after becoming a CNA in hopes of getting a good job. Worked homecare while taking pct class. Well I got hired as PCT at a hospital but the wage is allot lower then I expected and the work in 12 hour shifts is hard and exhausting. I made better money as a waitress lol. However CNA is a field with allot of job opportunities and being hired at a good company with great staff help and good pay will be worth it, so research who you work for and the wages before taking a job you may not like because of poor pay, or such lack of adequate staffing that you are

extremely overworked to cover the shortage of staffing.

verene, MSN · Sep 26, 2014

It is true that the pay is not high. In my area starting pay is $10-15 depending on experience. That being said it is an entry-level job and most entry level jobs do not pay particularly high. If you are looking at it as a paid-learning opportunity to inform and eventually build a career on it is well worth it.

Most career opportunities for a first job will be in long-term care. With a bit of experience other opportunities open up, as most hospitals want at least 6 months to a year experience before hiring. That being said, any job that has "CNA / NAC", "Nurse Aide" "Behavioral Health Aide", "Home Caregiver", "Residential Caregiver" or related is probably fair game to apply to. While I am a CNA with my license, my job title is "Residential Caregiver".

The good news is that there are a lot of different options out there and great flexibility in terms of being on-call, vs part-time, vs. full-time employed. Shifts are usually day, second/swing, and night if 8 hours or day/night if 12s. Home health care has the greatest flexibility in terms of taking shifts that work with your schedule as they offer some of the shortest and longest shift options, but other places will allow on-call/per-diem work or set part-time work.

madisonnnn_ · Sep 27, 2014

Getting paid 10-15$ wont bother me so much because it will be my first job in the medical field and i don't expect to be paid like somebody whos been working as a nurse for years so the pay is fine for now :) I do plan on doing an LPN program next september and then hopefully after that become an RN and make that my career so hopefully by that time the pay for an RN will be good because that is really what i would like to do as a career. It isnt all about money for me because i love the job and i couldnt imagine any other career besides nursing but one concern i have is making this my career and not being able to support myself or even a family in my future because of the pay

OnlinePersona, LPN · Sep 27, 2014

Getting paid 10-15$ wont bother me so much because it will be my first job in the medical field and i don't expect to be paid like somebody whos been working as a nurse for years so the pay is fine for now :) I do plan on doing an LPN program next september and then hopefully after that become an RN and make that my career so hopefully by that time the pay for an RN will be good because that is really what i would like to do as a career. It isnt all about money for me because i love the job and i couldnt imagine any other career besides nursing but one concern i have is making this my career and not being able to support myself or even a family in my future because of the pay

they pay new cnas dirt cheap. my first ever job i was making 8 dollars. five years later i was at around 12.

duskyjewel · Sep 27, 2014

I made more than 8 dollars an hour at my crappy manual labor job in a distribution center for the local newspaper. I made more working at Wendy's. There is no way I'd take the risks we do for so little money. I can get plenty of other jobs for that pay that don't involve infectious human waste or body fluids, nor as much risk to my musculo-skeletal system, thanks.

dedicated_2b_RN · Sep 27, 2014

I'm starting CNA training Monday 9/29/14

ill let you know

cdsavannah59, CNA · Sep 28, 2014

Wages vary by state and company you work for, California, New York, you will make more as CNA but cost of living is higher in those states. I received my CNA/PCT in Ga and work at a hospital as PCT, gotta say I was very disappointed at the starting wage but took the job because its what I trained for. Do your research on wages in your area by asking people what they make as CNA at their job, the research online for wages for new CNA usually shows a higher income then the average person working as CNA makes.

daimere · Sep 28, 2014

Once you get on the floor you will realize that the classes don't prepare you for the potential *** moments you will see/encounter. If you are a hard worker, can roll with the punches (sometimes literally), you could be a good cna. Expecting to sit on the job all the time or saying things like, "well, it's not my fault, why should i fix it?" Is not the mentality to have in this job. Although there are people that do that. It's a hard job, sometimes, you may be thanked. The biggest thing i wish these classes would instill in people is a work ethic and understanding that in some cases you are wasting your breath. Yes, there are people that will dig in their poop. It happens more than you think but it's a fact of life sometimes.