Nursing Homes vs. Hospitals???

Destinystar · Jun 26, 2004

your responsibility as a cna remains the same no matter what setting you choose to work in. an rn can and does do the same thing a cna does with added responsibilities. rn's typically get about 3x more money than a cna, the same benefits but sometimes the benefits are offered sooner than a cna's. nursing is hard work and dedication, not for the faint of heart. does not sound to me like you are in a position to make a decision to go to nursing school at this time. keep working as a cna. the answer will come. the fact that you feel nervouse tells me that you have a lot of doubts about going into the profession. find a profession that makes you feel confident about what you are doing. :)

hi,
i would like to know if the work done in a nursing home setting for a cna is similar to a hospital setting. i was called today abouta job as a cna in a hospital and i would really l like to take it because im starting nursing school soon. but here is the problem, i worked in a nursing home for 2 days as a na, and i was disgusted at the way the residents were treated and some of the things that had to be done(i know that sounds awful). i was also curious if the jobs are alike for a cna and an rn?? what differences other than pay and benefits are there? can someone please help me, i am very nervous now about even going to nursing school. any replies are greatly appreciated!

marymary · Jun 26, 2004

Hi,
I would like to know if the work done in a nursing home setting for a cna is similar to a hospital setting. I was called today abouta job as a cna in a hospital and I would really l like to take it because im starting nursing school soon. But here is the problem, I worked in a nursing home for 2 days as a na, and I was disgusted at the way the residents were treated and some of the things that had to be done(i know that sounds awful). I was also curious if the jobs are alike for a cna and an rn?? what differences other than pay and benefits are there? Can someone please help me, I am very nervous now about even going to Nursing school. Any replies are greatly appreciated!

Hi,

I'm not sure what state you live in, but in south jersey nursing assistants job assigments differ in the hospital setting. Also the group of people that you will work with will be different, most likely they will have a higher level of education. Nursing assistants in hospitals

take vital signs
fingersticks for glucose monitoring
transport patients
serve meals
assist with ADL's
make beds

Basically they assist the nurse in different ways. There is also more of an opportunity to get assistance with college. A lot of hospitals have scholarships, tution reimbursement, etc... They are more encouraging to the staff to continue their education. Also you have an opportunity to be around a larger variety of clients. Nursing homes is pretty much limited to a particular age group. I hope this helps. Good Luck

PBAJS · Jun 26, 2004

originally posted by tiff_faith2001 - "but here is the problem, i worked in a nursing home for 2 days as a na, and i was disgusted at the way the residents were treated ..."

you worked in a nursing home for only two days? i have worked in a few different nursing homes. i, too, was disgusted at one particular home about the way the residents were verbally treated (i'll get you up when i'm ready to get you up! you have to go to the bathroom again? what the .... do you want now?).

"... and some of the things that had to be done"

hmm, makes me want to ask if these things could have been, i.e., restraints without a restraining order, or things that were related to the care of the resident (bathing, bedpans, ...) i have a neighbor that worked a week, until she found out she would have to take care of a deceased resident before transporting to the funeral home.

nervous? i think that is to be expected. aren't we all nervous at times, whether it's going to a new school, finding new friends, a first date, a new job, moving to a new town?

originally posted by marymary - " ... the group of people ... most likely will have a higher level of education. there is also more of an opportunity to get assistance with college. ... more encouraging to the staff to continue their education. .... be around a larger variety of clients. nursing homes are pretty much limited to a particular age group".

marymary - very well said. i am working as a cna in a ltc facility, but maybe i'm getting bored, same thing day after day. your posting makes me think there could be other opportunities out there.

"i was called today about a job as a cna in a hospital and i would really l like to take it".

many years ago (ok, about 30 years ago), as i enjoyed cooking for the family, friends and entertaining, i thought about becoming a profession chef. i got a job in the kitchen of a restaurant. i did it, and hated it.

best for your to think about it. if you need that little push, i'd like to say - do it! go for it! in the future might be better to say i'd did it and it wasn't for me, rather than say i wish i had.

[color=#ffffff]..

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Jun 26, 2004

CNA work in a hospital is very different, and I must say physically much easier, than in a nursing facility. You get to do more varied tasks, and the pay is usually better (if there's a union......I don't know about non-union hospitals). Plus, if you're going to school, hospital nurses are often willing to take you under their wing and teach you all kinds of things; when I was doing this, nurses would grab me in the hallway and say "Hey Marla, come listen to this bruit!" or "Want to help me put down an NG?" Of course, I made sure to stay within my scope of practice, but I got to see and hear and assist with all sorts of patient situations that helped me enormously when I became an RN. I highly recommend it. :)

tiff_faith2001 · Jun 27, 2004

Thank you all for the post! They were very encouraging and exciting to read!

I think I will take the job, and if anything I will know what to expect, or change my mind about profession. I worked in that nursing home for 2 days and was completely turned off by nursing, cna, etc.. so in turn I went to business school, that to was depressing and not what I wanted. I want to be called upon for my help, and I love feeling like I made a difference in someones life. I really think the profession is for me. I guess just like all jobs, It has its bad points. Thank you all again for your encouragement. I live in MO and I'm not sure that the hospital is union or not, i know it would be nice to be working for a union. Thanks Again!

Tiffany