not physically strong enough to be a CNA...

Bbo.W · Jul 11, 2011

Hello! I am taller and heavier (5'6" and 120 lbs) but I carried, birthed and nursed 3 babies in less than 5 years so I feel your pain regarding little upper body strength :-) I just hit 100 days at my first CNA job and am now able to transfer 200 lb residents from their bed to their chair! YAY!!!!!! I can also now safely turn a 500 lb resident (who doesn't help)! You CAN do it :-) You will learn the tricks and also how to use your body in order to move people! Get a friendly fellow aide to give you advice and tips. When I first stared my job I could not move anyone, mostly because I was afraid/uncomfortable with the situation. But you WILL figure it out, and you WILL increase your strength/abilities! Go for it!

mar12011 · Jul 12, 2011

REALLY, in only 100 days? That is great!!!! I will be happier than the newest Powerball winner if I can post that here in 3 more months! I hope the two other CNA's will help me out, showing me some tricks of how they do it.... time will tell.

CNA2bRN13 · Jul 12, 2011

I thought I was the same way and I had to get my teacher to help me with a patient who was very obese. Now, my teacher is 70 years old and she came in there and whipped that lady right up like it was nothing!! And she is teeny tiny too. I was joking that I needed to work out and she told me that wouldn't be necessary...I needed to work on my body mechanics. When moving a patient with a drawsheet, shift the weight from one leg to another, and keep your arms flexed. Try not to use your arm or back muscles too much. Use your weight to get the job done. Also, some patients really do require a partner. You should have seen my pitiful self the first time I tried to put a TED stocking on a mannequin lol. I couldn't even get it over the heel until she showed me the weight thing.

Like Mike said as well.

fuzzywuzzy, CNA · Jul 12, 2011

I like to let gravity do a lot of the work too, by raising or lowering the bed depending on if I'm getting the person in or out of it.

mar12011 · Jul 13, 2011

I love hearing how it's not so much strength, as it is technique -- that gives me hope that I will be able to do this eventually (I hope "eventually" is SOON). Last night I foolishly tried to turn this 175 lb. guy who is pretty much in a vegetative state, and his knees are practically paralyzed, so I couldn't do the bending the knee and turning technique -- I nearly gave my lower back a good strain. Then later in the night I had to put a new incontinence brief on him, it too me nearly 15 minutes, and again my lower back took a slight hit. The other two CNA's were real busy with their patients, and I kind of frustrated one of them last week because I had to ask him 3 times in 3 hours to help me turning patients.

BUT again, all of your posts are highly encouraging, and also the CNA in the evening shift in my hall as she gave me the turnover report, her arms are actually as skinny as mine and she can turn the same pts.....

so maybe someday (in the not too distant future, LOL!?) I will be that 70 yr old CNA showing a young CNA with pipe-cleaner arms that it can be easily done too! :up:

yousoldtheworld · Jul 13, 2011

Yep :) AND you'll be surprised how quickly you build up strength, too.

evabloomy · Jul 13, 2011

@ Mar 12011

I must say first of all that i LUV ur sense of humour....Gosh i just luv it. U poke fun at yourself b4 anyone does. Keep it up ( i mean ur sense of humour :loveya:).

Secondaly i just want to encourage you to hang in there cos u,ll definately get the hang of it! I,m a first time CNA & 3 weeks old & i,m still hanging in there & trying to get the hang of it too! lol.

mar12011 · Jul 14, 2011

Well a HUGE THANKS evabloomv!!! Keep me posted on how it goes for you too as we become seasoned CNA's.

You know what is extraordinary to me -- I've been volunteering at a downtown hospital for the past 16 months, and I soooooooooo love it (helping the CNA's & RN's out) -- I soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo badly wanted to work as a CNA there, but after I got my license I couldn't get a job there no matter how many times I applied (they want only CNA's w/exp) -- I never thought I would want to work in an LTCF, yet that's exactly where I am (well it's a skilled nursing/rehab/LTCF/subacute facility, I work in the subacute unit) and to my shock I REALLY, REALLY love it. Isn't life odd? But God is good, He knew exactly where He wanted me, and what is best for me too. Now only if I can all the steps down, and especially get the muscle to do the turns alone!! :0)

Shirley Shin · Jul 14, 2011

Isn't it true that a prerequisite to get into any LVN or RN program now requires a CNA degree? I have a few friends interested but not liking to the fact that they may have to take a CNA course, which shouldn't be more than 2 months anyway. I personally believe everyone should do some CNA work.

erinberrin, CNA · Nov 25, 2011

Hey all, my head is too bummed for words right now, yet I will attempt to describe my situation on here anyway -
I just started a wonderful job this week as a CNA in a subacute unit. It is my first job as a CNA. I am 50 yrs old and fairly skinny, esp my pipe-cleaner arms. My heart's goal was to become an RN -- I have been studying on my own the past year (A&P, microbiology, chemistry, etc.) and I just am obsessed -- I cannot stop reading, I cannot stop listening to courses off of iTunesU on these subjects. I have volunteered at a hospital locally for 16 mos working w/the CNAs & RNs, so I am decently aware of what the jobs require. My fault for knowing how weak my scrawny upper body is and not maybe leaving my obsession with the learning to be nothing more than a hobby, I wanted to think I could still be a nurse -- what I've learned front & center this week is I can barely turn a 100 lb. pt on their side to change their incontinence pads, let alone re-position them. Every time I had to do it this week I had to get another CNA to help.
What options do I have? I spent the past 27 yrs working in IT -- I never had a heart for it, I always wanted to be in medical, but I was scared I couldn't do it b/c of this, I guess I was being quite bull-headed / unrealistically optimistic it would work after all.
ANY advice would be soooooooooooooooooooo greatly appreciated. Should I call the Staff Admin and see if they would keep me on despite this awful disadvantage? Outside of that flaw, I am an EXTREMELY high energy person and think I could do the rest of the CNA tasks real well. But it seems to me that I am hosed.........
"depressed in Denver"

I'm just out of school myself well cna wise.RN wise..still in school..so i'm not quite sure if i read your post right..have you been to class to become a cna or rn? If so..they show you how to lift or repostion your patients the right way that puts less strain on your back..you never use your upper body to lift..the weight is on your lower body..body mechanics..practice good body mechanics..my former job was very demanding..physically....your size shouldnt matter..and also its not recommended to lift any patient by yourself..never ever..always with a team..especially if the patient cannot lift more than 30% of their own body weight..sometimes its not how big the patient is..its how much of there own weight they can lift or assist you with helping them..so i wouldnt get discouraged..i would practice my body mechanics..and get a seasoned cna or nurse to assist you with proper techniques..seriously..i have seen little 5 foot petit nursing instructors..lift big patients ..you so..you'll be ok..

mar12011 · Nov 26, 2011

THANKS for the encouraging words. Yes, I was certified as a CNA in April. I am now working in a hospital where there is much better team help with turning, so that is nice. But I just finished my 3rd of 6 days of orientation and my preceptor has shown frustration with me - I am not good at taking respiration without having the lights on in the pts room, at the SNF I worked at I was allowed to use my stethoscope to get them. She also doesn't think I'm doing well with multitasking, and keeping organized -- both of which are ironic because I used to work in IT and had the multitasking there was on steroids compared to this job, but I am new and need to get used to the routine, which will take longer than the 6 days allotted time. Plus I am an organization fanatic -- to the point of nuttiness, but again being new at the hospital I need to find my stride before it will manifest itself. I trust the preceptor's observations, she is VERY good at her job, but I just think that if they don't have the ability to give me a few weeks to get up to speed I will soon be without a job. Oh well, back to IT! :uhoh3:

erinberrin, CNA · Nov 26, 2011

THANKS for the encouraging words. Yes, I was certified as a CNA in April. I am now working in a hospital where there is much better team help with turning, so that is nice. But I just finished my 3rd of 6 days of orientation and my preceptor has shown frustration with me - I am not good at taking respiration without having the lights on in the pts room, at the SNF I worked at I was allowed to use my stethoscope to get them. She also doesn't think I'm doing well with multitasking, and keeping organized -- both of which are ironic because I used to work in IT and had the multitasking there was on steroids compared to this job, but I am new and need to get used to the routine, which will take longer than the 6 days allotted time. Plus I am an organization fanatic -- to the point of nuttiness, but again being new at the hospital I need to find my stride before it will manifest itself. I trust the preceptor's observations, she is VERY good at her job, but I just think that if they don't have the ability to give me a few weeks to get up to speed I will soon be without a job. Oh well, back to IT!

I wish you luck..I'm just starting my first cna position this weekend 3rd shift at a nursing home..so ..who knows what I'm in store for a newbie myself other than my clinicals and a little stint as a caregiver for homecare..but it should be ok..respiration with the lights on?..really? hmmm..its funny you say that because I never have been in a situation where the lights where off for respirations but now that I'll be working third shift..hmm..oh well I usually feel for that with hand over back gently..if its more than 12-15..I take it twice..