PLEASE HELP I need Brutal Honesty!!!!

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Please understand when I post this I need brutal honesty.

I would rather be told something is a bad idea than be encouraged and fail and be in a worse place than I now am. I am 33 years old, obese likely close to 360-380 lbs. Despite the obvious "you should diet etc.. (which is clearly apparent) I need to know what to do

I was recently laid off of my job, the business closed and laid off 100 workers with virtually overnight notice. A WARN notice was not even filed with the state. I have been looking for a job and the ONLY thing that comes up in my job search are CNA jobs. I have an opportunity as a displaced worker to get a CNA class paid for by the state through unemployment but I am scared to death I will fail the physical or PASS and be unable to do the lifting and other stuff the job requires. Can anyone who knows more about this than I do give me some honest advice. Please let me know if this is worth the effort or not. Thanks.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I can honestly tell you that the physical demands will not be easy for you, even if you only work with one patient in the home setting. You will have to deal with it as you work at losing weight. You know that you need to get your weight down to feel better for you. A benefit is being able to deal with the physical demands of any job with less fatigue and problems.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I can honestly tell you that the physical demands will not be easy for you, even if you only work with one patient in the home setting. You will have to deal with it as you work at losing weight. You know that you need to get your weight down to feel better for you. A benefit is being able to deal with the physical demands of any job with less fatigue and problems.

I absolutely agree. I know this has been a problem for years and I have been too scared to confront it head on. I do not want this holding me back from what I am able to do either.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

The nursing homes and long-term care facilities in my city of residence generally do not require pre-employment physical testing before hiring CNAs. And, yes, some of the CNAs are morbidly obese and still manage to get the job done. However, I live in Texas, which is a state where overweight and obesity are at epidemic proportions in local communities.

I'm going to be blunt with you. Many of the employers around here do not give a rat's ass about your weight or appearance because the CNA position is a high-turnover job with low pay and minimal prestige. Many hiring managers in my area are simply seeking a warm body to replace the last CNA who abruptly quit or got fired.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I have to agree that in nursing homes, they hire any living warm body to fill the position. However, as a CNA, you need to MOVE! There are alot of call bells to answer and you need to be quick on your feet. One plus is that with all that walking you may loose 20 pounds... Just keep in mind that if you go into a LTC facility and move like a snail because of your weight, the rest of the CNA's are going to complain because they have to do their job plus answer your call bells, etc. because you can't keep up.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Peds(PICU, NICU float), PDN, ICU.

It may depend on the type of CNA job you get after obtaining certification. Most people want a year of experience in a nursing home to get other types of CNA jobs. But occasionally you will find a place that doesn't. Before I was a nurse I was a CNA for 2 years in a nursing home. It was one of the hardest jobs I've ever done. But if you can make friends with the other CNA's you can get help with lifting and other tasks. There is also what is called a Hoyer lift to help with lifting. In CNA training you will learn lifting techniques as well.

I've had trouble with my weight off and on for years. I have hypothyroidism which makes it very difficult to lose weight. At my largest I was 200 lbs (I'm 5'2"). That happened when my thyroid issues got worse. I was working out at the time daily and eating healthy. I lost the weight with meds but still fluctuate a bit. When I was in the nursing home I started there at a higher weight. But with the workload I did lose some weight (not a large amt., but noticable change) I was able to do the work during all that weight change. So it can be done. I worked with aides that were larger and small than me and they were able to do the work too.

When I started, the first few weeks to month or so were really rough. It is a very physically demanding job in the nursing home. I went home and hurt/ached after every shift. But eventually it got better. I also learned that having very good shoes help too. I wear Dansco clogs and they help. Even after adjusting to the work I still had nights that I would go home very sore. I eventually got transferred in to the Alzheimers unit where the patients had to be ambulatory. That didn't require as much lifting in that unit. You may be able to find a position like that.

You know what you are capable of more than anyone else. That was my experience and history with it. There may be others that can share other experiences on here too. You will get a taste of it in clinicals and will start to get an idea of if you can do it. But keep in mind that in clinicals you may only have 1-2 patients. In the real world, you will have many more patients and much less time with each. Good luck! Sorry about the lay off.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
The nursing homes and long-term care facilities in my city of residence generally do not require pre-employment physical testing before hiring CNAs. And, yes, some of the CNAs are morbidly obese and still manage to get the job done. However, I live in Texas, which is a state where overweight and obesity are at epidemic proportions in local communities.

I'm going to be blunt with you. Many of the employers around here do not give a rat's ass about your weight or appearance because the CNA position is a high-turnover job with low pay and minimal prestige. Many hiring managers in my area are simply seeking a warm body to replace the last CNA who abruptly quit or got fired.

I agree with the above poster. I have seen many CNA's and Nurses that are obese that can perform their job requirements. To assume a person can't solely on the basis of being morbidly obese seems ignorant. Employers just want to fill their vacant positions.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC.

The highest weight I've been working as a CNA/RN is 295. The job was hard there are a lot of physical requirements. You can't be a CNA and not be able to lift. When I first started out as a CNA I'd leave work absolutely exhausted, but as time wore on my body adjusted to the needs of the job.

If it is something you are interested in and think you can do, I say do it.

I would suggest that in order to make this venture easier on you that you might want to look into what you can do to become more healthy. I'm someone who has battle my weight my entire life. So I totally understand where you are coming from. It wasn't until a couple of months ago I really started to make changes and found a program that worked for me to help me lose weight and become over all healtier.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

You can't count on getting a job easily because employers want a warm body. In today's employment atmosphere, highly qualified people get the few available jobs. Employers have their pick of the litter. Even 20 years ago when the job market was different, one of my coworkers who was overweight had to be quick on her feet with answers about her ability to handle the job. You, of course, know that many employers discriminate against a potential candidate who is very obese. The time to get on track with a healthy weight loss and exercise program is now. Best wishes.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I agree with the above poster. I have seen many CNA's and Nurses that are obese that can perform their job requirements. To assume a person can't solely on the basis of being morbidly obese seems ignorant. Employers just want to fill their vacant positions.

I am not worried as much about employer prejudice, albeit it is a concern as I am being able to do my job well. I know alot of lifting and so forth is involved but I wasn't sure this was something a heavy person would physically be able to do. I will agree I am ignorant COMPLETELY when it comes to understanding how physically demanding the job is. I am sitting here thinking of me lifting a person by myself with no assistance and I wondering how I would manage that. True I haven't had the training and I am sure there are methods taught to do this but I am a bit worried. If it is possible I will try and go for it. I am a very caring person and I love helping people so I know I could likely handle that portion of my job well.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in MR/DD.

I am obese.(280) When I was an NA I was able to do the work but my body paid for it.. my back and my feet hurt so bad that it drove me to tears. I would eat ibuprofen like candy just to get through my shift. I was able to lose a little bit of weight and am still working on it. Thankfully I have a job as a nurse that does not require a lot of physical labor. I am very lucky.

Nurses Aides work very hard, there are times you have to be able to get into small spaces and move, you will need to be able to be on your feet many hours at a time without a decent break. Your feet and legs will swell, your back will ache and your feet will feel like you are walking on nails all day.

My suggestion is to start walking daily to begin to get into shape and to see how your body reacts. If you find yourself wanting to sit down after an hour .. you will not be able to do the work. You will hate your job and unfortunately your patients will be the ones who pay the price.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Cardiac.

You will technically be able to do the work. Nothing is difficult in itself or requires any great amount of strength.

The problem that may arise is that in order to "work hard" at many CNA jobs you will be on your feet for 12 hours a day. 12 hours a day, booking it back and forth between rooms doing your best to complete an impossible workload.

I've worked with a lot of people of various sizes and although the obese are able to do their jobs, you can tell it takes a toll on them. Generally you will see the obese people fatigue quicker and under less work than their healthier co-workers; it does create a situation where on especially busy nights they *must* take a break where as the others are skipping them.

It's not really possible to give you a definitive answer but in general you will be at a disadvantage.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment