CNAmatt

This gives me hope. I was telling a nurse I work with how I would much rather be a nurse than do this job I'm at now. It is seriously terrible. I am considering trying homecare since I have my CNA certification. I hear they get paid more too. But regardless being a nurse seems completely different than a CNA. Nurses use their brains and science, and don't get hit with a huge glob of patients like I am getting. The nurses I work with all get maybe 5 patients.

I am twenty-one years old, done with my prereqs for nursing school and waiting to see if I get in the nursing program this year at my college. The last two years, I was a tech aide in the emergency department at my local hospital. I loved it. I had excellent hours, excellent coworkers, the work was even great, I had a great time working with patients and ER nurses. The pay was reasonable for the work I did. Well, because of Covid, they got rid of all the tech aides in the ER. So my choice was to either do an EMT program and become an ER tech, or a quick CNA program and get a job upstairs on the floor. I ended up just going with the CNA program because it was paid for by the hospital, and I already had a job lined up. Plus I thought change would be good. But here I am, absolutely hating this job. I am miserable because of it and I do not know what to do or if I should continue pursuing nursing. The floor I work on gives me about 10 patients per shift, when in the ER I had 6 at most. It feels overwhelming. I hate the hours as well. My ER job had me doing 11AM-11PM and it was perfect. But this CNA job has me at 6:30-6:30PM. When I first started, they had me rotating from days to nights, to see if I would be tough enough for the job (they do this to all of their CNAs and nurses, to see if they can make it) and it was terrible. That entire time period I was miserable and exhausted. But either way doing two twelve hour shifts back to back is exhausting but regardless, the job itself I am not enjoying and this is making me second guess myself about nursing school. My entire shift I get a one hour break, and the rest of the shift I am running around doing vitals, blood sugars, cleaning patients, bathing, feeding them, trying to memorize which patients need what, which patients need vitals at what times and same for blood sugars. Not to mention the insane amount of charting I have to do. I am supposed to do hourly rounds and Is and O's which I feel like I am barely getting done. The floor is no fun. Nothing is happening that is enjoyable. In the ER, I had fun with a lot of my coworkers and patients. I used to look forward to going to work, and I had / still have my job planned out when I graduate nursing school. I was going to work the same hours in my ER where I felt "at home". I loved the adrenaline rush of the ER, the teamwork, everything about it. I looked forward to being a nurse in the ER. And now if someone told me I would be a nurse on this floor, I probably wouldn't take it. It's miserable. All of the women I work with gossip all day and talk about each other behind their backs (I'm a male). I am doing three times as much work as I used to for an extra buck an hour. And everyone is telling me if I am not enjoying being a CNA, don't go in to nursing. But to me being a CNA is completely different than a nurse. Nurses have a process, use science, use their brains, and in the ER that looks like a job I would enjoy. I would do a lot to get my old job back. I have been a CNA for about a month and since day one I hated it. I am trying to give this job more time to adjust plus I need a paycheck, so I am not sure what to do. Guess I am just going to have to be miserable unless I choose to leave this hospital entirely. I am on a contract with them too so if I quit I would have to pay back $1,200 for the CNA program (they paid for it). Any advice? Has anyone became a nurse after being a CNA and liked nursing better? Anyone been in my position? I just don't know what to do.... Also, the ER nurses I used to work with loved their jobs and were happy when they were at work. This job, all the nurses are miserable and spend a lot of time gossiping. None of them ever smile. It is hard to even think about something happy involving this job.

Hi everyone, I’m currently retaking A and P after failing it my first time around. I’m honestly ready to rip my hair out in frustration. This time around, I’m currently sitting at a D. I am studying constantly but I just can’t do it. It’s more less the physiology. I can do lab, but physiology I just feel lost and failed my last exam. I feel like I’m working to much (35 hours a week) And I can quit work once I’m in a program (parents said they will help me out). But right now I feel lost. Second time taking this awful class and Im basically failing it again. A whole year of school down the drain. My proffesor told me to give up now and drop the class, because if I can’t pass this class with an A, then nursing school isn’t happening. I’m heartbroken and lost. Don’t know what to do. My only other option is LPN program then the bridge program. But who knows if I can even pass that. Anyone been in my boat before?

Thank you so much, I needed that. I have a ridiculously hard proffesor who makes the subject 10 times as harder as it needs to be. I am going to try to memorize the power points now. It's still just halfway through the semester, so I will have time to bring it up. Hopefully I don't have to retake. Just hang in there! Biochemistry is an awful one!

I just got back from my anatomy lab and lecture midterms, and I failed both of them. I honestly am devastated and wondering if nursing is still for me. I just feel defeated I guess. I was doing so good up until this class. I am still passing the class but a D+ is nowhere near good enough for nursing school. Not even considered passing. I still have time to get my grade up, but this was considered an easier unit (brain and nerves and endocrine). I also have a proffesor who will not answer my questions, he will tell us to look them up in the book. And when we do that we are either too in depth or not in depth enough. I am frustrated and sad because if I can't pass A & P, how am I going to go through nursing school. Anyone ever been in my situation? It's heartbreaking to know the career you dreamed of might not be a possibility. But oh well. This is life. Everyone is telling me to drop out now because nursing school is just A & P. Obviously its not my strong subject.

I am 19 years old and am getting ready to be in the actual nursing program next year. I have a few questions and do not have anyone around me who is a nurse to answer them, so I am all on my own. First of all, I am very compassionate towards helpless people. That is why I think I would be a good nurse. I react well in emergency situations, I am an advocate for good health, and could definetly see myself doing patient care. However, I am not the best student but I am willing to quite working while I go to nursing school, just to focus on my studies. I am currently trying to transfer to a job in my hospital with patient care so I can get experience with patients. Something I worry about is, what if I can't handle wiping patient behinds? I already work in the lab at the hospital with urine, feces, and blood all day and it does not bother me. The only time I think it's gross is when a sterile cup opens and I can smell it. But how often do nurses have to actually wipe peoples behinds? I don't think I would enjoy doing it everyday... Another issue I have is the schooling. I am a decent student. So far I have an A in my pre nursing class and an A in english. Stuff is really going to get hard in my upcoming semesters with 2 biology classes, anatomy, and physiology. I feel like I'm going to be fine... but right now I am really busting it and stressed. But again I am working 20 hours per week too. If I didn't work I would probably not be as stressed. I was told nursing school is not that bad if you make usage of your time, which I am willing to do. Another note, I am wondering is being a nurse teamwork? Teamwork is something I am very good at, but I am also good at working alone.