TBird81

i am sooo glad i came across this as i am starting nursing school in jan! great tips!!!

And people wonder why hospitals get bad reviews! Am I the only one that relates working with the public as a customer service? Anyone supplying you with a job is a customer. Therefore patients are your customer in a sense considering you wouldnt have a job if the patient was not there!

WOW everyone! I feel REALLY lucky! I work at a physical rehab hospital and the MOST patients I have had is 7 and the least is 3. Yep I typed THREE! Now when I worked LTC or on a reg. med/surg floor at a hospital I easily had 15-20. In peds I had anywhere from 9-12. They never tried to give you more then 12. But even 12 is a lot when you consider that they are all in different rooms with 95% of them without parents & if I had infants I was in trouble. Holding an infant hardly was worked into a shift & letting them just cry and cry pulled at my heart strings. Exactly why I left peds.... I think I'll stick to rehab.

EXCELLENT idea! I think every nursing student should be a CNA first (luckly in my area programs it is now a requirement). It takes a lot of work, patience, understanding, time management, flexibility, and stomach hardening to work as a CNA & I honestly believe it prepares you for nursing school. Its an excellent way to know if nursing is right for you! Do not get me wrong...there have been MANY times that I have thought that I never want to be a nurse if this CNA work is anything like it but I watch and watch what all the RNs I have ever worked with do in the various different types of nursing situations I have been in & it is nothing like CNA work. As a CNA you will get the "dirty" part of the job and simply "assist" the nurse. But it exposes you to the field & it is a vital role in the medical field and I think too many nurses and other medical personel of higher education tend to forget that so I am hopeing that me being a CNA now while going to school for my LPN, eventually RN, then MSN (hehe) will keep me grounded and centered on my ultimate goal of conqueoring it all! LOL:w00t:

Well in our state as long as you work one eight hour shift within one year you keep your license. I would try and find SOMETHING just so you don't have to redo the class. That is just more money and a waste of time, really. Most places will also pay more for 2nd shift (3-11) considering its a "less then desirable" time of day. As far as the pace of the two shifts, day is typically busier because (again depending on where you work) there are Drs doing rounds, pt going to therapy, showers, two meals vs one, etc. At my job 2nd shift comes in pretty freaking close as being just as busy. The only thing we lack on the shift is doctors doing rounds and typically pts go to sleep around 8-9 so then you have time for charting/stocking/taking special care of those particular patients. I ALWAYS try to stay busy, not only does it look good but it makes the shift go by must faster!

In Kansas it is anywhere between $8-$15 an hour depending on where you go. Home Health pays more, but most do not offer benefits & they usually want experience. I make over $12 but I work weekends 2nd shift which I get differential pay for both the day of the week and the hour of day. Considering to get licensed as a CNA is not very difficult in most states the pay is understandable. I don't agree that we get paid "well" for the work we do but I think it is a great paying job if your investing in your future in the medical field...which really is priceless. BUT there are bills to pay! LOL. Good luck.

I think the best advice is to simply go through your notes. Reread and reread them until you know FOR SURE that you got it down. I remember there being vitals, positions (supine, etc.), resident care (how often do you turn a pt, incontinent care, pressure sore care, etc.), infectious process, word root (-algia means pain), medical terminology, def. of staff member responsibilities (for example "Can a CNA ever administer meds.?"). One I remember for a FACT was on the board test was "List four complications of restraint use" (answer: Numbness or tingling, change in skin color, change in body temp, swelling or complaints of pain). "List four alternatives to the use of restraints" (answer: Use special devices such as wedge cushions, place resident close to nurses station, pay close attention & address residents needs, and finally keep personal items within easy reach). These may seem odd but you must think that by addressing their needs, paying attention to them and placing things within reach lowers their risk for a fall, which is one of the main reasons for restraints. I know there is a lot more & it all varies by state but I hope that I have been of help! GOOD LUCK!!

Hi! My name is Tiffany & I've been a CNA for 5.5 years now. I've worked LTC, Home Health, Travel, Hospital, & Rehab. Sometimes these jobs overlapped! I LOVE my current job in rehab. I am learning so much & am very pleased with the thought that nursing school may be a little bit easier for me with my experience. I seriously think my happy setting at the moment has EVERYTHING to do with my nurses. Work is MUCH easier and more enjoyable when I am treated as an equal with a different job description rather then the CNA who only is there to do the dirty work & to take advantage of. :kiss My biggest pet peeve is when I worked other places and would encounter the nurses that simply refused to answer call lights even though I was up to my elbows in feces & they were simply chatting amongst themselves. I always wanted to say "hey...we're a team and that is OUR patient as in YOURS as well! Could ya help me out?" :trout: LOL

LMAO! This is actually the first time I am posting. I usually just read and laugh to myself but I had to comment on this! I used to work in the Communications Department at a local hospital and my main job was to answer the main phone lines, look up pt., page dr's, page emergencies, & connect callers to anywhere BUT the ER. Well I have heard some stories during my time there! One that sticks out; CALLER: "Hi...I umm let my child drink bleach because she was curious about the taste & I am wondering what could happen in result of that?" ME: "I am sorry but we can not give medical advice over the phone & we ask that you contact your doctor for any health related questions you may have." CALLER: "Oh well I wouldn't want HIM to know...or actually he works in the ER...could you just connect me?" ME: "I would but unfortunately all of our doctors in the ER are specifically hired as ER doctors and do not have patients of their own, if you would like to tell me who your PCP is then I would be glad to look him up and help you get a hold of him or whomever he is checked out to." Needless to say she hung up. Then there was another one... CALLER: "Ya hi...I ummm was having sex with my girlfriend and decided not to use a condom...can I bring her up there for the morning after pill?" I went through the whole ordeal as above with him and I remember him saying "Oh but I cant call her doctor because she is 14 and I am somewhere in my...ummm....20s." WOW. The worst part about this was the guy seriously sounded like he could be her father. Sick & sad. Sorry mine are not as funny...

In all of the CNA jobs I've had my employers have ALWAYS supported the continuation of my school. I believe this has to do with the fact that they want you to stay on board with them when you complete...makes since

Well I am sort of in the same situation. I am currently waiting on hearing if I'm in. Its killing me...but I'm not really looking forward to it either. I believe it is the anticipated stress and family life; like you I am a mother of two. My oldest is 6 and my youngest is 3. So, believe me, I understand!! I hope this is normal...which I think it is, especially when you have family responsibilities.