devilsadvocate

I do not want to chime in here just to offend someone but here is a basic fact you should understand. CNA's do nursing tasks to reduce a nurses workload. Is it glamorous? NO! Does every nurse involved in direct patient care do it? ABSOLUTELY! Your reservation about the basics of nursing care should tell you that nursing is not a career choice for you. Also, one more thing, I too felt anxiety about CNA tasks and would probably have argued the need to be a CNA first before a nurse. However, I did get my CNA and worked as one. Ask me today and my response would be that no one should be allowed into nursing school without first being a CNA. Best wishes to you, you have some tough decisions to make.

Ok, I just have to chime in here. I have read this thread from start to finish and all I can say to you elitist nurses is get over yourselves. Before I go on, a little about me. I started as a OR tech, became a CST, then an RN, then a BSN and I am now about to begin Osteopathic medical school. From my experience (and I have years of it in most every scope of practice here) the only difference between a OR tech, a CST, an RN scrub, a surgical PA or a RNFA at the bedside, is their title and their check. Each one does a safe, competent job, but each one could do any part of that job with training. You can not tell me that I need a 2 year residency is necessary to learn to suture a wound! Each one of you can spout off all you want to about how much "safer" an RN is in the OR, but you and I both know that when the #@8! hits the fan, you stand there and watch like a scared puppy while the Surgeon and the CRNA/Anesthesiologist deal with the problem. You also know as well as I do, that you don't need four years of school to hold a clamp and cut a suture. You don't need 6 years of school to suture a wound, and you certainly don't need initials behind your name to know what you should not do. Now that my rant is over, can't we all just get along? Health care continues to specialize. To the point where everyone will eventually have an initial to change a bed pan. Instead of all these infantile turf wars, over things anyone can do, lets focus on the real issues and provide the patient centered care you were meant to provide. You are not focused on patient care at all, you are focused on your on petty rivalries and on ego protection. To all you nurses who think you are the only "SAFE" care provider in the OR... HAHAHAHAHA. I will take a surgical tech, who has received one to two years of specific training as a scrub over an RN with her 2 week orientation and his/her full time ego-pushing, elitist peers anyday. I know the difference first hand and you are WAY out classed. How many weeks did you spend reviewing specific types of surgical cases and doing case studies? How much time did you spend in a lab getting the hand scrub perfect, or learning to think critically about surgical field contamination. Do you even realize the level of surgical training that a CST gets? Do you honestly think a class in microbiology, physiology and a 6 week clinical rotation through an OR watching from the bed side or documenting the type of suture was used, in any way makes you more qualified than the CST who spent months learning the complete process for each specific surgical case. In fact, the school I attended used a residents surgical text and taught us procedures exactly like a surgical resident learn? What do you think a CST studies in school? While you spent 2 years learning a little about all aspects of nursing, a CST spends one or two yeras focusing on surgical procedures and sterile technique only. You are way, way, way, out classed here. You have been instructed how to push meds and document. The CST learned CPR just like you did and I will guarantee you that they have a better understanding of the surgical case, the anatomy & physiology, and how to complete a procedure. The word nurse comes from the word that means to nurish. Nurses should spend more time caring for patients needs and less time trying to become Doctors without degrees. We all get it, you didn't go to/get into medical school and now you are just bitter. LET IT GO! Accept the fact that CST are qualified, competent and necessary. Just like nurses, PA's and RNFA's. There is a serious and critical nursing shortage out here and it is getting worse every single day. Your jobs are not going anywhere. Now go to work, give everyone a group hug, leave your ego in the locker room and have a great day.