Katie89

I work in the birthing center, GYN and pediatrics. I work with literally all ages. Most nights (I work third shift) I'm in the newborn nursery, some nights I do GYN (mostly a middle-aged to older population) and some nights I do pediatrics (0-18 y/o.) On nights CNAs don't do much for the new moms; the nurse usually does it all in order to wake them as little as possible. Days and PMs do, though. The only thing CNAs don't do where I work is labor (they have one-on-one nursing care before the baby is out), and the NICU doesn't have much need for us, though sometimes I float there if they are really busy. If you have more specific questions just let me know.

If I'm really tired I'll sometimes think I'll hear an IV beeping (when I'm at home!) and think, oh great, which room is that? I have also knocked on my own room door before entering. I work on OB/GYN and the other day I picked up my cat and as I was holding her, I realized I was supporting her head Sometimes I'll try to stuff things (pens, etc.) into my scrub pockets only to realize I'm wearing a regular shirt that doesn't have pockets on the front.

You won't necessarily have to work in LTC out of school. I was able to get a job in a hospital right away. Just be willing to make some sacrifices, for example working 3rd shift or PMs. If you do end up having to work in LTC, at least it's only temporary...and you will be a better CNA/nurse for it. It's good to have the basics drilled into you before you start learning/working the more specific stuff. I do wish I had the experience of my coworkers who have worked LTC. And besides, you may find that it's not as bad as you think, seeing as how you already have a low perception of it. There will definitely be good things about it. I loved certain parts of working with the elderly during my clinicals. You may even end up loving it, who knows? Not every place is terrible.

On call means that you're not actually at work, but if they happen to need you they can call you and you have to come in. At any time. At the hospital I work at, CNAs get paid something like $3.00 an hour just for being on-call, but of course if you have to come in, you get paid your full salary while you're there. We used to actually get paid MORE than our normal salary if we got called in (because in addition to our regular hours we have to do a certain amount of on-call time), "on-call pay", just a little bonus for coming in at three in the morning or whatever. We don't anymore though, part of the cut-backs going on due to the economic recession.

I work on OB/GYN and one day I was assisting with a circumcision. I was brand new at this point. I wheeled the baby into the circ room and the doctor commented, "oh, that baby has such beautiful, long eyelashes." Now, seeing as how long, beautiful eyelashes are typically associated with females, but being a newborn baby it's sometimes hard to tell the gender just by looking at the face, I said, "Is it a boy or a girl?" ABOUT A BABY ABOUT TO BE CIRCUMCISED. I just wasn't thinking! The other two people in the room laughed and that was my answer. Doh!

Hey there; That's actually great that you like nights; it'll be easier for you to find work and the differential works in your favor. In a hospital, most of the patients actually do sleep in between being woken up, or if not, they usually just like to relax and not be bothered, so that's kind of nice. Also, the CNAs go into the rooms (for vitals, etc.) at the same time as the RNs to avoid waking them up more than necessary. For the most part, nights are definitely slower and calmer, and also there are no managers, supervisors, etc. except the charge nurse, so less stress. Also, there are not as many doctors, social workers, NPs, VISITORS, etc. floating around. Less stuff for you to deal with. I like the slower pace although it can get boring/take forever...I usually bring homework. Hope I helped!

I honestly would not feel bad about this. Luckily, no harm came from it and you didn't know you were doing anything wrong. The past is the past and I agree; there's nothing that can be done about it now, so I hope you don't let it hurt your future. If anything I'd say you have a leg-up because of all the experience. It's obvious that you're a very caring person and I think you're going to make a great CNA.

In line with what Care_Baer said; I figure everybody has to work a shift and sleep a shift (or the time equivalent of one), so it doesn't really matter which one you sleep and which one you work. I just do the opposite of what most do. At very first (I've been doing third shift in a hospital for about a year now) it feels mostly weird, it's hard and you feel exhausted all the time...after a few months it got a lot harder for me as the constant schedule switching was wearing me down, I didn't have a routine, didn't know what kind of things helped me handle it personally. Now I have a feel for it and it's getting to feel a lot more natural. For example, I know about how many hours of sleep I need to feel human, I know when to drink (or not drink) caffeine, when to nap, etc. Taking a nap, even an hour or 1/2 hour in the evening, really helps. I sleep until 3:30 P.M. if I work that night. If I don't have work that night, I only sleep until noon or so, because I know I'll just be able to make up for it that night. And no, I don't keep the same hours when I don't work. When I have a night off, I sleep! Trust me, you'll want to. Some positive things: It's really nice driving home Monday morning, with everybody else just headed into work and knowing you're headed home to bed, especially if the weather is crappy. Also, you get the entire day off before work; so if you work a Saturday you still get to enjoy the entire day even though you technically work that day. Another positive thing is that there are no bosses there at night; it's so much more relaxed, the people are usually more laid-back (the whole attitude, actually), and there aren't tons of people swarming everywhere. It's quieter and generally a less stressful work environment. You'll have less demanding/upset patients to deal with because they'll be sleeping most of the time, and also you won't have to deal with family/visitors. The workload on nights is generally substantially lighter. I won't lie; at first it will probably be difficult. The very first night or couple of nights you may get nauseous in the middle of the night from being so tired, you'll be falling asleep, but it gets better. I would advise you to NOT wait to start drinking caffeine until you feel dead tired. Give it several months...like I said, I've been there a year or so and I have the feeling I'm still adjusting. Give it time to learn what works for you, for your body to adjust. There are plenty of good things too...I don't see myself doing this forever but honestly, though it sounds crazy to say this, the thought of going back to a busy, strict day shift is almost unappealing compared to nights. Who knows, you may love it! Let us know how things turn out and good luck! Sorry for writing a novel... P.S. :) I don't eat during the night. Just never got into the habit of it, so I think that helps keep the weight off. I haven't really gained any. I eat breakfast when I get home from work in the morning (cereal or something) and then go immediately to bed. I then eat when I wake up at noon or 3:30; a lunch-type item. I eat 'dinner' later at night, 7 PM or so, so my three meals of the day remain at roughly the same times as a day shift schedule.

Hey mochabean; Our OB/GYN unit is divided into two separate halves. Some nights I'll be on OB (post-partum) and some nights I'll be on GYN (I work third shift). On GYN it's pretty much typical hospital CNA duties- vitals, I/O, ambulating, weights, blood sugars, taking out foleys/IVs, getting up the post-surg's, etc. The duties on OB differ greatly from night shift to day shift- day CNAs take care of both the moms and the babies, but 3rd shift I'm pretty much in the nursery taking care of the babies all night. I keep them fed/changed/burped/quiet, maybe help a mom with breastfeeding, do part of the assessments at the beginning of the shift (temp., blood pressure, weight, change their clothes/crib bedding if needed, stock the cribs, check the numbers on the ID bands and make sure they have a security sensor on, take off the cord clamps, etc.), also I give the first bath after delivery, take blood sugars/state infant screen draws, do hearing screens, take newborn pictures, stock, QC the glucose meters, pick up/deliver food trays, etc. Sometimes I am a "PACU partner" where I help in the recovery room after a c-section; I really just help clean up the mom and do baby's vitals and bath and blood sugars so that the baby can stay with the mom instead of being sent to the nursery. I'm probably leaving some stuff out and I'm sure it varies from place to place but that's my typical night. Hope that's what you were looking for!

The fact that she is 19 should be no excuse. I'm 19 and I would never dream of treating another person like that. This is a tough one, because if you talk to her (even nicely) you might just start a feud between you two. It might be worth it, however. Talking to management might be worth a try, but usually (if anything) they'll give her a slap on the wrist and no real change will come. In the end I would say that you should be an advocate for your residents, even at the risk of making waves. I know it's easy for me to say sitting here than it is for somebody actually in the situation who will have to deal with the repercussions. Unfortunately, this seems to be an all-too-common scenario in LTC. Good luck, I hope it all turns out okay.

Awesome! It's a really good sign that she got you a second interview right away. The next interview will be with the hiring manager of the floor you'd potentially be working on (your potential future boss). This interview was more specific when I had mine- she asked me more about hours, my schedule, my future plans, school, etc. rather that the more general questions about goals and morals and etc. I then had a tour of the unit. I would advise you to think of a lot of questions to ask...he/she'll ask you if you have any questions for him/her and it looks good to have a bunch of good ones prepared. I asked about the turnover rate, my duties, why most people left the job, long term opportunities (like an internship), etc. I got the job and I hope you do too! Congrats and good luck!

LOL! I had a similar experience with a dynamap once. I was a brand new CNA and I was getting vs on a pt. (post-surgical). Well, her pulseox was 64%! I think my own heart stopped, and I stuck my head out of the room (the RN was right ouside thankfully) to tell the nurse...she comes RUNNING in...and it turned out I had been looking at the heart rate! Thankfully it was a super nice nurse who just laughed it off... good thing we can all laugh about this kind of thing!

Just curious, for the CNAs that work in hospitals: 1. What unit do you work on? and 2. What unit would you most like to work on? 3. What unit would you NEVER want to work on? I work ob/gyn currently but really want to do peds. I also think OR would be interesting, but I think I'd hate the ICU. What about you? LTC CNAs are welcome to answer too!

I think that buying the book beforehand and reading ahead would be a really good idea, especially if you know you're going to have a really full schedule while you take the class. Honestly, the reading/info. is not difficult. I really just skimmed through the chapter before taking the tests each week, and I did fine. I really think that the CNA course just teaches you how to pass the state test- then you'll actually start working as a CNA and REALLY learn what it's about. Not that the courses aren't helpful, just that real life is so different from the outlined steps in a textbook. The theory and practice of CNA work are worlds different. The fact that you've done a lot of the CNA duties already will help tremendously, especially if you work in a nursing home. You're already a leap ahead of the other brand-new CNAs. Just feeling comfortable moving, touching, etc. the people is a big thing to know. Good luck!

I'm a CNA and I can take blood sugars, but I think it just varies from state to state, hospital to hospital, etc. I can do a lot of things in "real life" that we didn't learn in class- putting in/taking out foleys, taking out IVs, emptying drains, blood sugars/infant screens/draws, etc. I learned a lot in class but most of the learning seemed to come with work experience for me. But don't worry, if a hospital expects you to do something that you're not familiar with, they will train you first. If you don't feel comfortable, ask for more training from the hospital. They won't expect you to do something you're not comfortable with. And good tips on blood sugars, Zalan!

You are not failing. You're okay. I know because I felt the exact same way many times- the first day (first couple of days actually) of my clicinals, the first couple days of my first job, etc. It feels really overwhelming at first when you're just learning to do something, but by the end of the week I'm laughing at myself for thinking of quitting, because once you get used to it you'll find it's not all that hard. You're just inexperienced and nervous, everything will not go smoothly right away and you can't expect it to. But it will get better, you will get better. Just keep at it and it will get easier and easier each time you do it. The change happens fast-- the important thing is that your heart is in it. Good luck, I know you will get there.

LOL redhead...you mean the foley leaked all over the floor, or YOU peed all over the floor? Ah, my reading comprehension's not the best. Hehe. Okay, here's mine: always make sure the IV pump is turned OFF before taking out an IV, lest it spurt saline/blood in your face. Won't make that mistake again.

I totally bombed the phone inteview I had, too...but I still got called in for a face-to-face and I actually got the job, which I still have. :) So maybe your chances aren't blown. Maybe you're just hard on yourself and it went better than you thought. If it helps, I was really prepared, had practiced my answers and everything, and I was still caught off guard by some unexpected questions (and I was really nervous, it was my first interview of any sort) so I still did terribly. Re: the difficulty level, I think hospitals tend to be more challenging in the sort of things they have you do-tasks you wouldn't learn in a nursing home- but I think nursing homes have a reputation of giving you a bigger work load. At least it seems that nursing homes are usually not as well-staffed, most CNAs have a worse CNA to patient ratio in LTC than in a hospital. But I'm sure you can handle either one! It's good to push yourself and learn. I was terrified about starting at a hospital but now that I'm comfortable there, I'm so glad I made myself do it. Whatever happens, that's what was meant to be, so don't worry and just do your best. Good luck and keep us posted!

I would go for the shorter class if that's what feels best for you. I don't think that most hospitals and nursing homes care where you took your class, as long as you're state certified. Frankly, my CNA class (which was about three months and which I took at a technical college) was good for helping me pass my state exam--but most of the skills I use at work are ones I've learned through working. Class is so different from actually being a CNA, especially if you work in a hospital (most classes tend to focus on nursing home training.) So I would opt for the shorter, more convenient class. It sounds totally sufficient to me and in the long run, it probably doesn't make that big of a difference. Just my 2cents. : )

Hey all; I currently work in a hospital, and a few internal postings just came up for CNA positions in the ED. I think I would LOVE this position, but I'm not planning on applying because a) it requires a minimum of 2 years CNA experience and I've only got 6 months, and b) I work in OB right now and I really don't want to leave. It got me thinking, though. What exactly does a CNA do in the ED? I assume vitals, cleaning up the workspace, glucoses, inserting/removing foleys, etc...but I thought I'd try to see if anybody with actual experience in this department could tell me. Anybody know? I'm curious to find out, I think I'd like to do this someday! Thanks/much love, Katie

You can also get a watch with a stretchy band, so you can just push it up your arm when you wash your hands. This doesn't really solve the germ problem, of course.

Hey tsalagicara; I think I was actually just really, really lucky to get in here. One thing, though-- it's third shift, which was a big compromise for me, but I think it's worth it. I think it's easier to get 3rd shift positions in general b/c they're less desired and so fewer people apply. I also think it helped that I mentioned that I was a nursing student. My manager wants be to be a nurse intern when I get into clinicals and then hopefully become an RN on the floor, so I think it was appealing to her that I would stay with that unit long-term (since CNA positions and third shift positions both have pretty high turnover rates. I guess she had some problems with people taking that position and then quitting soon after, likely because of the difficult hours. It's full time nights.) So yeah, I guess all I can say is maybe be willing to make some sacrifices, i.e take a night or pool position, at least for a while/at first. Just keep applying, applying, applying. It took me a while to get a job! You might also try getting a job on a different unit in a hospital, and then look for internal postings in OB/GYN. They'd probably be more likely to hire someone who's already been trained in that hospital than somebody from 'outside.' Good luck! Oh, and I live in Wisconsin. --Katie

That sounds like a wonderful place! If only all LTC was like that. I also love my job. :nuke: I work in a hospital birthing center, and I also do GYN. On occasion, I float to Peds and NICU. I'm third shift, so when I'm on OB I mostly sit in the nursery. It's like glorified babysitting (but upwards of 20something infants!), with a more medical focus (i.e. inluding infant vitals, hearing screens, blood sugars/state infant screens, weights, first baths, pictures, car seat tests, etc.) in addition to the regular feeding, changing diapers, rocking, etc. On occasion, I'll be in the PACU (recovery) or even the OR, where I get to see c-sections. Then I take the baby after it's out/seen mom and take it to PACU to be checked out, get vitals, and hook it up to the warmer. This is just some of what I do if I'm doing the birthing center that night. Each unit is different. What's more is that the people there are SO, so nice. The nurses chat with the CNAs (some are even friends outside of work), work with you, help you out even with CNA-type duties if you're really busy, don't condescend, etc. Heh- reading this back it almost sounds like I'm bragging (not trying to, really! I don't mean for it to sound like that.) I just feel really lucky every day that I managed to get into this place. The hospital experience is great because I'm also a nursing student. This is a cool idea for a topic, OP. It's good to be reminded that although it can be hard and frustrating and discouraging, there's so much good about this job too.

I took mine in the Milwaukee area. I think it varies from testing location to location, but at ours, they had the supplies gathered. i.e. for a bed bath, they had a plastic basin with soap, etc. in it- we just had to fill it with water. There was a linen cart nearby. For things like giving a bedpan, they just had the pan and commode next to the bed. For most of the other skills, they had supplies on a big table in the center of the room. Here's what I remember of the general format of the day: We met in a classroom-like room and took the written exam. Then we were called two-by-two (one to be tested and one to act as the patient) to another room that looked like a skills lab. For that second part, the person being tested was asked to draw a card from a pile. Each card had five random skills written on it, and those were the five we had to do. Then we could just get started. I don't believe you had to do them in the order listed on the card, but I'm not quite sure. From that point on, just act like you're practicing the skills in class. Pretend the tester isn't there, and run over the steps in your mind as you do them. Hope that answers your question somewhat. Just ask if there's anything else you want to know specifically. Good luck on your test, you'll do great!

At the hospital I started at, we had to wear hospital-issue scrubs (for sanitary reasons). The hospital launders them, so I don't really know what your case would be like. I would suggest wearing nice street clothes, but bringing a pair of scrubs along. The first day might consist of "paperwork" type stuff; filling out forms, watching training videos, etc. However, if they want you to jump right in, you'll have something on hand. Good luck!