Banjoeer

Portland Oregon hospital (Kaiser) $18.49 hour, includes shift differential and pro-pay for CNAII, with 2 years there....

Mt Hood... probably the best... PCC... next... Pioneer Pacific good NCLEX pass rates, but credits don't transfer Apollo... not so good Hope that helps...

Hey... I'm from NC originally, but have lived in Oregon for years now. I'm a CNA here and just took the CNA2 test in Oregon. I did the Acute care CNA2. Here there are 3 types of CNA2 Restorative care--- mostly LTC stuff, working with CVA patients, rehabilitation Dementia care--- working almost exclusively with Alzheimer patients Acute care--- advanced CNA work, primarily for hospitals (suction, advanced stoma care, more cath. care, lots of intubation knowledge, more terminology, deeper understanding of symptoms, CPM devices, etc)My pay went up just a little with CNA2 certification... and most hospitals require it as a condition for hiring. Good luck with what you're doing.... Dunno if this helps...

Plunge on, brother.... Do what you love and the money will follow.... I'm giving up a lucrative teaching contract ($310 per day) to focus on FT nursing (right now CNA work)-- While I do love to teach, the contract requires 100% travel, has no benefits or retirement... And I pay my own taxes... In the end I take home about $20 an hour teaching.... I think that when we show our faith by taking action, the rest of the universe aligns to support us. Don't really have advice... just words of encouragement... Bless you for making the world a better place!

The information I've been getting is that OT is NOT required in home agency work. It's considered "companion" work... not regular work... Companion work hours are excluded from OT laws via US Supreme court ruling (LIHC vs Coke, 2007).... and some seasonal farm workers are excluded (different ruling) Some states/agencies choose to pay OT... but for this job/position, they are not compelled.... at least in Oregon.... If I hear different... I'll post it... Thanks..

It's frustrating to be told "You're over-educated".... I know... I'm a former therapist with a Ph.D. in psychology.... I've been moving from the "mind to the body" for the past few years and will get in to nursing school soon. Now I'm working as a CNA (and teaching a little). :sasq:(I will get into nursing school... I WILL) Even with my education, I have been offered 5 jobs... and been turned down by 5.... I've had at least a dozen applications & resumes that weren't responded to. For me, I think my job offers came because I didn't focus on my past, but rather, my future. I made it clear I understood what a CNA does and that I had the "git-er-done" attitude.... Hope this helps... Good luck with your job search... Of course YMMV.... Blessings.

Congratulations on be a great CNA... I too am frustrated with lazy do-nothing CNAs..... And while they are responsible for doing their work, I can't realistically blame them for their lazy behavior.... They're lazy because can get away with it and nobody does anything... There is no accountability and very little leadership... In many cases the charge nurse, floor supervisor, and DON seem BLIND.... :banghead::banghead::banghead: :banghead: Before my move into CNAing (and nursing school, I hope) I was a professional manager and supervisor for 20+ years and know that most of this "slacking" will go away with an active hands-on leadership. I hear all the excuses as to why there are so many "slackers"... lack of pay... lack of training standards...tough working conditions.... etc. etc.... I don't buy it. There are a lot of similarities between the restaurant industry and LTC. I spent many years in the restaurant industry doing everything from washing dishes to owning 10 different places... Both restaurants & LTC have lots of low paying jobs, not much training standards, tough working conditions....incredibly high turn-over rates etc. etc.... But some restaurants do great and others suck... Just like LTC facilities. Why? Because of good vs bad vs no leadership.... Ever see a great restaurant go to hell-in-a-hand-basket when new owners come in? (Or when the parents retire and the kids take over?) Leadership suffers and so does the quality of the experience. As an Army medic, you had leadership and there was accountability. Unfortunately there isn't much there at your workplace now. I'm sorry that's happening to you. Keep your chin up... You'll find a place that has good leadership and when you do, you find a loyal hard-working staff... Just like you! Didn't mean to be so long-winded, but this is one of my major pet peeves.... Blessings...

Congratulations on your start in CNA work.... I've looked at the psych unit for CNA and have found a couple of positions (in the Pacific NW). The first positions were in chemical dependency and addiction care.... Those were entry level positions that paid about $10+. It seemed like a good system to get experience in the psych/addiction field.... The other CNA position for a psych unit was at the VA (veteran's administration). They wanted one year experience and a CNA2 (acute care) certification. They started at about $16 per hour with full retirement and benefits. I've been considering the psych units... I spent more than 10 years as a therapist.... But I can't even get the VA to talk with me until I have a recent year experience as a CNA. Good luck with what you do. Be patient. Be diligent. You can find the work you want. Hope this helps.... Blessings

I'm a recent CNA (less than 6 months certified) and make $13.00 at a home health agency-- Home agencies pay no overtime and the hours fluctuate. I could average 40+ a week, if I choose. Some of the other grads from my CNA class are making $11- $12.50 in LTC. They get OT for 40+ in a week and can work lotsa hours. I've been offered a CNA agency job at $15.00 but haven't taken it because I have scheduling conflicts (I travel out of town to teach)..... With multi-year experience, the agencies are offering $16-17 for CNAs... But as you may know agency work can be very challenging. Generally I've noticed east county (east Portland, Gresham) LTC offer $10 - 11 to start.... the west side LTC facilities offer $12-13 to start.... You can find what hospitals offer by looking at their job offerings. OHSU, Legacy, Kaiser, Providence post their pay ranges for all to see. Hope this helps...

Actually I have a CNA license.... Oregon issues an OSBN license to CNAs... Yes, we are certified... but in Oregon it's called a license... I have one in my wallet.... You can check the website here: http://www.osbn.state.or.us/search/searchResults-submit.do On the line labeled "License Type" you can click and find CNA, CMA, CNS... All certificates... which in Oregon are licensed. I was surprised to be licensed... as a CNA... Of course, your state may vary...

I've taken your advise and I have queries in at local employment attorneys in Oregon..... I'll let you know what (if) they reply. BTW the court decision was specifically for home-health agencies.... They were comparing CNAs as companions instead of skilled care. We'll see how it shakes out via the legal eagles... TTFN

I think I've answered my own question.... Although I know this isn't a forum for legal discussions I did find the US Supreme Court decision that settled the issue. Home care workers-- even CNAs.... even skilled nursing.... are exempt from overtime. Here's the link Long Island v Coke. Anybody else run into this unpleasantness? I was really hoping for some time and a half... geez....

I'm working as a CNA in home care. I'm working for an established agency with a good reputation. I'm a regular employee for them (not a contract worker). They contend they are exempt from paying overtime wages. In Oregon overtime is paid if an employee works more than 40 hours in the work week (7 specific 24 hour periods... at this agency our work week is Monday - Sunday). Anybody have experience being exempted from overtime? I've got an email in with the Oregon bureau of labor, but I'd like to hear if this is common.... Thanks...

I passed! Took the written and skills exam on 16 Aug (Saturday) Today my name and number appeared on the state verification board for the nursing license.... That's me... 200811764CNA as of August 21, 2008. :dncgbby: :dancgrp:

I PASSED! It's official... I'm a CNA My name and number (200811764CNA) are there for all to see on the Oregon State Nursing Board... Woohoooooooo

Hi all... Just a note to update... Today... This morning at 8am I took the Oregon State Board CNA exam. I don't know how I scored, but I do think I passed.... Let me tell you what the testing was like... There were 7 of us and all were taking the test for the first time. The proctor issued the test to us... There were 5 different tests. We had 90 minutes to take the test and those who finished first, signed up first for the skills exam. The skills exam was scheduled in 45 minute increments. Our latest test today was scheduled to start at 2:15pm. Finishing the written test faster lets you choose your time. My skills were: Hand washing Measuring output from a catheter bag Dependent feeding (measuring percentage and cc consumed) Partial bed bath (face, neck, shoulder, underarms) Assisting ambulation with walker (from bed to wheelchair) We have 35 minutes to do all five skills. Here's the rub. Their "set-up" between each task is part of your 35 minutes. If the time runs out you may finish the skill you are doing. My time run out about half-way through the last task.... So I did get to finish. There isn't any time to waste. I'd recommend not stressing about any of this... Just study your skills book... And read your course work book.... When I know how I did, I'll let you guys know.. So glad the testing is out of the way.... Blessings to all.... :hpygrp:

Congrats on your A&M status.... Very cool... If you wanna explore more about nursing, I suggest you volunteer a couple of hours a week at a nursing facility or hospital. Many organizations have programs that will give you a good feel for what a nurse actually "does". To volunteer you have to go through a few hoops, but you'll get a tremendous amount of empirical data via your experience volunteering. Or you could ask to "shadow" a nurse for a few hours. You'll still have to go through hoops, but you'll find first hand what goes on. Good luck in your endeavors....

great info in the above post! in oregon, there is a cna ii certification as restorative aide. (there's also a cna ii specialty of acute care....) the link takes you to the curriculum for the cnaii restorative aide... good luck

Well I'm finished with my clinicals! Today was the 10th day and it was a good day.... I spent most of my day assisting residents. I don't know about any one else's experience during clinicals week, but my time was generally spent in three categories: Class room stuff. Shadowing CNAs Answering call lights, assisting patients, and helping improve quality of life for residents.Everyday we had some classroom stuff... Shadowing CNAs happened for a couple of days.... And most of my time was spent assisting with ADLs. I feel confident that the residents had better care when the clinical students were there. A new class starts next Monday. Good luck you guys. I did receive my certificate today and sent my package to the state board to apply for my skills test and license. My CNA school registered me for a skills test date and I was glad to get Aug 16 as my skills testing day. All in all taking the CNA plunge has been very worthwhile and rewarding. I've been offered a couple of positions, but haven't decided on anything yet. Three of my classmates were offered jobs at our clinical site... and they accepted the positions. Their starting wage is $12.00 per hour and will go to $12.50 after passing the skills test. Good luck to everybody who is working to get the CNA... To those of you who haven't made a decision, I encourage you to get started. If you wanna help people... Learn something... And be a positive influence... You can have a voice as a CNA. Blessings....

There's a lot of discussion on steth/cuff in the equipment section... What kind of equipment you should invest in depends on your budget, what you plan to do with the equipment, what your nursing status is, where you plan to work.... Because of budget constraints, I started with an inexpensive kit from allheart.com (about $15.00 plus shipping) and am very happy with the cuff and the steth works great for my application. Most people in my class spent between $50 and $100 and frankly nobody can tell the difference between my equipment and theirs... And in less than 20 days of school one student had already misplaced her steth... Boom... $30 down the drain...... I was worried that I'd get a piece of crap for my $15.00, but it is/was good value. Allheart has a great refund policy if you don't like what you get from them too! BTW, the school/bookstore/facility usually has about 100% mark-up on everything they sell. Allheart works on a much smaller margin.... Skip over to the gear section and you'll find more info... Good luck!

Congratulations on your enrollment. There are some states that allow you to work in a CNA position while you are waiting for certification. I don't know if TN is one of them.. You'll have to research that. Oregon does let you work for 4 months while you are waiting for certification. Some facilities will hire you... provisionally... I know of a case in NC where that happened. You can always talk to the recruiters at some of the facilities where you'd like to work. I think TN uses the Headmaster testing proxy and Headmaster has a clearly defined time-line for when testing happens. You can visit their website by clicking this Headmaster link. Good luck!

Hello everybody! Hope your 4th was as great as mine. My daughter (16 years old) and I went camping-- Just the two of us... A very nice break from CNA classes... On Monday I jumped back into the clinical portion of the CNA training. We're doing our clinicals at a very well-reviewed nursing center (LTC) that is adjacent to an assisted living facility. For our clinicals we have two students shadow an experienced CNA and perform normal ADL tasks up to our level of ability. To complete the clinicals, we've got to demonstrate 45 different procedures for our clinical instructor (the RN). Based on the way things are progressing, we'll have all 45 procedures accomplished in 4-5 days and then have another 5 days to practice those procedures that we need to strengthen. In this facility CNA's have 8 patients, but everybody pitches in and answers call lights as they are needed. There were six CNAs in our wing plus us two students. The other students were porificed through-out the facility. The nursing and admin staff are friendly, the patients are kind and grateful, and most of the CNAs are very professional. I'm learning lots of stuff! Only 7 more days until I will have my certificate and then try to get a date for the state boards. I'll keep ya posted!

Congrats on getting started... That's the most important step. I do work two different jobs. I have an intermittent contract that works me (as an educator) for one or two weeks a month. During those weeks I work 60-70 hours a week... During those weeks I can't do CNA work. However I have been provisionally hired with a home care agency where I'll work as a CNA whenever my other schedule allows. My contract position requires travel and doesn't allow me to be available for RN pre-reqs so I am working to get in a position to stop having to travel for work, yet keep my income.... And get set for the RN school work. There are a couple of threads about working/work schedules. I know one gal who works 2 jobs -- each job is 3 12-hour shifts.... I know you'll find a way to work this for you! BTW my dog sez "Woof"

Homesick, huh? The Pacific northwest is a great place. Originally I'm from NC and have been here for 17 years. I've traveled and worked in Wyoming a few times... it is beautiful there.... Good luck on pursuing your RN... A bachelor's degree is an advanced degree in a CNA class. I didn't disclose my advanced degrees (Ph.D, MPA, BA) until I was "busted" by a student who recognized me. "Hey, you're Dr. Jay, aren't you?" Apparently she'd seen an ad with my picture. It was kinda funny.... The instructor wanted to know what I was doing there in a CNA class. When I was inquiring about different CNA programs, one program director/school owner, after asking and finding out my education level asked, "Do you have any idea what CNAs do?" Yes, I replied... Mostly poop and pee patrol.... Happy 4th everybody! :clpty:

To continue about my experience in CNA training.... Today was our last day of classroom training. Tomorrow is our final exam... There are 100 multiple choice questions that I am sure are very straightforward. We covered all the chapters in the book and reviewed all the workbook material. There is a lot of material... but most of it is common sense. Our school seems a little disorganized... Or maybe it's just the instructor? After a few hiccups we got our clinical training schedules and with a few minor adjustments, everybody got happy with their dates and times. Clinical training starts for some of the class on Sunday... Mine starts on Monday July 7. I've interviewed with a couple of agencies and have got some good leads for jobs... If I wanna take them. Because I have another business that conflicts, I need flexibility and some agencies are very flexible. It's a good thing. Not a lot of "news flashes" in this post, but just to keep up-to-date on what's happening... Encouragement to those who are waiting, deciding, hoping, or unsure... Come on in... The water is fine! :tbsk: