bluemorningglory

I really this is a zombie thread but I wanted to chime in. I was recently diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer with mets to liver, lungs and lymph nodes. A dear friend started a go fund me page on my behalf. It was a shock but very appreciated. I have no control over it...not over what is written or shared..I have asked my friend to share specific info..not because I am being cagey but because I want some semblance of control and because some of the more detailed info about my health has escalated people in my day to day. I don't mind general info being shared. I know people care. Being on the recipient's end is humbling but awkward. You feel grateful...so much so that you feel you have to lay your life out for the small donation someone gave..but with that comes stress and a loss of privacy. Anyway, just trying to show the other side..

Now wait a minute..I was happy to shadow and was very motivated to be in OB that day. Again, I was completely new to OB. I was not miffed at all that they asked me to help move the bed. In fact, I was a bit surprised as I had been asked to stand quietly in the corner and out of the way. No matter, I was happy to help as I was there observing a procedure that was completely new to me. What I am hesitant to do is to shadow on units where I have experience (granted, not at that facility, but really, med surg is med surg is med surg) and at a facility where I have already received good reviews for my work.

Ok...but consider this scenario. I was present during a csection during my last shadow. Great, get to learn something new. After the patient was on the table, I was asked to help push the bed out of the room. My preceptor knew I was a CNA and nodded to me, giving me indication that I should take the bed out. Now, I don't mind helping there. I am blessed to be witnessing a csection and moving the bed is a small price to pay. Let's take this situation to me shadowing on a med-surg floor. Let's say that they are shortstaffed and someone needs help repositioning a patient. I am shadowing..supposedly. I am pretty confident helping is going to be the rule and not the exception. I am trying to understand why experienced staff are expected to shadow at all.

Sigh. First of all, it is RNs, not "RN's". Leave it to the uneducated aide to correct the college grad on her grammar. That said, when this happens, you get to to more hands on patient care aka the dirty work..it's not glamorous but someone has to do it, right? And a humble and experienced nurse knows that this can go a long way in learning about the patient's needs. As an RN, you can do the job of an aide. And at a nurse's pay and without the same level of responsibility, why not????

I am a CNA with over five years of hospital experience as a float. I have been on all floors except OB/PEDS. I currently work in an OR but am looking to change my hours and get back into a more clinical setting. I applied for a position on OB (same facility) and was asked to shadow. I accepted and understood the reasoning. After all, I had never worked in labor and delivery. So I went over there. Unpaid. For two and a half hours. While I spent most of the time truly shadowing, I did help out here and there as requested. It took several calls and emails (within professional limits, mind you) to find out I did not get the job. I was a little frustrated but, hey, that's life. So then the HR rep and I start talking about alternate ideas. She mentions more interviews and shadowing. That is when I spoke up. In a nice way, I explained that as OB was a new area to me, I was happy to shadow unpaid. However, as an experienced hospital aide, I did not see the benefit of shadowing in areas with which I was already aware. After all, I am a current employee of the hospital with a history of excellent reviews and plenty of experience. I am not some brand new CNA who has never held a position. I mean, let's say I spend 6 hours shadowing. You can't tell me that I will stand there, arms folded, and never help out. Of course I will. For free. And that doesn't sit right with me What is the consensus?

I only read the OP quickly but as someone who has btdt, lose the boyfriend. "Supportive" does not equal you as a breadwinner:/

How can people let these go? Really? I have noticed certain staff members (not going to specify aide or nurse as I do not want to start that fight)who will sit and gab and not answer a incessantly ringing light? Why??

I am a PCA and have been employed by the same hospital for nearly three years. Started on the cardiac floor and have been in the float pool for nearly two years now(psych,ED,med/surg, ICU, cardiac). I go everywhere but peds/obgyn as PCAs are not needed there. I live near Boston and a trying to get in as an aide through Partners or Childrens. I would like to segue into postpartum/pediatrics. I apply for jobs online. Is there a little "something extra" I can do to get into one of the larger hospital as a PCA.?My ultimate goal is to be an RN.

Congrats..how difficult was it to get into the program?

You could get the best of both worlds by choosing a post close to a large city...like Fort Lewis or Fort Hood..

Let's say you went to CNA school and while you were there you met a student. This student is middleaged and lives with family. He admits (without any source of remorse) that he shoved his preteen niece hard against a wall when she talked back to him. This same individual wants to be a nurse and is applying for programs. He has a forceful personality as it is. Would you anonymously call the directors of these programs and tell them not to admit him? Yeah, he's that bad.

Male aides are gold because they can lift

Talk to me about the other aides

You have to document your VS asap. Unless they are documented they never happenedAgain take your breaks. Since you have done without them you might never get them back. Are you at least getting paid for them?Are you the only aide working?

Can you walk through a typical shift?