AzDeb

I chose to do home health care because being a bit older I was unable to keep up at a LTCF also. It was backbreaking and way to rush rush for me. I love home health care! I started 6 months ago with a husband and wife that I care for. I work with them 30 hours a week. The agency I work for finds clients that fit for you. And I have the right to refuse to work for a client as well. If the agency is good, they want both the CNA and client to be a good fit for one another and to be happy. I also requested to have clients within a certain mile radius of my home so I wouldn't be spending so much on travel. Doing home health care has been the perfect fit for me and I will never go back to LTC.

I'm sure you would get much more experience working in LTC or in a hospital but yes....it is crazy busy. I started out in LTC and switched to home health care which I absolutely love. Considering you would want a more flexible schedule and time for studying, I think working in home health care would be perfect for you. When I started with an agency, I told them my availability and they found clients that fit my schedule to place me with. I've been doing it for 6 months and just love it. Part of my day with them is a bit more hectic but I do have down time when they nap. (I care for a husband and wife) I do laundry for them during that time since I like to stay busy but if you're a student that would be a good time to study. As for the pay.....it was the same for home health care as it was at a LTC without the stress and craziness. Home health care also allows you to give more personal care and support to someone.....opposed to having to run from room to room. That's just my experience. Anyway, good luck to you!! And congrats on becoming a new CNA! Hope my thoughts help. :)

I am a CNA who works for a Home Health Agency. I absolutely LOVE home health care!!! Sometimes there is some down time that can seem a bit unchallenging (when clients are napping) but the benefits of giving quality one on one care is just awesome and SO gratifying!! I started out as a new CNA at a LTCF and didn't care for the rush, rush all the time and always being short staffed and never having enough time to spend with the residents. Working in home health care I work the days/hours that work for me. You just tell them when you're available and then they fit you with clients that work with your schedule. My clients have been wonderful and I'm learning a LOT. Not to mention the fact that my back and feet are no longer in pain!

Congrats on becoming a CNA! I think a lot of new CNA's feel that way. I finished training and didn't start my first CNA job for almost 5 months. If you can find a LTCF that will hire new grads, you will be shadowing someone for probably the first week or so. Everything will come to you. You learn and get better by just diving right in! You will do fine. Good luck!!

That's a great question. I wanted to know the same thing when I was a new CNA. I just got my CNA license last October and started out working at a LTCF. I know everyone says to give it time but honestly I just couldn't do it. I ran myself ragged, lost about 10 lbs in a short amount of time, never got breaks, rarely had my full dinner break and couldn't find time to fetch my water bottle for a drink as often as I needed. I worked at a facility that was very understaffed and not the friendliest work environment. I just found it wasn't for me. For those CNA's who have stuck it out....kudos to you!!! I left the LTC and went into Home Health care which was so much more suitable for me. I have had the same clients full time for over two months now and just love them and love what I do. I actually look forward to going to work every day and feel wonderful when I leave at the end of my shift. I picked my schedule (hours & days) and the Agency fit me with clients that worked with my schedule. I know home health care isn't for everyone but I can't think of anything negative about it. Good luck making your decision and finding the right fit! And congrats on becoming a new CNA!! :redpinkhe:yeah:

I can totally relate to your story! I went through that same experience and had to make a change. I now do home health care (same $$) with a LOT less stress. I love going to work every day and can give the one on one care and compassion that I became a CNA to do!! You definitely aren't alone with how you feel......good luck with whatever you choose to do. :heartbeat

I would consider giving home health care a try if I were you. I gave it a try at a LTC facility right after becoming certified and it WAS NOT for me at all. I too wanted to spend more time with the elderly and found I was in "rush, rush" mode taking care of 12 to 16 residents on any given shift. I left LTC and was hired the same day with a home health agency that found a client for me right away. I now work a little over 30 hours a week taking care of a couple clients in their home. It is so rewarding and I actually look forward to going to work! I just love my clients and love getting my experience as a CNA working in home health care. Good luck with your decision!

My opinion.....You receive your "certificate" at completion of the course....hence the name "certified nursing assistant". You cannot practice as a CNA until you get your license issued by the state you live in upon completing your state exam and of course passing it. Just my thought.

Regarding the sample resume I've been emailing to some of you, I just emailed my last one. I'm now working full time and don't get on here nearly as much.....not to mention my time off has become valuable. So for those I sent it to....I hope it helps you out. For anyone who is needing help building a resume, spend time searching out sample resumes online and you'll be able to put one together in no time. Good luck and I wish you the best!! :)

Hi. You sound like a very caring, conscienscious CNA/HHA. I too am a CNA that does home health care. I give showers also and I always have that worry.....every day. It's never happened with one of my clients but it's always a concern. Sounds like you use every precaution you can to make safety first. I'm sorry your clients had a fall and that it has made you paranoid but I think we all are paranoid to some extent that a fall could happen. I think you just need to continue being as safe as you can and do what you're doing. Accidents do happen, so don't beat yourself up over it.

I've heard that it gets better with time. As for myself, I am also a new CNA and worked at a LTCF for just short of a month and had to quit. I had between 12 and 16 residents during my 8 hour shift. I could give you all the horrible details of my experience but I will spare you. Anyway, it wasn't a good fit for me. I wanted to give care in a full capacity and not run around rushed day after day and always running behind. I went into home health care and I LOVE IT!!! I work about 30 hours a week and I can now be there for them emotionally and in every capacity....just as I wanted to do. I wouldn't go back to a LTC job if I could make twice what I make now. I've learned that money doesn't make happiness, doing what you enjoy is what makes happiness. And if you're happy.....the clients are happy. Anyway, just thought I'd share my experience as a new CNA. Good luck to you!! And congratulations on becoming a CNA!!

Hi. Putting myself in your shoes.....I would have to leave and work with a different client (consumer). The stress you are going through sounds overwhelming to me. Not sure how you can get up in the morning to go work with someone who obviously doesn't want you there. If it was just ocassionally that she acted that way it would be one thing, but if it's behavior that is repeated on a daily basis.....wow! Eventually the stress of that job is going to take its toll on you. Not fair to you. I would talk with my supervisor and explain that it is just too much to deal with when you know she does not want you there. If you tried everything you can to try to help matters and it's just not working, I would think your supervisor would take some sort of action and give you the opportunity to move to a different home......for your own sanity! Good luck to you!

My heart goes out to both of you. I just experienced the exact same thing in January. It was my first CNA job and just a horrible experience. The same day I left my nightmare job I got hired at a home health care agency and I just LOVE it!!! I do things the right way without getting yelled at and I care for the clients physically, emotional etc.... without getting yelled at. The stress is not there because I don't have 12 - 16 residents, nor do I have to worry about a lack of teamwork to get my job done. My experience was exactly like both of yours......almost sounds like we worked at the same place! Anyway, not sure what reason you could put for leaving....It always pays to be completely honest. Good luck to you both!! And good for you for taking a stand!!!

I agree with you cdicapua. You definitely tell how it SHOULD be. Where I worked you were not allowed to work "off the clock", so coming in early or even clocking out and then finishing up wasn't an option. I wasn't going to take shortcuts, nor did I want to. There were some CNA's that just copy the vitals off the chart instead of taking them.....especially respirations. I took the time to count the respirations and take vitals. There were residents left sitting on the toilet for way too long while the CNA cared for others.....finally returning to get resident off the toilet. My heart is in this job and I wanted to care for residents as if they were my own loved ones. Wasn't possible where I worked......or you'd get in trouble. I would ask an LPN or RN to help me move someone up in bed....they were too busy and put off helping me. (This was when no other CNA's were around). It was just a bad experience for me. Definitely an eye opener! I'm thrilled to be doing home health care and I can be the CNA I want to be and give the kind of care I want to give. I hope others who find frustration working in facilities will give home health care a serious thought. I leave work every day now feeling wonderful and looking forward to my next shift. Very rewarding!

Hi. I really feel your frustration!!! I've been there! I just experienced my first CNA job at a LTCF and it was horrible. I had between 12 and 14 residents during my shifts and was also hounded to hurry up all the time. I was left alone at a station for two hours and then chewed out by a CNA that just came on shift....why didn't I do this and do that. It's like....I was by myself for 2 hours with call lights and people to care for....no I didn't get to the trash yet or start my final rounds!!!! There were a few CNA's that would jump in and help me out on other stations and there were others that apparently didn't remember what it was like as a brand new CNA. I never took breaks, barely got my lunch break and if I did it was 15 minutes long. I didn't want to become a CNA so I could round people up like a herd of cattle at mealtime and roll them like a sack of potatoes to change briefs and then run out of the room on to the next person. I wanted to give emotional support to residents as well....and I was told not to take time having conversation with residents, just get on to the next one. I expected it to take time to gain speed and to get it down, but even those who had been there for years just rushed through their shifts. The place I worked was understaffed, I didn't see much teamwork and I felt the residents were not treated as they should be. I left after a few weeks and right away was hired with a home health agency. :) Within 3 hours they had my first client for me. I've been there a couple weeks and starting Monday I have a client that will be 40 hours a week. I'm liking it SO much more since I can now care for someone on a one to one basis and give the quality of care in every capacity. You might consider home health care. Good luck to you!

Hired as a brand new CNA with no experience in Phoenix, Arizona....starting pay $11.75/hr with benefits.

It looks like Hope63 has you covered. Each state has it's own Board of Nursing and information will be on that site. I know in Arizona it is a CNA License also. You get your certification from nursing assistant school and once you take your state exam and pass, the Board of Nursing issues you your CNA license. Good luck getting the information you are looking for!

Most important characteristics are; compassion, honesty, patience, tact and of course time management.

You will do fine!! I was a nervous wreck and once I got there I was completely fine. We were given 35 minutes to perform 5 skills that were randomly picked. The supplies were in the same room we were....all lined out in stacks on a table. Once the timer started I was told the skill and had to grab what I needed and perform the skill. As soon as I said I was done, they would tell me the next skill....and so on. All states do testing a bit different but if you have time left over, go back over your skills in your head and think if you may have forgotten anything. If you did, tell the test observer. My biggest concern was to lock the bed brakes and wheel chair brakes during transfers. So hopefully you were able to practice. It also helped me to verbally talk out the steps I was performing. Good luck and you'll do fine!!

I sort of figured the main reason was money/profit. I do think there needs to be a limit set in each state. (Just my personal opinion) And just to set the record straight before posts get out of hand, I didn't just leave the facility due to understaffing, there were several other reasons. Also, I wasn't just a "no show", I gave notice. My main question I had is why facilities can't staff more people each shift. Anyway, I'm sure there are plenty of great facilities out there that are well staffed, I just wasn't that fortunate with my first LTC job. I'm enjoying home health care and it is much more suitable for me. Thanks for the replies!

I'm a fairly new CNA and I just have a question about LTC facilities. I see a lot of postings in threads where it is stated that there are a lot of shortcuts and things are done differently from what you learn in school because if you don't take shortcuts.....you won't get all your work done on your shift. Why are facilities not staffed better where the CNA/resident ratio is more manageable so you can spend more time with residents to support them and care for them both physically and emotionally.....in every capacity? I had my first CNA job at a LTCF and it was complete chaos! Each CNA had about 13 residents and had to RUSH from room to room. Some of these residents have no visitors, no family. They want companionship and emotional support and you literally don't have time for them. I had a resident who began crying, saying she didn't know why she should continue to live. I stayed with her and talked to her until she put a smile on her face. It put me behind but I felt it was part of my job to console her. The last thing I was about to do was say "sorry, but I have to answer other call lights". I became a CNA because I wanted to care for elderly in the same way I would care for my own loved ones. I worked two weeks and knew that I needed to find CNA work in a different capacity where I could give them the love and support they so deserved. I moved to home health care where I can work one on one. The experience was good and I would have stayed in LTC if staffing would have been adequate and I could have cared for each resident as I was taught in school. Does anyone have the answer as to why CNA's don't have a limit as to how many residents they care for per shift? I would think 6 to 8 would allow for better quality of care.

Congratulations and good luck in joining the world of CNA's!! I am a fairly new CNA and one of the posts about learning by the book and finding it different in the real world is SO true! You'll do great and you'll learn a lot in class. If you learn what's in the text book and practice your skills, you'll have no problem passing your state exam. I did learn one thing recently......working in a LTC facility was not for me. I became a CNA not for the paycheck but because I have a heart full of compassion and wanted to care for the elderly physically, emotionally.....every aspect. The facility I worked at was chaos! We had anywhere from 12 to 16 residents in an 8 hour shift and it was rush, rush. I've moved on to home health care where I can give one on one care and give everything I have to give to someone who is in the final chapter of their life. So really search your heart and you'll find your niche after you graduate and get your license. Again, congratulations!!! Best wishes!

If you have the experience I would probably go for the LTC job as well. More money, closer to home etc. etc... I myself am a brand new CNA and just had my first shift alone at a LTC facility with 12 residents. It was chaos!! I did my best but I'm already questioning whether I will ever get to the point that I can give quality care to each and every one of my residents when I have so many of them. It was crazy. I'm even putting together an alternate plan to go to home health where I could maybe work one on one. I'm not throwing in the towel yet because I want to give it time and see if it gets better as the days go by. I have 2nd shift which I was told was great for a new CNA but right now I feel overwhelmed. Sounds like you have experience though and could probably handle it very well......and the money is definitely better. Good luck with your decision!! :)

I agree with you 100% Northernguy! This whole little thing has been blown way out of proportion. And my opinion....I think apologizing to everyone was the right thing to do. For people to say because she has manners like that she will appear "weak". Seriously!!!???? I plan to be myself, have manners, be considerate......if my coworkers want to think of me as "weak" or decide not to like me...so be it, won't bother me in the least bit. I'm there to be a great CNA and take care of the residents.....not play mind games with coworkers.

Kitsey - Don't let some of these things you read about discourage you from being a CNA. I believe it's all in the attitude. I'm a CNA because I want to help people and take care of residents with utmost compassion and care. I refuse to get wrapped up in workplace drama, backstabbing and games. I get along with everyone and just show up to work with a smile and a desire to do what it takes to do my job. Another thing I have drilled in my head is not to take things personal! I'm sure there will be bad days and there will be good days, but that's part of the job. I hope you find a job at a great facility where it can be a positive environment for you! Good luck!