SamanthaLu

This is probably a bad day for me to be answering this question! So I've been training in a subacute rehab/LTC facility for about a week. I'm not certified but will be attending a training program in a couple months. Because I'm not certified my orientation is longer than others and I've been following different CNAs around to get a feel for the scope of the job. Well, up until today--my first day with my own assignment--I've been pretty happy go lucky, even considering getting back into this nursing thing again. I loved interacting with the patients and keeping busy and generally feeling useful and important. Well, today I felt totally inept and slooooowwww. Grrrrr.... I worked on the rehab floor and desperately tried to get everyone up and at 'em for breakfast but I swear it took me hours and hours to get everyone ready. The patients (9 of them) all knew me and I can tell you most of them were friendlier when I was just the new girl following the experienced ones around. When I had to take care of them it was a different story. I felt like people were getting annoyed with me, even some of my coworkers who were friendly before but stepped in to cover my ass more times than I probably even realize. Thank God for that though! For now I'll say it is a hard job. I know I'll get the hang of it and I work with people who've been at it for upwards of 20 years, so I know I shouldn't beat myself up. But I did want to cry this morning. And I really didn't think this would bother me, but some patients could be really condescending. I have a college degree and I've worked my butt off through lots of hard jobs and for some wierd reason no one can fathom, I just have no problem pulling up my sleeves and getting my hands dirty for crappy pay!! And for people to give you the attitude that you are "just" an aide bothered me more than I thought, probably because I have never assumed that the way you earn your living has anything to do with your worth. I don't judge people that way and while I know that most people do, it still hurts me a little when I get that attitude. But I don't say a word, because the job is about the patients, not about you. Which I believe is what makes nursing such a stressful, burnout kind of job. But I will say most of the patients are more than understanding, very sweet and luckily most of the people I work with are really wonderful. There is a great dynamic that I never thought possible for a large group of mostly women. So I'm gonna keep the faith and hope I get the hang of this CNA thing. Two months of orientation could not have prepared me for what I went through today on my own!

it's interesting reading everyone's replies. I would be very interested in hearing from a nurse who switched over from a teaching career and STILL feels it was a good move. for me, I have invested the same amount of time in pursuing a master's in special ed as I have in pursuing an ADN or accelerated BSN in nursing. I can go either way. the thing I am afraid of is that if I decide to go through with nursing, I might get stressed and burned out to such a degree that I start to think, gee I really should have stuck with that teaching gig--what was I thinking?? it's hard to imagine after teaching awhile that you might seriously pine for the hard hard hard work of nursing. I mean, sure, teaching has it's very stressful moments from what I've witnessed (I work as an aide at a public elementary school) but nothing compared to what I saw working as an aide in the hospital. oh decisions decisions!! good luck to the confused!!!!!!!!!!

OK, I am not a nurse so I can only use my instincts and moral reasoning, but it seems to me that what people do on their own time is their business unless there is clear evidence that it is interfering with work, or has unequivocal potential to. I am not of the mindset that "all drugs are the same." From what I have witnessed, and as far as statistics are concerned, alcohol is far more destructive than marijuana. and I haven't worked in a single place in my adult life where people don't rehash their "drunk and stupid" stories, at least a little bit. do we automatically worry that these people are likely to start coming to work intoxicated? people don't consider alcohol a drug, but I think it's effects are worse than some of the illegal drugs. with that said, I think she is stupid to TALK about her extracurricular activities in a place where she is responsible for human lives and where she could face consequences. Again, I am not a nurse and if I were I would probably see things differently, but couldn't you take her aside and remind her that she needs to be more careful about what she says and how she presents herself? it seems to me that if she comes into work under the influence of some drug, you will probably know right away and she will definitely pay the price. just a thought

hey y'all I used to frequent this website back about a year ago when I was totally sure nursing was my path. then teaching became my path--b/c I started to think (thanks to allnurses!) that nursing was not all the recruitment efforts have been making it out to be. I started to worry about burnout and couldn't help but fast-forward 10 or 15 years (or less!) and see myself once again wondering what the hell to do with my life. I have a BA in English and have completed all the prereqs I need to start clinicals. I could start in the fall. I could also start a master's in special education this summer, a one-year program I have also been accepted into. I am currently working in an elementary school as an aid and I love the kids (and all the time off!) but am wondering if teaching is my niche. I love the idea of what the school nurse does but I know i need to pay my dues for quite some time before I would land a job like that. anyhow, to get to my point, are there any teachers who used to be nurses, or nurses who became teachers who could share their stories? I am drawn to both but teaching does seem much more cushy and maybe I am getting too used to that! thanks!

Thanks for the reply . I guess my next question would be, where do oncology NPs typically work? I used to volunteer on an oncology floor in a hospital and I was never aware of there being any NPs there.

Question: What are the roles and responsibilities of an NP specializing in oncology...how are they different from those of an RN?

I am interested in UMDNJ's program, but haven't applied or been accepted. Do you really have to have all the prereqs completed before you even apply? Is there only one yearly start date for the program? Do they offer free tuition if you sign a contract and if so, do you have to work in Newark? Just curious

Hi everybody--I am just wondering about financial aid/scholarships for the ACE program. Are all of you just taking out loans? I already have $15,000 worth of loans from my other degree and am a little freaked out about going further into debt, especially since i couldn't possibly work during the program. What other routes have people taken to pay for the program besides loans?

Rhee, I feel exactly the same way in some of my prereqs, which is as far as I have gotten in the program. My classmates scare me. And while I agree that one can be a good nurse without having to be a saint, all of the good/great nurses I have known have warmth and compassion in their attitude--and I don't get this feeling from a lot of the future nurses in my program. And to be honest, a lot of them are just bloody freakin' stupid (or cheaters) and I am terrified at the prospect of working alongside them! I tend to have doubts that all these people really will be weeded out, but I can only hope. Which brings up another topic. I am at a community college and am seriously thinking of doing an accelerated BSN program just because of all of this. Does anyone really believe there would be a difference as far as students go? or could it be worse? I don't mean to be on a high horse at all. I really had a lot of faith in this program and after getting myself into serious debt for an overpriced liberal arts education that has yet to pay for itself, I am all for the affordability and quality of community college education. it's just some of the students that are driving me nuts

Hi--I was wondering if some of you folks here might have some employment advice. I am going to school at night to complete my ADN (no clinical experience yet), might transfer to an accelerated BSN program if I can get all my ducks in a row, but that is beside the point. I am currently employed in a non-health related profession and make $16.00 an hour. I am bored to death with my job and am willing to take a pay cut to do something in healthcare until I am an RN, however many years it takes. But that all depends on how MUCH of a paycut. I simply could not afford to live on the salary of a CNA but I don't know what other kind of work I could do in a healthcare setting without any training. My EMT license expired a couple years ago but I have been out of practice for almost five. Would it be worthwhile to become an EMT? I know that's a question only I could answer, but I am interested in hearing from people who have made similar career moves, ie forsaking the money to do something you love. or maybe just to get your foot in the door. By the way, I am new here and just wanted to say how much I have enjoyed this sight and all the banter! keep it up!