Yancy SPN

This message is for ayndim..... I'm being deffensive because of some of the threads that I read from nurses that really know how to run down a med aide. I'm sorry that everyone feels like they do, and beleive me, if you had med aides working with you, you would see that we are valuable people. I don't read lab values or call the doctors. The nurse I work under has to do that. Here in the state Of Kansas, med aides arent allowed to do things like that and I'm always catching a mistake that the nurse makes when writing the orders in the MAR.If I have concerns regarding a patient or resident, I take it to the nurse and then we get together and figure out what the problem is. Teamwork....is essential to every job.I am in LPN school right now, and being a med aid has helped me out alot like I said. I've always known about side effects and whatnot concerning medications and I have a few drug books to look up meds that I've never heard about and if I have any doubt in my mind about giving a certain medication, I contact my nurse. I dont just give the medication. I dont do IV meds, blood products, insulin and things like that because that is a nurses job to do that. Those areas I'm not trained in. Even when I graduate from LPN school, I still wont be able to administer Blood products, certain Cardiac meds or even start an IV. I'm sorry if I do seem so deffensive, but I value my job as a med aid and I enjoy it very much and like I said, It gives me more knowledge about what I'm doing. I'm not just some flunky med aid that doesnt know anything.

CNA'S ARE NOT CONSIDERED NURSES WHERE I'M FROM. WE DO ALL THE "DIRTY" WORK FOR YOU NURSES BECAUSE YOUR A LITTLE TOO AFRAID OF GETTING YOUR HANDS DIRTY!!!!!!!

hello everyone. Medication Aide from Kansas, and let me tell you something about Medication Aides. I am very PROUD to be a CMA. I don't really care what others may think of CMA's because I'm really no different than anyone else in this forum. We all wear the same kind of scrubs and basically do the same thing as a LPN. Only I don't give injections. I have worked in Hospitals as a CNA11 and have done several cath placements, sterile and non sterile dressing changes, and hey, what do I care if you think that I'm not qualified to this kind of job. I believe in myself and I do my job just as well as any of you "NURSES" out there. You want to get defensive and say how Med Aides make med errors all the time, well hey, what about you Nurses out there making the fatal med errors, stealing narcs and whatnot. I'm just as human as you. Everyone makes mistakes, but hey, I geuss your PERFECT!!!! You obviously dont make any mistakes like us LOWER THAN DIRT PEOPLE WHO PASS MEDS AS A CMA. I'm very thankful the good Lord gave me the opportunity to learn and to advance my knowledge and my skills. I'm currently in Nursing School, and its helped me alot with knowing all the meds and what side effects there are and what can happen. i've been a med aid for 4 years now, and have had only 1 med error in those 4 years. How many med errors have you made as a nurse in your whole career?

I am from Kansas and worked in a hospital where I received my CNA II training. I received a certificate for catheterizations and sterile dressing changes. I also did enemas and I'm also a CMA, and just because I'm not a nurse, does not mean that I dont know what I'm doing or how to do it right. I think sometimes nurses kinda let it go to their heads that just because theyre a nurse, theyre better than me. All you have is higher education. I have been professionaly trained by the best RNs and some of the local Doctors as well. If the Doctors feel like I'm trustworthy to do an invasive procedure such as a cath, then hey, what's wrong with that??? Also, the RNs I worked under, trusted me with their life. Some of them came to me to ask my opinion about a patient. I've been in this field for 14 years and have seen lots of things and I pay close attention to what's going on around me and to what I'm doing. Please, don't knock me just because I'm a CMA. You still get paid more!!!!!!!!!!!

Right now I'm not working because I'm in LPN school and so is my husband. We have 2 girls that are 9 and 6 and very demanding to have mommy around more since I've been in school. Yes, it's very stressful, but you have to think of the rewards at the end of school. Graduation, your diploma, and your career. I did work in a hospital on the cancer unit for about a year and then in pediatrics for 6 mo. I also worked at an Assisted living facility at the same time and then my mom came to live with us and I had to make a choice between my family or my job. I'm very excited to finish school. Where I'm at, we have a weekend program where we only go to school on Fridays and Saturdays from 8-6. I have 1 1/2 years to go. I started in January. My husband, like I said, is in school with me. If that doesnt put a bunch in the pants sometimes, but it's actually pretty cool that we can support each other like that too.

CNA from Central Kansas. Been a cna for 14 years and a cma for 4 years and currently a SPN. I've worked in nursing homes and 2 hospital and 2 assisted living centers. I enjoyed working in the hospital because I got to meet different people. It wasn't the same thing day after day unlike in the nursing homes. Yeah, you had the experience of getting to know the residents and build a bond with them, but then something would happen to them and then they die. In the hospital, you still build bonds with your patients, but for the most part, they are there to get better and go home.

Here in kansas, it takes alot longer than two week to gain the knowledge and experience of passing meds and yes, it is more that just sticking a few pills in a med cup and handing them to someone. As far as med errors goes, med aides aren't the only ones that make them. I've seen nurses make them as well. Were all human and we all make mistakes. If your careful and you do your 5 rights, and pay attention, med errors are hard to make. I strongly disagree that this is wrong.

Depends on what state your in and no, I'm not a "quick fix" to the hire ups either and I take that in offense. I've been a cna for 14 years and a cma for 4 years, and obvioulsy someone trusts me enough to give narcotics. I'm just a peeon for the nurses who dont want to pass meds and just do the charting. CNA's and CMA's are the backbone to nursing here in Kansas and without us, they'd be in a lot of chaos.

I am a medication aide in Kansas and yes, I'm licensed to do this and yes, I also give narcotics. I can also draw up insulin syringes but not allowed to do the injections. I geuss it depends on what state your in as to what is legal and what's not.

[quote I'm a cna and have been for 14 years and now and have chosen to go back to school to become a nurse finally. I'm not bagging on nurses because one day soon, I will be one, but let me tell ya, it's very hard and frustruating as well for a cna. Granted she shouldn't of had an attitude with the nurse, but I've seen alot of nurses that are the same way with the cna's. I've heard several times "that's not my job" from an RN or LPN, and I hope to God, I don't end up like that when I become a nurse. It takes teamwork between the nurses and the aides.