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I was faced with this same realization when I got my first job as a CNA, and at first I was really angry about things and even had a plan to change them myself. As the weeks went by, I started to realize that most of these problems are due to short staffing and the heavy work-load that is placed on CNAs these days. You won't always have the time to take care of the few extra things that the resident needs because you're got the rest of the hall who need things as well. Being a CNA is a very hard job because you have to pick and choose which things will get done in order to get everything done, if that makes sense. I mean, of course it's also hard because of all the physical work you do, all of the remembering you've got to do, etc, but in my experience, the hardest part of it is having to admit that you can't get it all done, there's no way. I'm not defending these CNAs who are leaving their patients in such ways, but rather am trying to help you see it differently. Shame on CNAs who don't take that extra step when they have the time, they truly are in the wrong, but for those who are really not able to, it's not their fault.

At the first facility I worked at, one of my most hard working and appreciated co-workers was 67, and had been working there for 5 years. She taught me a lot of things and really made my first week memorable. You're never too old to go after what you want, I'd say go for it! You've got absolutely nothing to lose and CNAs your age are not uncommon!

The DON is the one who called me to tell me I was being terminated, they didn't even give me a chance to explain. When I tried to tell her on the phone that I had been written in, she said I should have come in that morning when they called me instead of 'making excuses'. I don't drive myself, so I can't come in on 5 minutes notice, which I told the HR when she interviewed me. I wasn't rude at all, just said alright and told her to have a lovely day. I'm trying to keep my reputation intact on this one because I live in a very small town, and word can spread around quickly if I **** them off, which would make it hard to get a new job. Trust me, I would fight the hell out of this termination if I saw a positive side to it. The DON, owner of the place and HR are all in mutual agreement that I need to go. But the thing that really irks me is that they terminated me mainly for a no-call no-show, but I called them back after they called me and let them know I couldn't come in and that it was too short of notice. There was no lack of a phone call on my end, so I'm not sure how they could get me for such a thing. I would never just not call and not show up, that's ridiculous and irresponsible. But as I said, I'll dust myself off here and continue, that place was bad news anyway.

This was because of what I posted about earlier, not knowing I was on the schedule because they wrote me in without my knowledge or consent, thus not being able to come in to work and waking up to a nasty phone call this morning. Also for generally being slow, which I don't get, because I've only been a CNA for a month, of course I'm slow and will take time to learn things. *sad violin music plays* Oh well, on to the next one. Any advice on how to tell if a workplace is good or not when first going in? I'd like to know how to not waste my time in the future.

I got terminated from my first CNA job 5 hours ago for something similar and I'm both happy and sad about it. I was in your exact spot, still learning and getting down a routine but trying my hardest at the same time. Some places won't be happy with your best effort and will still try to push you despite it. All I can say is, if they fire you despite you doing the best that you can, try and walk away with a smile. You can only do what you're capable of doing, and if that's not good enough for them, there are places that would gladly take it. I was only at this place for a month, so I can sort of feel your pain, here. Hopefully we'll both find what we're looking for.

I worked with women over 50. :) You're not too old, don't worry. Just, as the poster above said, make sure you're physically able to do the job.

I hate to say it this way, but if I asked to speak with her in private with another team member, word would spread fast that I was trying to stir up things, it wouldn't be good. This facility is full of gossip. And I didn't tell her to calm down, I asked her to, because I wanted to resolve the issue like adults without yelling. She's really not my boss, she's just the one who trains new CNAs. :/ I wasn't trying to come off as rude, I was trying to fix the situation. But thank you...

Okay, well... Last week my HR called and asked me to come in and train on a completely new hall for 2 days, and then start working on it the third day. I was cool with that because I need hours, and because I like my job. The two training days went by extremely quick and were difficult because this hall has double the residents on my main hall. I was on the-verge-of-getting-sick nervous every single night before bed because I knew I'd probably mess something up the next day. Anyway, I had my first day as an actual aid out of orientation on this hall today, and it went terrible... An RN had come in to fill a CNA spot until 12, so she was my main co-worker. We came in at 7 and started working. It all went great and we worked very well together. However, when the time for her to leave came around, I found out that I was going to be working with another aide that I'd met before. She's notorious for taking too many smoke breaks, not really doing much, and trying to throw other CNAs under the bus. Now, our normal breaks are 5 minutes. At one point in time, she stayed gone for 35 minutes and left me on a hall by myself with 26 residents. We can't both take a break at the same time, so I was dying for my break by the time she came back. I was really craving a smoke (Bad habit, I know..) when she came back in the middle of lunch time and she told me to go take a smoke. When I went out, I was rudely interrupted by my mentor CNA saying "You may not take a f***ing break at this time, put that cig out and get in here." Now, I feel that is uncalled for for many reasons, I felt insulted. My partner had told me that it was okay to go, I didn't understand. When I came inside, the mentor was waiting for me and started talking really, really sternly at me, cursing at me and the whole shebang. When I said "Please calm down" she glared at me and said "You'd better button that lip. I'm your mentor." And I was taken aback because I was very friendly about it. I was just trying to make things less angry, more peaceful, and I was trying to explain myself. She said that the girl I was working with had told on me right after I left for taking a break during a mealtime. I was never told not to take a break during a mealtime and my partner had told me to go. I went back to my station so angry that I was tearing up and bright red. My partner looked at me and said "What?" Like she didn't know what happened. Then when 2 O'clock came around, my co-worker was on another one of her long breaks and had been gone for over 20 minutes when a resident started yelling out that she'd been waiting to be sad in her chair for a long time. Now, this woman is 100 and not exactly a spring chicken, so I'm scared to transfer her alone. She was screaming louder and louder and I was trying to calm her when she started standing up alone, so I flipped out and called for my co-worker. But, she was still on break. This woman is a two person transfer, so I of course didn't know what to do. I ran over and tried my best to get her to sit back down and she started falling. She screamed the whole way down, but I held her hands and lowered her very slowly, making sure she didn't fall. I bursted into tears, knowing my job was over. I looked outside the door and my co-worker had just come back and was -surprise- texting at the desk. I yelled for her and she got the nurses. They came in and saw that the resident wasn't hurt at all, took her temp, etc, and then helped her into a chair. My mentor even came in, which made me feel worse. After one occurrence where I looked like an ass, I now looked like an even bigger ass. Everybody kind of glared at me and the like for the rest of the shift, and I cried in the bathroom a few times. Worst day of my life, but I have a day off tomorrow and on Tuesday I get to go back to my home hall, where all I have to deal with at any point in time are 12 residents. Has anybody else ever messed up as bad as I did?

Looks like someone working at Karing With Kindness googled the place and found this and made an account to defend herself. Juuust saying, it's been almost a year since the last post before yours.

I work in a nursing home. I wake up at 6, go in at seven and get a cup of water and get to my hall. I start getting residents up while cleaning up and dressing the ones who are all ready awake. Then, I potty everybody while I wait for breakfast. Once breakfast is around, I help transport residents who sit in wheelchairs to the dining room, then go get the trays for the residents that eat in their rooms. I deliver them all, making sure to keep track of who's is who's. While they eat, I sit at the computer in the hallway and do ADLs and answer call lights as they come on. I write down intakes on papers along with the name of each person, and put those into the system as well. If I get time to, I pass ice water and tidy up rooms. Once I see people start coming back with residents, I walk to the dining room and start transporting patients back to their rooms, toileting the ones who didn't have a chance to go yet, etc. Once things are calm again, I answer call lights all day, which keeps me pretty busy. Once lunch comes around at 12:30, it's basically the same thing as breakfast. I'm also specifically assigned to a man who is in a private room. I clean him up right after lunch, empty his catheter and dress him and fresh clothes and sit him in his chair with his coke and remote. :) I work on a specific hall, called short hall. There are 24 patients on this hall, and I pretty much take care of all of them alongside the other aide I'm partnered with. It really just depends on the day.

At some point, yes, but I'm going to gather tons of experience as an aide before I do so, just so that I know I'll find a job as an RN. :)

Wow, we are so alike, you and I. :) I've got extreme anxiety and tend to panic a lot. I keep a little bottle of Rescue Remedy in my pocket at work for when I feel a panic coming on. Anyway, I just got a job at a skilled nursing facility last week, and started on Saturday. I had all of the same worries as you: That people wouldn't like me, I'd be annoying, I'd be too slow, I'd be a bad CNA. I've gotten over the fears of those around me hating me because once you start working, you realize very quick that you're not there to make friends. I know that sounds so cliche, and I would sigh everytime somebody told me that before this job. BUT, it's true. Also, every single person (spare a couple of girls that sneer at me) that I've met has been overly friendly and has tried as hard as possible to make me feel welcome. If I were you, I would ask to be trained on more than one shift, which I did, just so that you can kind of get a feel for the type of people on each one and know which one you would prefer to work on if the oppurtunity arose, you know? I prefer 2nd shift, but my home shift is 1st. Blah. As far as what you have to do to be a good CNA, wow there are a lot of things here, so I'll just tell you what people dislike. Don't gossip, ever. People will write you off quickly unless they gossip themselves, but don't get in with those people. They're detrimental to your job. Try and be as helpful as possible, even if you're slow. If they see you're making an effort, they'll overlook your slowness at first. Smile and be friendly to everybody, this is the biggest tip. Just be friendly, and be open to constructive criticism. I'm still struggling to get the tasks of this job down, and it's not a walk in the park. But just remember why you did this in the first place.

Rip wide open? Oi, I don't want that. I was advised to replace the shirt with an extra small, but keep the pants. First night went absolutely awesome. I learned a ton and really got my hands dirty, both figuratively and literally. ;p Tomorrow I'll be on the 1st shift, which kind of sucks because I really bonded with the 2nd shift STNAs and we work very well together. They were extremely short so I worked more than I was trained, because she didn't have the time to be training me. That was cool with me, I prefer to learn the hard way. :)

Awesome advice, thank you. Also, my scrubs are huge on me, mainly the pants. I'm an extra small chick with a very small chest, so is this acceptable? I'll post a picture.

I got hired at a skilled nursing facility/Alzheimer's unit/Nursing home. I'm in a float pool going to all three of those departments, from what I understand. I'm being trained today on the 3-11 shift so that I can pick it up if I want to. I'm being trained Mon, Tuesday and Thursday on the 6 AM to 1:30 PM shift, which will be my main shift. Any tips for me on my first day of training? My heart feels like it's going to jump out of my chest here.