ali.nystrom

I agree with everyone else! Just relax and spend time with family while you have a chance! Nursing school can be overwhelming at times, so I wouldn't recommend starting the torture early! (:

Having 5 patients to care for is not bad at all. Actually, that is a dream day for me. We have 8-12 on a normal day. Your boss probably wasn't lying to you about being well staffed. That being said, being a CNA is no walk in the park. In my experience you have to be a fast learner and be able to work at a fairly fast pace--even in an assisted living facility. If you like a slower paced job you should try to do private duty care--that will probably be more appealing to you.

My first week of school was absolutely insane. We had so much reading to do... the class lectures were SUPER condensed and they pretty much said "study everything because everything is testable." I just learned to take it one day at a time. I would also record the lecture in class on my phone and listen to them on my commute home. It gets easier... the first class is all the fundamentals (at least in my program...). Take it one day at a time and try not to get too overwhelmed.

I wouldn't cheap out on shoes. I love my Cherokees... they are so comfortable. Many students in my class have Dansko's. I would say that it is worth the investment for expensive shoes. If you splurge now, you will probably have the shoes for a long time. My Dansko's have lasted me 3 years and are still going strong.

I would just ignore it. From my personal experience, you will get those type of people at lot in the work place too. Just keep on studying and focus on clinicals and finishing the class. You don't need negative people bringing you down!

I was in the same boat as you about a year ago. Here is what I did: I applied to every place possible--both online and I would go and fill out applications in person. I always attached my resume and asked in the charge nurse or manager was available for me to talk to. I also called back a few days later to ask if they were still hiring and to let them know that I was still interesting in any positions they had available. I found a job in about 2 months!

MillyG, Welcome to the US (: Although I am not far along my journey of becoming a nurse, I can tell you that it will be tough! You must have good grades in all of the pre-req courses to get into a good nursing program, but with some dedication it is completely doable! You can check with local colleges in your location about their program requirements, cost, financial aid, etc. I would recommend, if possible, to get your nursing assistant license. This will get your foot in the door of the medical field and give you a decent job while you work your way through school! You learn a lot of the basic skills of nursing, which will help you out in the long run. I know it really helped me in my first few classes of nursing school! Best of luck!

It always sucks when fellow CNA's won't help out on the floor-- I feel your pain. I help people out all the time and never get the help I need in return. I hate to say this--but a lot of times nothing does change. If a facility is short handed to begin with it is not likely that something will be done about "lazy workers", at least not in my experience. I have only seen one girl get fired for not helping on the floor consistently. She would hide in her resident rooms to avoid lights that weren't hers... not acceptable! As far as her not answering call lights, I always tell people "everyone is your resident." There is no reason that lights should be going off for more thatn 5 minutes. There is no need to neglect a resident if they aren't busy--but if they do continue to ignore the call bells I would bring that up to the nurse or a DON. Someone has to be noticing that lights are going off for longer that necessary. Just remember-- Residents have the right to refuse care. If they don't want you to assist them leave and tell the charge nurse. The nurse can then go verify that the resident is in fact refusing care and give you advice/help. That way it is documented correctly and you won't be judged as being lazy or not doing your job. It is not your job to report to another CNA--so don't bring problems to them. Talk to the nurses!

I am 21 and enrolled in a ADN program!

"Making rounds" simply means that you go into each patients room/locate the patient to check on them--make sure they aren't on the floor, check their brief, re position the patient, take them to the restroom if needed. I always try to pick up their room and organize the bed side tables. At my facility, we have to ring their call bell at least every 2 hours--so that the facility has proof that we were actually in with the resident at least every 2 hours. Its all about patient safety and helping them when they need it. It is especially important if you are working with Alzheimers/Dementia patients that you make sure you check on them AT LEAST every 2 hours (More than that if possible). A lot of them are not able to use the call bells because they can't remember, so you need to make sure you check on them frequently. A lot of them tend to wander or get into things they shouldn't be. It can be super easy for them to fall or become confused if they get somewhere they are not familiar with. When I worked in a memory care unit I made rounds and located all my patients at least every hour when possible to make sure they were safe and not getting into trouble.

I am currently a Nursing Assistant in Virginia Beach, VA, but I obtained my CNA license in Oregon. I have been a nursing assistant for 1.5 years. I currently work at Atlantic Shores Retirement Community in the Skilled/Long Term care facility. I make 11.50/hour base pay. I usually work only day shift, but I fill in wherever they need me. I am only scheduled for every other weekend but I pick up shifts during the week. It's 1 dollar more for evening shift and 1.50 more for nights. Its 2 dollars and hour more on weekends on all shifts. I start nursing school January 13 for my RN at the local community college.

It is a great opportunity. I think you will be glad that you did it. You will nail all of the basic skills--transfers, bed baths, vitals, etc. While other students are focusing on learning the basics you will be able to study the other skills. I think working with patients as a CNA will prepare you for working with patients during your clinicals. You won't be as nervous helping them because you are confident in those basic skills. Also, working under nurses is amazing. I ask my nurses questions all the time--so they will be a great resource for you! Also, the care facilities I have worked at are very flexible with hours which is great for school. Plus, if you work there as a CNA you may be able to move up to a nurse once you graduate. Then you can get some experience and not worry about being inexperienced! I think this is what every nursing student should do, if they can. It will be totally worth it.

Usually as a CNA there are 3 shifts-- Days (7-3), Evening (3-11), or night (11-7). So yes, nights are definitely and option. Also, care facilities often have you work only every other weekend--so you get some weekends off! I only work part time--so I work every other weekend and then pick of shifts when they need me. And no, you do not need to be strong. I am a little person (5'3 and 120 pounds) and I can lift most people at my facility. There are always people you can ask to help you (usually). If you don't feel comfortable lifting a patient by yourself then ask for help. Its all about learning the correct body mechanics for lifting--so you don't need to be super strong. I am not and I do just fine! My training was very easy. It was only one month. Two weeks of in class lecture and then 2 weeks of clinical. Not hard at all. I felt like it is a lot of common sense. Just have to remember the skills the state way to pass the test. I don't feel that you learn anything in clinical. I learned most of my skills from after I started working in a facility. I really do love my job. It has taught me a lot about the healthcare field. I love working under my nurses--they teach me a lot every day. It takes patience--a lot of it.I think that being a CNA will really help you out if you are planning on going to nursing school. It gets a lot of the basic patient care skills out of the way. When other students are focusing on how to do a bed bath or take vitals--you will already have those skills mastered.

I felt the same way when I applied to my program. When I started school I didn't really have direction. I skipped classes a lot, didn't study, etc. Once I figured out what I wanted to do I started getting good grades in the classes that mattered (Micro, A&P, Chem). I had an over all of about a 3.1 GPA. They also made us take a pre-nursing test (HESI-A2)-- I got an 87%. When I attended the nursing information session they said that most of the applicants that got accepted had above a 3.5 GPA and above a 80%. I also have two more pre-req courses to finish to meet their requirments--they said that most students have all the pre-nursing courses finished because those add into your total score. So I was not confident in my application at all. I got in though!! I start in about 2 weeks!! Also, I know a lot of school give you extra points if you already have a previous bachelors degree or for having previous medical experience. I would do some research and find out about the schools you are applying to because that is not true for them all. All I can say is there are exceptions to rules all the time--so just because you don't think you will get in doesn't mean you shouldn't apply! Just send in your application and see what happens! I wish you the best of luck!

I am also starting my nursing program January 13th. I have been freaking out--and classes haven't even started. I am glad that I got on here and got some advice. I am also glad that everyone else seems just as anxious/nervous as me! I really appreciate the advice everyone!! I am in school in Virginia Beach-- Tidewater Community College.