Meowzers

Congrats! Did your school require you to have a CNA certification before applying? If not, you will probably start with CNA basics such as hand washing, manual vital signs, giving baths, toileting patients, ambulating patients safely and other mobility scenarios, sterile vs. aseptic technique, applying restraints, range of motion exercises, etc. etc. If you want to get a head start you could look up the CNA Skills Handbook for your state. If your program does require CNA certification like mine did, we went over these basics very quickly the first few days. Then we started discussing clinical decision making and that sort of thing. In terms of actual skills, the first thing we learned was how to administer oral and topical medications using the 3 checks and 7 rights. Good luck!

In my hospital, it is much harder to get a regular posting as a new grad, particularly if it is a coveted specialty like NICU. Most regular postings on most floors require two years experience in that specialty. New grad positions are a foot in the door to the specialty of your choice. Of course, it never hurts to apply so you have more chances!

I think the hospital I work for has a pretty fair way of doing it. For full time employees, you have to sign up for 6 weekend shifts (meaning a Saturday or Sunday shift) per 6 week schedule. Part time employees have to sign up for 3. You sign up for the days you wish to work, first come first served, and they black out once the RN/CNA staffing limits have been met. So you could ostensibly work Saturday and Sunday three weekends in a row, then take the next 3 for vacation or request them off or simply not schedule yourself on those days. Of course, they also give you a nice shift differential to account for having to work weekends as well.

I work as a CNA on an Adult Med/Surg Floor. It is a very hands on job, and can be very physically demanding and fast paced. I previously worked at a desk, and I much prefer being on my feet, interacting with people, and being busy for the whole 12 hour day. However, it isn't for everyone. Regarding hours, it is pretty easy to work what you need to and still go to school. I work PRN, which means I signed a contract saying that I will work a minimum of 2 shifts in a 6 week period, and I can work a maximum of 12 shifts in a 6 week period. 24 hours in 6 weeks in pretty easy to commit to, but each hospital will differ regarding what they consider PRN. Hospitals usually have a fair amount of PRN CNA jobs since many CNAs are working in that capacity while they work toward a nursing degree or a degree in another medical field. It's a good way to get your foot in the door with the hospital of your choice. Keep in mind that if you are working PRN, you will most likely not receive any benefits or PTO. It's a trade off for the flexibility you get. At my hospital, CNAs can become certified in additional skills called +4s. These can differ from hospital to hospital depending on your state's scope of practice and your hospital's rules. My duties as a CNA include: taking vitals, taking blood sugars, inserting and removing catheters, removing IVs, prepping IV fluids, basic oral suctioning on awake/alert patients, setting up and beginning/changing/discontinuing oxygen therapy per the nurse's orders, setting up and removing meal trays and documenting intake, basic bandage changes on very simple wounds, assisting with baths, assisting with toileting, turning the patient if needed, ambulating the patient if needed, changing sheets, feeding patients if necessary, escorting discharged patients out of the hospital, sitting with patients who need constant observation, and more. The biggest job of the CNA is to be the nurse's extra eyes and ears - if something has changed with the patient, we are usually the first ones to know because of how much hands on work we do with them, and it is our job to report that to the nurse. The nurses I work with know I am in nursing school and are wonderful about showing me interesting things or things that I should know/will see in school when they have time. Many hospitals do have tuition reimbursement programs, but I highly doubt they would pay for initial licensure obtained before signing on with them. If they have tuition reimbursement, they will also likely have a cap on how much you get depending on your hours worked, time with the hospital, grades maintained, etc. But, every little bit helps. Unfortunately, I have never seen a hospital that hires people under the legal age of 18 in a patient care capacity. You could, however, volunteer in some other way - my current manager started as a candy striper at 16 and worked all the way up to the manager of our very busy floor. As for LTC facilities or Nursing Homes, they would have different rules and legal restrictions, so you may be able to find work there at 16. Keep in mind that hospital nursing and LTC nursing can be very different. Are you wanting to pursue a college degree in Nursing? Starting out as a CNA is a great way to see if it is for you. Keep in mind being a CNA is different from being a nurse in many ways, but it is a great way to hone your basic patient care skills and learn how to build a rapport with patients. Good luck!

Totally did not mean it to come off that way. Over explanation and begging are definitely not necessary for delegation. Was just trying to make a point about communication between co-workers - it's hard to translate when it is a rhetorical situation and knowing someone's work ethic/personality is key to understand the hows and whys of that kind of communication. This happened to be the first examples that popped into my head, maybe not the best ones. As you said, polite, respectful conversation is always key.

Current CNA/Future RN here. I work with a couple of nurses who flat out will not do any ADLs and will page a CNA every time to do it, no matter what. Thankfully, most of the nurses I work with are extraordinary and are the type of nurse I aspire to be when I am done with school. They help when they can and will do ADLs or vitals when they can (and for larger or harder to move patients, it is usually a team effort between me and them). Not to mention that assisting in ADLs helps you better assess and monitor your patient's movement, skin issues, etc. When they are too busy (behind on meds, need to start blood, etc.), they say so, and are appreciative of the help, just as I am appreciative of their help when I am swamped (we tend to be short staffed on the CNA side more often than the RN side on my floor). Bottom line is it's all in the ask, in my opinion. "Hey, can you come change pt in XX room? I would but I have to start this IV. Thank you!" is vastly different from "Hey, pt in XX needs changing now." Everyone likes to feel valued in their work, and no one likes to feel like they are being taken advantage of or purposely made to feel like they are lower on the food chain. Some RNs have a tendency to treat CNAs this way, which is why I am enjoying working as a CNA before I become a nurse so I can appreciate both sides. Thankfully, the RNs with that attitude seem few and far between at my hospital, and I am grateful for them! I also work with a couple of CNAs who always make themselves look busy, but never actually do anything, and leave it all to the nurse, then gripe when someone asks them to do their job. All i can say is that both the RNs and management have noticed this behavior.

Of course! I live in a town called Waynesville and it is great. About 30 minutes from Asheville, very safe, a neat little main street and a couple of very good breweries. Weaverville and Swannanoa are both great The nurse to patient ratios depend on which floor you are working - they very much take acuity into account. On my floor, which is a med surg floor, nurses have no more than 5. CNAs have no more than 12. In the ICU, it's no more than two. Mission is pretty good about taking the latest evidence based research regarding patient safety/satisfaction into account. For example, in addition to patient ratios, there is a hospital wide sepsis screening protocol going live soon. Hope this helps!

I am also making the career change to nursing in my 30s! I don't have children yet, so I can't speak to that aspect. My advice would be to 1) Budget some time for studying each day so you don't get behind and have to play "catch up" and miss a ton of time with your children all at once. Nursing school is different than most other disciplines - you really do need to study each day because cramming (which was totally my style for my first degree) won't cut it. 2) Know your support system. Nursing school is hard and can be very stressful, even without kids. Hopefully you have at least a few people who can help with the kiddos when needed! 3) Let your professors know your situation. Stay in communication with them about where you are at in your studies, any hurdles, etc. Most professors are understanding and appreciate it when you are up front with them about where you are at and what is going on, particularly if you have kids. If you need help, ask them! Good luck!

I work as a PRN CNA at Mission while I am in Nursing school, and I love it. They are great about working with your school schedule. If you are a hard worker with good references, it is not difficult to get a job with them, as they have several open positions for both CNAs and RNs. My manager and everyone I work with is very involved and helpful. Obviously this can very from floor to floor but everyone I have worked with so far is friendly and seems happy to be there. The starting salary range for nurses is around $23 (new grad) to $38 an hour. I can say that even though I'm PRN and have only been working there a few months, my base rate has increased by nearly $4 already due to going through some of their training, signing a contract, etc. They want you to move forward in your career as much as you can and will help you do so. They do have some tuition assistance available for school and a career center to help you move forward in pursing a degree or getting the job you want after you get one. There is a lot to like about Mission in my opinion! I hear good things about the VA hospital as well, but jobs are much harder to come by there. WCU is a great school and their nursing program is top notch. Asheville has become rather expensive recently. I had been researching moving here for several years and my husband and I made the move about a year ago. The prices have increased a lot since I first started looking, but if you aren't married to the idea of living directly in the city it can still be very affordable. We live about 30 minutes from Asheville and we love it, we got a lot of bang for our buck when we bought our house. Rent is also much cheaper if you live just a little bit outside of the city proper. If you have questions feel free to ask me! Good Luck!

I work on a pulmonary med/surg unit and for days it is typically 1:4. Sometimes we will have 1:5 if we are short staffed, but they try to keep it 1:4 or below. They do look at the acuity of the patients when they assign them, so that helps. For CNAs, we are to have no more than 1:11 on our floor, which is doable. Both ratios vary by floor due to the acuity.

I can understand, if the patient is awake, coming in to introduce her day nurse. It can help foster a sense of trust and get rid of any feelings they might have that they are being passed around. Doing bedside report in front of the patient can also be useful to an extent. It can give the patient a chance to elaborate, ask questions, etc. and help them feel like we are paying close attention to them. We use our discretion to decide whether or not this is a good idea on a patient to patient basis. For example, giving report in front of a detoxing patient is probably not the best idea. We do this as CNAs as well. I work days, so we do rounds around 7 PM and my patients are usually awake. I'll usually say something to the effect of, "Okay so and so, I'm leaving for the night but this is so and so, she will be taking over for me tonight and you'll be in good hands with her." If we have them as a high fall risk, I'll remind them to call her to get up just like they have been doing for me all day, etc. If I have a good rapport with the patient, I'll elaborate some more, wish them a good night, tell them when I'll see them next, etc. HOWEVER, we never wake the patient up to do this! If they are sleeping, we will simply erase the day shift name and fill in the night shift name on the white board in the room, and then the nurse or CNA will introduce themselves when they next see the patient awake or if they have to wake them for something. Following a set script is simply ridiculous. And after a day or two, patients are going to wonder why each of their nurses is saying the same damn thing. It smacks of corporate buzz talk. It won't ever sound sincere, and it won't foster patient trust in the same way letting nurses and CNAs do their job will.

Absolutely not. When you chart something, you are signing a legal document, even for something as simple as vitals. You are legally responsible for what is on that chart, and can be held legally accountable if you purposefully chart something that isn't accurate. I was recently told a story of a nurse who didn't count respirations for a full minute, she just entered the usual "16" and moved on - therefore the Rothman index wasn't accurate, and couldn't warn of an upcoming code. The patient died and the nurse was held accountable. I'd look for employment elsewhere. If they are faking vital signs, Lord knows what else they are doing that isn't on the up and up.

So glad this is looking like a happy ending and the child will pull through relatively unscathed. I'm sure that the CPR you performed helped obtain that positive outcome. I can't imagine how scary it must have been - how are you feeling/dealing with it? Don't forget to listen to yourself and take some time for self-care.

Most programs are able to accommodate pregnant students and work with them unless it involves missing too many clinical days. I would imagine most professors, particularly at the graduate level where there are more older students with families, will work with you as needed. It should all be there in the handbook, but you may also consider reaching out to your advisor to let them know the situation and see if there is anything you need to do (some schools might make you "apply" for accommodations). Since there are no clinicals this semester, I'm sure everything will work out fine. Good luck!

I'm right there with you, OP! My husband just turned 36, and I will be 31 this year with 2 years to go in nursing school. I know my husband doesn't want to be pushing 40 by the time we have our first kid, and I'm starting to feel like I'm ready to take the plunge sooner rather than later. In the end, only you know if you are really ready or not. People get degrees while taking care of babies every day. It's a hard decision to make, but totally doable as long as you have the right support system. I would say do some soul searching and figure out if you are emotionally and financially ready, then go from there. But don't take time off of school if you can manage it.