Quit during orientation

[Themostsupreme]

what are my chances of ever working in that hospital again?

I recently quit this past week my 1st ever tech job as a Nursing student b/c i felt it was unsafe. I had to juggle up to 15 patients, some mentally unstable and some being total/complete care with not much help from the nurses/techs and unsupportive management. I thought i'd be gaining valuable skills but all i did was clean patients for most of the day. This was something i was already taught in NS, so i dont need the additional practice. i felt like i was doing all the grunt work. The nurses were mainly charting and giving out meds, but they too seemed busy but their work is alot less physical. I was thinking of just working at my friends dads company as an administrative assistant until i graduate. It pays more and its a lot less work....It was a nice hospital, id like to go back, but only as a nurse.

[blackvans1234]

CNA's / PCT's / NA's and whatever else they're called are on the bottom of the totem pole.

Without them, the rest of the totem pole would fall.

It's just a generally thankless job, kind of like staff nursing. Nobody pats you on the back everytime you do something above or beyond your expectations. Staff nurses always are hounded more by managment than the UAP.

[Themostsupreme]

Thank You for your comment. It looks like you found the specialty for you. Yeah personally, i could never work on an oncology floor or ortho/neuro, or the ED. You stayed 7 months, kudos to you. I dont mind medsurg, if your working with the right staff, i actually think its the best floor to start on, you see all kinds of patients and hopefully learn the most, esp. at the RN level. I think for me, ill give i may take a break and possibly give it another try down the road

[Themostsupreme]

Yeah. A UAP's job is very impt. It would make the nurses job very difficult if they had no aides on their floor. Me personally, i felt i wasn't getting paid well for all the work i was doing.

[DeeAngel]

I hope you gave proper notice or you can cross them off the list when it comes to wanting to be hired as a nurse because they will not want you. What you described as unsafe sounds pretty typical to me. I would suggest a huge attitude adjustment because what you think you're too good to do compromises a decent portion of the job of a nurse.

[springchick1, ADN, RN]

Me personally, i felt i wasn't getting paid well for all the work i was doing.

So what makes you think it will be different as a nurse? You will be doing total care on patients, charting, passing meds, dealing with families, dealing with doctors, entering orders, drawing labs, calls for lab results, and this list goes on and on and on. Are you going to be happy with the pay then or are you going to walk out after a week again?

[Red Kryptonite]

What you described as unsafe sounds pretty typical to me.

OP still hasn't given even one example of something unsafe. Repeating a claim doesn't support its veracity. Could we get examples, please?

[HelloWish, ADN, BSN]

I understand as a nurse we will do total patient care which includes bathing and cleaning patients - I am completely fine with that and honored to care for people who need that care! However, I am not fine with the load that is expected of nurses and CNAs. I realize it is somewhat of a mute point, but so many nurses/CNA's stand back and accept patient loads that are unsafe not only to us but to the patient. There is a high turnover as a result. That isn't ideal healthcare!

I have worked as a student on far less patients than the OP did and found the work very challenging. Just because it is a coveted job which provides valuable experience doesn't mean that it is acceptable that these jobs are low wage, thankless, and unsafe. Yes, I think a patient load of 15 patients needing total care is unsafe and does not provide the safest most dignified or competent care for the patients. As advocates for these patients, I think we should have higher standards than rushing from room to room. Yes, nurses are overworked and underpaid too. But are we really providing best patient care by accepting the condition of allowing one person to do the work of two. Sure the PCT job is a valuable learning experience. What PCTs do is very valuable and I personally find it embarrassing that so many people bashed the OP the way they did. I think this whole situation could have been handled better.

If you as a nurse or CNA went to your supervisor and complained that you felt your patient load unsafe would you wish to be heard or treated the way this OP was. I realize OP quit and didn't go to the supervisor, however the turnover rate is high because these conditions are unsafe and not ideal for either healthcare workers or patients! I really do not think the issue is about having to clean patients here...

Accepting "typical" does not provide high standards in healthcare!!!

[Themostsupreme]

Exactly. I don't mind cleaning patients, i think ppl misunderstood what i wrote. Its the unsafe working conditions that drove me away as well as poor management that doesnt really care bc they don't deal or work with patients so they don't know what the floor staff goes through. Specifically the high acuity/pt. load. I felt like a chicken with its head cut off , trying to get tasks done on time otherwise id get in trouble for not finishing. I wasnt providing the type of care that i wanted to give, not to mention, i wasnt gaining any new skills that i could apply to being a future nurse, and the low wage, all combined, drove me to quit. Since i was orienting, i didnt feel a need to give any notice but i let them know that i wouldnt be coming back. I do agree that nurses also dont get paid as well as they should for the work they do but atleast its a liveable wage, i cant live off a cna salary that i was making.

[dreamer30]

Thank You for your comment. It looks like you found the specialty for you. Yeah personally, i could never work on an oncology floor or ortho/neuro, or the ED. You stayed 7 months, kudos to you. I dont mind medsurg, if your working with the right staff, i actually think its the best floor to start on, you see all kinds of patients and hopefully learn the most, esp. at the RN level. I think for me, ill give i may take a break and possibly give it another try down the road

I'm thankful for the experience and knowledge but I rather have learned it another way lol. That place tore me apart. Honestly if they would have paid me more I wld still be there. I know my limits. I know I won't be a floor nurse for long. I will be sitting behind a desk 5 days a week no weekends and no holidays. Gotta do what you gotta do for your end goal even If that means you have 15 patients and have to wipe butts to get there...

[TheBlackDogWaits]

I see NOADLS has a protegé.....

This.... lol

[xxdiscoxxheaven]

Yes. But you are not a nurse. So what did you expect that your CNA JOB would require?

[NicuGal, MSN, RN]

As a CNA you cannot perform any tasks or duties an RN does. In clinicals you perform those tasks under an RN's supervision as a learning RN student. As a CNA you cannot be delegated those tasks as you are not acting as an RN student. You would be honing basic care skills, organization, and prioritizing. You would not be assessing, doing procedures or anything you need your RN license for. The things I listed above are what are going to save your butt when you are on a floor.