Sometimes I Miss Being a CNA

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I miss being able to go in, do my job, and go home to my family.

I'm tired of all the responsibility and all the problems of being a nurse.

Anyone else feel like this or am I just having (another) midlife crisis?

Specializes in oncology, med surg, Alzheimers.

I was an aide for the last two years of nursing school. When I got to be RN orientee, I had the shock of my life. I think I spent an entire year in a state of panic. Now that I'm almost three years into nursing, when a patient yells at me for not bringing their pain med fast enough when I've been with a patient with POX of 58...I do sometimes wish I didn't have that responsibility.

But then there are moments like when I advocated for my patient and patients family for CMO and morphine drip; The patient was in her late 80's with advanced cancer, the family was surrounding her bedside as she breathed noisily, and stirred in obvious pain and discomfort. The families pain at seeing her in pain also hurt me. The attending was nowhere, and the intern was too new to write orders for what the family had already agreed upon with the attending;

After waiting for one hour for the attending and calling several times, the attending showed up, I told her the patient was in pain, distress and discomfort and reminded her of the family's request. She brushed me off to round with her intern.

I followed her down the hall and reiterated that she please go see this patient now...respectfully and politely as I could.

She walked in the room, and 3 minutes later walked out and verbally gave me the order for CMO and morphine.

I walked directly to the overwhelmed fresh-out-of-med-school intern, and told her as firmly and politely as I could to write what I needed exactly as I stated...and she did. I apologized for making her day any harder and went and hung a drip for my patient.

I spent the night before with this patient when she was alert and laughing with her family...I made the time to speak with her children and assure them that her care was the best I was able to give. I heard her stories and looked into her beautiful blue eyes as she told me what a bountiful life she had, and how wonderful it would be to be with her husband on the other side.

When she started tachying away, I knew the next day would be different for her.

I got a card a few weeks later thanking me for my care, and that is what makes me glad I'm not a CNA anymore.

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You bring the spoons - I'll bring the old coffee cans! :D

It's a deal!:monkeydance: :balloons:

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Specializes in ER/Trauma.
To me, that's such a basic nursing task--to help the patients feel better by getting them cleaned up.

We hardly have time to reposition patients nowadays, and I think it's sad that we have to be so hard-pressed that we can't do the basics anymore.

I work nights. Tech/aide staffing on nights is tenuous at best.

Now, understand that I have never been a tech.

Maybe it's "karma" that I saw this post today but...

... for quite a while I've been "bothered" by this quandry.

If there are a couple things I notice on my patients:

1. Oral hygiene

2. Dry/bad skin

3. Aching/sore back/shoulders/legs relieved by massage

It's not that bad breath bothers me that much or that flaky skin gorsses me out - it's just that I instinctively think "dang! We need to get that sorted out! Might make him/her feel more human than patient!"

I guess the motivation is partly selfish - my Father suffered from a bad back and sore legs. Both my parents suffered dry skin in the lower extremities. For years after a hard days work, I'd apply lotion to their extremities and give them (particularly my Father) a good back rub and leg massage.

So, if nothing else, the least I get my patients was some mouth swabs and while the patient is working on them, I apply lotion to their skin. Or I take careful time to "brush" their teeth and then proceed to at least lotion the extremities.

I admit that I don't get to do this very often - but I also admit that the few times I DO get to do 'em, it gives me immense pleasure.

cheers,

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I was never a CNA, but I spent many years in the hospital working without one, mostly in the ICU. I really miss the patient contact now that I work LTC.

Some nights when I'm buried in paperwork behind the desk, I wish I could just chuck it all and go around with the girls.:o

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oh my goodness...it is not about being distinguished as a LPN (CNA) or R.N. It is about nursing period. I beccame a nurse to care for the ill..not put up with the crap that management and the "committees" come up with. Policy for this, policy for that, your coffee break exceeded the time limit, wipe up the vomit before housekeeping cleans the floor, clean the shelves in the storage room, and many many more. Nursing does not give me any pleasure anymore...except for the one time when Mr. X held my hand and said "thank-you." That is what nursing should be about...you know what I said? I said "you're welcome." And for that one moment, I felt good......But then a new policy/memo came out!!!

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Yes! I was a CNA for awhile, then started school to be a LPN, finished that did correspondence for my ASN, and just finished my BSN. I am the charge nurse for a very busy orthopedic-med/surg unit. I love all aspects of the job. But, I love helping the pts. The CNS's are called PNT's at my hospital This stands for Patient Needs Tech. To me they are the most important member of the Care Team. When I have a lot of stress, I go find a PNT and offer to do something for them, this helps me de-stress. And it gives them a short break.

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

What I hate the most about being a nurse is that each action that I have to take, each chart that I have to write in has me thinking on how to cover my A$$. As an aide, I didn't have to worry about that. I can't be as assertive as I was before to an administrator or higher level nurse that is an idiot; and what I have noticed (from my perspective as an LPN) is that the implementation portion of the nursing process is usually performed by a person other than the actual nurse that created the care plan. For example, if an RN makes a care plan, she is counting on me to medicate the client, the CNA to wash and position them, and ancillary staff to keep up the environment. Each person may be a power keg waiting to explode and then, who is actually taking responsibility? The poor charge nurse who is usually not present when the misdeed is done. As an aide, I didn't have to worry about that, but as a nurse, even as a practical nurse, I have to worry. I feel the stress of the RN, and try to be as efficient as I can be so that at least, she can trust that I tried to do my personal best. But, there are so many other factors that get fused in with efficient patient care that one can't possibly be everywhere to ensure that everything is done. Like Janice R.N., I am tired about the bull that administration places in the mix that removes us from patient care. All of the paperwork is done to please Joint Commission, and the rest of those stupid regulatory agencies.

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Looks like I'm not alone who misses CNA job. I hate so many parts of my job as a RN--endless charting, not having time to sit at the pt's bed and talk/hold his hand, dealing with administration staff who go by numbers, charts etc. Nursing in the States is not what I expected. Was pleasantly surprised when Australia's hospitals offered RN jobs that include total pt's care (looks like majority of units there do not have CNA's/PCTs). Still thinking about relocating there and doing "real nursing". The good thing is that the nursing field offers numerous opportunities that would be not available in other fields.

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Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.

Move to Texas or Fla, little or no snow

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Florida, and Texas-a good idea. I like Arizona very much. But I will not find different nursing there....

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If only we knew then what we know now.

A few nurses and I were just wishing we could be CNAs for a couple of weeks or so. We could still the very important nursing jobs like skin care (no sarcasm intended) and have comparably little responsibility. I don't think anyone can appreciate the enormous responsibility of an RN or LPN until he or she works under that license for a while.

Angie, if your posts are any indication of the person you really are, then please give yourself a pat on the back for being such a compassionate, open person. More and more I find myself doing things in which I am taken care of in some way--either waited on at a nice restaurant, surroundered myself to a good massage, or became a spellbound voyeur of a wonderful escapist film. Put yourself first for a change.

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