Stay at Home Mom Deciding on CNA Certification....

fuzzywuzzy, CNA · Apr 17, 2009

If you take a CNA course you will most likely have to work in a nursing home after you get certified. It's my understanding that most hospitals don't hire new CNAs.

You can work as many hours as you want- part time, full time, per diem... but no matter what, you're going to end up working weekends and holidays. The shifts usually go 7-3, 3-11, 11-7, but some places, esp hospitals, have employees work 7-7.

CNAs being valued amongst staff? hmmmm.... a lot of people look down on CNAs for being "professional buttwipers" who couldn't possibly have chosen such a job because they wanted it- we must just work there because we're too stupid to get into nursing school (not everyone is a snob like that, but there are always a few). And in the job itself you encounter a lot of cattiness between CNAs, but I guess you can expect that in any job with a lot of employees working together.

Not sure about a hospital, but in a nursing home the CNAs have more interaction than anyone. You do everything with/for the residents- toileting, cleaning up messes, feeding, walking, dressing, bathing, etc. Even cleaning up the body after someone dies.

As far as the compassion thing goes... CNA work is not all warm blankets and back rubs and fuzzy cuddlies. Unfortunately you have a lot of people to take care of in a short amount of time and you're almost always going to be rushed. You probably won't have time for the caring-type-stuff you're thinking of. It sucks, but that's the way it is. A lot of CNAs start off thinking it's going to be that way and are sorely disappointed when they start working. Spending extra time with one person means another one has to lay in their own poop for that much longer and 2 more people are on the verge of a tantrum because their routine is thrown off. As you get to know the residents, and their likes and dislikes, you find creative ways to be caring without compromising other people.

The good, the bad, and the ugly? Well the good is that a lot of the residents are cute, sweet, and funny. Dementia makes people do really crazy things sometimes. And you and the residents will bond quickly because of all the hands-on care you give. You'll have your favorites you look forward to having. And for some of them you'll be their favorite CNA.

Bad: overbearing family members, snotty supervisors or coworkers, and getting beat up by residents, your aching feet and back.

Ugly: more than half the job is cleaning up poop and pee. There's also vomit, mucus, half-chewed food, thickened liquids and pureed diets (think of an entire ham sandwich being thrown in a blender- would you want to eat that?), extremely flaky dry skin, gnarly feet and toenails, dentures coated with food and slime, people picking their skin until they bleed, infections, skin tears, etc. Every now and then you'll find someone completely covered in diarrhea and playing in it. It'll be all over them, the sheets, their clothes, and maybe the walls. And when you try to clean them they'll start yelling obscenities and thrashing around. Later on you'll have to spray the poo out of all the linens. Personally when this happens I see the humor in it, but if I mention this scenario to my friends they're horrified, which makes it even funnier. You get used to all the gross stuff pretty quickly. And you have kids, so it probably won't bother you.

Anyway I hope that answered some of your questions!

MomOfTwo2009 · Apr 17, 2009

Wow! Thank you for the reply back! Very informative, for sure! How long have you been a CNA? When you describe the "ugly" it makes me think why would somebody want to do that?! LOL! But it is very good to get all aspects of a job like this.

What are the things that you love most? Is it the patients? Is it the work itself? How often do you see residents covered in diarrhea and playing in it?! And is it really more than half the job cleaning up poop and pee??

Just wondering....

fuzzywuzzy, CNA · Apr 17, 2009

I've been a CNA for a year. Before that I did all the same stuff for one person as a privately hired caregiver (that's when i did get to dote on someone, but it was also under the table and a lot of what I did was beyond the scope of a CNA... but that was the experience that made me decide to take the CNA class). I love the residents. Most of them are awesome. A few of them drive me nuts, but 99% of them are good people. And this is coming from someone who used to be a cashier and hated every customer who walked through the door. I also love the work itself. You stay busy and active. I have no interest in sitting at a desk all day, and this job gives you muscles!

The diarrhea thing doesn't happen thaaaaaat often. It's usually only a couple people that do it and it's not every day. After a couple times you figure out how to clean it up without making an even bigger mess. if worst comes to worst you take them to the shower and clean them while someone else cleans the room. It's not that bad. I would say that more than half the job is poop and pee. Most people in a nursing home are incontinent. Some of them aren't though, and they'll ring if they have to use the toilet/ You do rounds every 2 hours, and some people go more often than that. I work 3-11 and when I come in we toilet everyone. Then supper comes at or 530 and after everyone eats we toilet them again. Then as we're getting people ready for bed we toilet them. Depending on how early they went to bed we check them once or twice more after they lay down. One of the wings i work on is chock full of incontinent people so last rounds is a project. They ALL tuck their gowns and sheets between their legs and pee all over them and you have to change everything and wash them all over again. And old people who aren't demented are obsessed with their bowels and will sit on the toilet like every 20 minutes to try and poop and get all upset when they don't go. so yeah, poop and pee are a big part of the job.

vampcna · Aug 16, 2011

Yes, poop and pee are a large part of the job. Depending on the shift, you

will also be feeding, bathing, ambulating, and cleaning. But there will also be

times when the patients will be sad and need a soft hug and a warm smile.

The elderly love to tell stories, and many of them are quite funny.

I work 11-7 (noc) shift at an ltc, so most of my patients are sleeping when

I'm there. The only times they see me is when I'm changing them, taking vitals,

or answering their call lights. I would like to have more time to talk with them,

but they need their sleep. The sundowner, psych, and new admits keep me

busy. We have a lot of these patients presently, so I spend time with them.

Nothing makes me feel better than calming a confused delusional patient.

Me: What's wrong Mr. X?

Mr. X: The bunnies! They want to kill me!

Me: Where are they?

Mr. X: There! Near the table! Please don't let them hurt me!

I get a towel and shoo the "bunnies" out of the room and put a bunny

repellent blanket in front of the door.

Me: Okay, Mr. X, I chased the bunnies away and they shouldn't come back.

But if they do, put on your call light and I'll get them again ok?

Mr. X: Oh, thank you. I was so scared. I can go to sleep now!

Scenerios like this are very rewarding to me bcuz I helped him calm down.

The other times I spend a lot of time with patients are when they are dying.

I will work double time so I can spend a few extra moments comforting them.

I read to them, sing to them, pray with them, or just hold their hand and stroke

their hair. Most peoples worst fear is dying alone, so I try to check on them

as often as I can, while also caring for 15- 19 other patients.

So,bottom line, cna work is hard,dirty, backbreaking work; but it is also very re-

warding. Just bring compassion, a warm smile, and a cheery attitude to work

with you, and you'll do fine. :nurse: :redpinkhe:D

Ytellu · Aug 17, 2011

Fuzzywuzzy was pretty accurate about working in long term care. I've worked both in long term care and currently in a hospital setting. Long term care is not for everyone. It wasn't for me. Like you I had a family member in a hospital and it inspired me to become a CNA. I changed careers at age 50 so I knew this would be different.

Hospital work is different because it's less changing adult briefs and more helping people to the bathroom and bedpans. It's a lot of emptying catheters, taking vitals, helping bath if they can't, changing beds, transporting to testing. In my own experience I have less patients to care for in the hospital than I ever did in the nursing home. In the hospital you have a much bigger turn over. Some people like that you get to know your residents in nursing homes better. In the hospital you have to change gowns not dress the people like in nursing homes.

Again in my opinion I feel the nurses in the hospital are more appreciative than the ones I worked with in LTC but that could just be my facility. I get to spend more time with patients in the hospital than I did in LTC but again, that could just be my situation. Every place is different.

Either place be prepared for overtime available, working weekends and holidays. Be prepared for good days and bad. Sometimes the work tugs at your heart strings.

Most CNA programs I've heard of have clinicals in a nursing home prior to taking your state testing. You will get a glimpse first hand. My first job after was at a hospital so not all require experience. Start networking now. Make connections on LinkedIn, Hosptial facebook pages, twitter, volunteer at the place you think you want to work. Anything to help you get a connection to get hired.

Best of luck.

Dorali, BSN, LPN, RN · Aug 17, 2011

Just wanted to throw in my thoughts.

I was a stay at home mom too before I became a CNA. I also wanted to have that feeling of giving back. No, it will not be the way you might day dream about, but it is work that you can be proud of. You will go home at the end of the day knowing that you helped someone who could not help themselves, even if it was the most basic things.

Honestly, the job is not much different than taking care of your children. You give them baths, change their clothes, feed them, help them to the bathroom, take care of them when they're sick. It can be & is a dirty job, but no one is more close to these people than you, the CNA, are.

Just know going in, that the pay isn't that great, so if this will be extra money for your family then that takes a lot of the stress off of it. My husband is our primary income so what I make helps to pay a few of the bills and gives us extra spending money. A lot of people are grouchy about their pay because they barely get by on their paycheck alone, which is completely understandable.

If you think you really want to do this and think you cam handle it after reading these posts, then you should definitely go for it. The class isn't terribly hard, mostly common sense stuff, and usually doesn't take but a month or so depending on where you go.

Dondie

Brandi81 · Aug 17, 2011

Go for it!!

I was a stay at home mom too, and after having my son (difficult delivery, NICU stay, etc) I started thinking about going into nursing. Then I went through a m/c trying for our second child and I decided that there must be a reason I have gone through all these difficult medical experiences in my life and maybe that reason was to help others who are going through the same thing (my father who is blind, diabetic and has gone through two kidney transplants was another big experience that led to this path as well). So here I am, we had another baby and after she turned a year I started my CNA, graduated and just landed a job at my dream hospital where I hope to eventually move into L&D, Post-Partum. I am still undecided if I will go on and become an RN, I have a B.A. and a M.A. in psychology already. If I do, it will be when the kids are in school.

I did my clinical at a nursing and rehab center, and I knew right away that I wasn't cut out for long term employment in that environment. I applied at every single hospital around and within an hours drive of me and I ended up getting interviews and a job with no experience, so it can be done! The pay for me doesn't matter so much, it will just be extra for us which is great! I will be working PMs and nights part time so my kids won't have to do daycare which is a big thing for us, and why I started staying home in the first place.

Do your research and follow your heart :redbeathe

Good Luck!

alp03 · Aug 17, 2011

I work in a hospital in the float pool. I have been there for eight months. I have already been to twenty four different floors. Some floors have a lot of poop. Some have none! Ya never know what you're going to get. Everyday is a new adventure. It can be a lot of fun but can be very anxiety provoking. I'm really enjoying it right now and since I am working on nursing prereqs, I get to see which floors I like. In Oregon to be able to work in a hospital you have to get a CNA2. They do hire people with no experience however.