Telemetry/med surg. nursing assistants out there?

kelsey.kristine, CNA · Apr 28, 2011

Congrats! When I got the call from the hospital where I work, I literally hung up and screamed haha. I told the HR woman that she made my month :)

My floor isn't specifically tele but we do have a few patients that are tele....the floor up from us is more of a telemetry floor....that damn thing is always beeping ugh haha

Do you have any CNA experience? 11.65 no experience isn't bad...I've heard much lower at nursing homes....plus don't forget any shift differential you may get(though I think you said you'd be on days?). I make 12.49 with no experience, plus 2.50 more for nights and 1.75(or 1.50 can't remember) for weekends. And any extra night shifts I pick up, I get time 1/2 as long as I work all my scheduled shifts.

Med/surg is great....especially if you're going into nursing school...I've learned SO MUCH and all the nurses are always willing to teach me/show me cool stuff too. I work nights, so it's VERY different from days....but it's pretty basic stuff....helping patients eat if need be, getting them cleaned up, turning them in bed, helping them to the bathroom, commode, or with a bed pan, doing EKGs when necessary, taking blood sugars, doing vital signs, etc. etc. I feel like I can't even think of it all, but let me tell you...I NEVER stop during a shift!! I'm lucky if I get my 20 minutes! haha

What I love about med/surg is that it's very varied. I've had 18 year old patients and 103 year old patients. While I do see a lot more of the older crowd(lots of hip fx), I could have a patient of any age....and I see and learn a lot! We'll get pre-ops, post-ops, general inpatients, people withdrawing, and psych patients(they can't go to the psych floor w.IV meds)

Either way...it's a great job....I'm sure you'll love it :)

cmm4ever · Apr 28, 2011

Not familiar with the shift differential thing. If I will be working part time, rotating weekends/holidays...for part time do you work both weekend days, and is their usually a shift differential pay for weekends? This wasnt mentioned to me. Hopefully its in the stuff they send me.

kelsey.kristine, CNA · Apr 28, 2011

I was under the impression that yes, most, if not all hospitals offered shift differentials, but then again, don't quote me on that haha

I'm part time as well, rotating weekends and holidays. I get shift differential for all my shifts(since they're all nights or evenings, VERY rarely....I have classes during the day shift hours) and my weekends are saturday nights and sunday nights. For weekends, I'd imagine you'd work both days, haven't heard of anyone ever not working both days....but then of course, you'd have the next weekend off.

Shift differentials were mentioned to me during the interview(I believe), by HR, and in the letter they sent me. Maybe yours is just in the letter? Either way....I feel like differentials are pretty standard....it def. helps with getting people to work nights! haha

cmm4ever · Apr 28, 2011

So did they teach you how to do the ekg's blood glucose? I wonder if nursing assistants get to do vitals in all hospitals? This way I can keep up my skills. Are the blood pressures manual or automatic? I think I need a little more practice with blood pressures. Trying to get a new cuff soon.I know the basics but still feel like I would need to be shown again (ekg's). Im actually a CMA (certified medical assistant) but graduated in December 2010 and this is one of the things I decided to apply for. Yes I hope I get that letter etc soon. Since I interviewed with a recruiter they said I didnt have to come in and talk to anyone..but there are so many questions! Did you also go through an orientation and what was it like? They dont just throw you in there when you start do they? When did you start your job and 12.49 was your starting pay? Where do you live if you dont mind me asking? Do you get benefits and how are they? How much is taken out of your check? Sorry so many questions but thank you! :)

CoffeemateCNA · Apr 28, 2011

So did they teach you how to do the ekg's blood glucose? I wonder if nursing assistants get to do vitals in all hospitals? This way I can keep up my skills. Are the blood pressures manual or automatic? I think I need a little more practice with blood pressures. Trying to get a new cuff soon.I know the basics but still feel like I would need to be shown again (ekg's).
Did you also go through an orientation and what was it like? They dont just throw you in there when you start do they?

You will learn to do Accucheks (blood glucose monitoring) and EKGs on-the-job, probably during your orientation. Neither skill is hard. With EKGs, it's literally slapping on a few electrodes onto the correct places. If you are allowed to insert/remove catheters or IVs or perform dressing changes, etc., you'll learn it then, too. It will depend on your facility/floor's policy as to whether or not you are allowed to do vitals or not. I've seen some floors allow aides to do them, but others had the nurses do all of them because "the patients' acuities were too high" (I don't complain; less work for me to worry about :)). It never made sense to me that some floors would allow aides to do dressing changes and remove catheters, but they don't trust them enough to push a few buttons on a machine :confused: . BPs are usually done with machines; manuals just used to reassess abnormal BP readings that you got with the machine.

Orientation varies from a few shifts to a few weeks, it just depends on how your facility does things. No, you probably won't feel 100% comfortable when they put you on your own (i.e., throw you to the wolves). Remember that it's OK to ask for help and to ask questions; I always worry about the new people that try to do everything themselves.

kelsey.kristine, CNA · Apr 28, 2011

I do the vitals....if a BP is high or low, then I re-check with a manual though sometimes the nurse will do that. Depends. On my floor nurses VERY rarely do the vitals themselves.

I oriented for a couple weeks, but honestly felt SO comfortable before those weeks were done....we could always ask for more time too

Blood sugars are VERY easy to do...I was nervous at first, but they're easy. I had also taken a phlebotomy class beforehand too, AND an EKG class, but they teach you if you've never done one. The hardest part of doing EKGs is the machine we use....pretty confusing haha

In the ED CNAs even get to draw blood! Gaaah wish I could But don't worry too much....anything you need to do, they'll make sure you learn :)

I live and work in RI :) I do get benefits, but I don't use the health or dental since I'm 20 and am covered under my parents until I'm 26, I believe. The health where I work is VERY expensive, so I'd lose like $96 each pay check. So I get a little extra each paycheck instead.

cmm4ever · Apr 28, 2011

Thanks...If you can ever think of anything else Im open to listening! Im sure I will have more questions lol. I hope the health insurance isnt that much because I think they take it out of your check. Im so used to having good insurance/not paying..it will suck if I cant afford it. Health insurance is very important though. Oh yeah, its union so when can you usually start bidding? For part time, are your days always different or do you have a set schedule? Are you guaranteed a minimum number of hours? How many hours do you average a week? Is the pay weekly/bi-weekly?