The life cycle of a CNA forum member

Nursing Students CNA/MA

Published

So a lot of the posts on here can get a little... predictable. From now on just use this handy guide to find out how many more threads to expect from any given member before getting to the good stuff:

1. Joins the site, finds the CNA forum. "Hi everybody my name is FutureNurse123 and I want to work in healthcare in some capacity!" :wlcmhnds:

2. Makes a thread asking what's better: taking the class at a community college, the Red Cross, or a nursing home. Learns that they are all the same. Wants to know if CNA is even right for them. Nobody knows. Oh and by the way, what is the difference between a CNA, NA, STNA, PCT, etc.? Answer: not much. Oh and one more thing- can a boy be a CNA?

3. Complains about instructor and/or classmates. Learns that mean and/or stupid people are EVERYWHERE, including their future place of employment.

4. Reads more posts and decides that the aforementioned Mean People are posting on this very forum! They didn't give me the advice I wanted to hear! And some of the things these people say about their jobs horrifies me. I thought CNAs wanted to help people- they should never complain about anything. :nono:

5. Omg! We have to clean up POOP?! Makes a thread requesting information about exactly how much poop and grossness a CNA can expect to run into on a typical day and how to deal with it (um, I don't know... hold your breath and don't look at it :D Believe me poop is not the grossest thing you will see).

6. Decides that old people are gross and cleaning up poop is not for them. OR, that nursing homes are "depressing" and they're just too sensitive and caring to be exposed to that. Makes a thread asking what other employment they should seek as a CNA. Is told their best option is to get over it.

7. Starts clinicals. Makes a thread about how the CNAs they're following are unfriendly, or too busy to teach them stuff, or they don't do everything by the book, or they're unprofessional in some other way. :nono: ***Obviously those CNAs have no business BEING nurse aides in the first place!!!*** :nono: As a student, I just *know* that I am going to be the best, most caring and professional CNA around! :saint:

8. Finishes the program and starts freaking out about the state test. Asks all kinds of rhetorical and non-rhetorical questions about it. Is told to calm down because it's easy. Learns to speak the steps out loud as they do them and that mistakes are allowed if caught before the skill is over.

9. Passes the test. Easily. Yay! :ancong!:

10. Posts a resume question. ie "I have no experience, so I'm just gonna list every single skill I ever learned in class- should I list Bedmaking AND Occupied Bedmaking?" And by the way, what do I wear to the interview? Oh and also, I'm 8 months pregnant. Can I still apply for the job? Will they find out?

11. Posts a question about how a brand new CNA with no experience can get a hospital job, because as they've already decided, nursing home work is just not for them. And hospital jobs seem SO cool and SO easy! And what do you mean they want experience? How can I get experience if the hospital won't give me a chance? But I don't WANT to work in a nursing home!!!

12. Gets a job. In a nursing home. It's okay, we won't say "I told you so." :) Freaks out about not getting enough training. Is miserable for at least a month. Posts a question asking if they should quit. Is told that every place is the same. Develops a thicker skin and a warped sense of humor. Actually becomes good at the job (hopefully) and learns to like it... sometimes.

13. Posts about lazy, annoying coworkers, lack of supplies, and chit chats about how to make the job easier. Also vents about the residents. Gets told off by a CNA student for doing that.

I take that back, get a journal. Write down things that happened to you. Then years later you can see how far you've come. I recently read mine, I started it about a year ago when I first started my job as a new CNA, and I can already see a difference. Plus, I remembered some things that I had completely forgotten about. I love my journal.

I used to have a journal.

I read recently, too.

Then I burned it.

I was so horrified... I had to get rid of the evidence! :eek:

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#17. Does the complete opposite and becomes an EMT-B instead of a CNA. Realize there are less EMT-B jobs than CNA`s. Then argues with the people at the community college because the government pays for EMT training but not CNA.

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Specializes in geriatrics, dementia, ortho.

I'm baffled by those that give up highly-paid jobs to come work as a CNA as well. If I could afford it, I'd go to school full-time to be an RN rather than keep working in LTC and go to school part-time. Much as I love my residents and even my facility, I'd be outta there and on campus in a HEARTBEAT if I had the cash!

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Specializes in Cardiac.

I'm proud to say that I was never at any step on this list! Yay for me! lol

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I'm baffled by those that give up highly-paid jobs to come work as a CNA as well. If I could afford it, I'd go to school full-time to be an RN rather than keep working in LTC and go to school part-time. Much as I love my residents and even my facility, I'd be outta there and on campus in a HEARTBEAT if I had the cash!

Haha...I was never high paid before, BUT I took a $4/hour paycut when I left the last geriatric facility to work at my current special needs facility. That probably makes me somewhat crazy, but I don't regret it...except when I;m paying my bills each month, yikes.

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Specializes in Mostly geri :).

I so adore this thread :)

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hysterical becuase sooooooooooooo true!!! guilty as charged!

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Just re-read the steps.

Definitely passed all of them now... But I do have to say, having my first job in a hospital-- I wasn't looking exclusively at hospitals, it was the only place that replied to me and had me interview (shocking!). And the last steps are the exact same-- miserable for a month or two, worried about getting fired (being told no one gets fired unless they eff up time cards on purpose), upset about understaffing, complaining about a few RN's being mean or lazy.

And only being able to constantly complain about patients when they stay on unit for more than 2 weeks. :p

Mostly just try to suck it up now.

And evolving into the part where I want to start taking classes at community college to get my RN, but also lacking any energy or driving motivation to get started on it.

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When I've managed people in the past, the #1 reason for letting someone go was attendance. If you're hired to work 3-11 and you say that's okay, don't come in two weeks later and ask to be moved to day shifts. How about I move you out the door?

The #2 reason for getting rid of someone was performance. Every job has a training period, manuals, resources to help employees understand the expectations of the job. If you've been trained and you've indicated that you know what you're doing, then I'm going to assume you do. And when it becomes clear that they didn't bother to retain the training, they say it was too hard or there was too much to remember. Bye bye.

... so let me get this straight. You fire someone just for ASKING if they can possibly be moved to a different shift? I mean, I'm sorry but that seems unusually harsh to me. Maybe they have extenuating circumstances or something comes up that would make working a particular shift difficult. I mean, if it was me, I wouldn't fire them just for ASKING if they could be moved to a different shift; if they absolutely refused to work the shift they were assigned to or didn't show up for it, then sure, but not just for asking.

Also, as far as #2 goes... it takes TIME and PRACTICE to learn how to do things right, not everyone is a genius or has a photographic memory. To fire someone just for needing time to learn things and not knowing how to do everything perfectly during the first few days seems excessive.

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... so let me get this straight. You fire someone just for ASKING if they can possibly be moved to a different shift? I mean, I'm sorry but that seems unusually harsh to me. Maybe they have extenuating circumstances or something comes up that would make working a particular shift difficult. I mean, if it was me, I wouldn't fire them just for ASKING if they could be moved to a different shift; if they absolutely refused to work the shift they were assigned to or didn't show up for it, then sure, but not just for asking.

Also, as far as #2 goes... it takes TIME and PRACTICE to learn how to do things right, not everyone is a genius or has a photographic memory. To fire someone just for needing time to learn things and not knowing how to do everything perfectly during the first few days seems excessive.

Not to put words in 'chi449rk's mouth, but for the most part he's correct - here's why I think so.

When you agree to work for a company, you're agreeing to abide by a specific set of conditions which are outlined (usually) on your offer letter. If there are potential problems with scheduling, etc. the time to discusss them is during the negotiation phase, NOT after you've accepted the position. At that point, you're under the terms of a legally binding contract. It may sound harsh, and most managers I've known (the good ones, anyway) will do what they can to accomodate unexpected circumstances - but, if you're bouncing your schedule all over creation you're at the very least not creating a favorable impression of yourself, and at worst can be held accountable for violation of contract. As far as asking for a shift change - I suspect the point was more about asking for a shift change "after 2 weeks", which unless you've got a VERY good reason would, in my opinion, be really pushing it.

As far as #2 - again, not to put words in anyone's mouth, but anyplace I've ever worked you're under a probationary period from the date of hire until what ever time was specified on the offer letter - usually 90 days, but in civil service it can go for up to a year. During your probationary period you're expected to prove you can do the job - if you can't cut the mustard in, say 3 months (typical probation period for an entry-level position - which works out to 520 hours) my take is you shouldn't be there at all. No place is going to boot you without giving you a fair chance (and for good reason - you can sue 'em for their eyeteeth if they don't), but you aren't going to be able to spend eternity trying to demonstrate you're a capable employee. And, let's face it - CNA isn't exactly rocket science here; you're most likely taught just enough so that you're not a danger to patients or yourself, and then turned loose. How well you do is up to you.

Feel free to flame me to a crisp, but that's my take on the situation. Just my :twocents:.

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And, thanks to all for the good laugh - I'll try and hit all of 'em, but being male the "8 months pregnant" part may be a bit tough to pull off.:D

Just hope the local cops don't show up - it's just after 4 a.m. local time, and my laughter does tend to carry a bit.

----- Dave

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As far as #2 - again, not to put words in anyone's mouth, but anyplace I've ever worked you're under a probationary period from the date of hire until what ever time was specified on the offer letter - usually 90 days, but in civil service it can go for up to a year. During your probationary period you're expected to prove you can do the job - if you can't cut the mustard in, say 3 months (typical probation period for an entry-level position - which works out to 520 hours) my take is you shouldn't be there at all. No place is going to boot you without giving you a fair chance (and for good reason - you can sue 'em for their eyeteeth if they don't), but you aren't going to be able to spend eternity trying to demonstrate you're a capable employee. And, let's face it - CNA isn't exactly rocket science here; you're most likely taught just enough so that you're not a danger to patients or yourself, and then turned loose. How well you do is up to you.

Feel free to flame me to a crisp, but that's my take on the situation. Just my :twocents:.

Well, 3 months is understandable -- 3 months should be plenty of time to get the hang of a job and learn how to do it well. If someone can't learn the basics of a job in 3 months, then more than likely they aren't even trying. It's just, I had a job where I was booted for not knowing how to do everything in 2 days, which I think is ridiculous and perhaps why I kind of took chi449rk's comment to heart.

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