This can't be what it's all about, can it?

labvalues · Jun 25, 2011

I think it all depends on what area you are working in. I'm on a med-surg unit this semester for clinical and everyone, CNAs and RNs are buzzing around working together. Last semester I was on a rehabilitation unit and I noticed that the CNAs were doing a majority of the grunt work (bed baths, changing bedding, ambulating patients, seeing to toileting needs, etc) while the RNs were mostly just passing meds and performing assessments.

RKpianoman, APRN · Jun 25, 2011

No, it's not the same everywhere. I'm doing my externship in a Progressive Care Unit and in an adjacent AICU, and the nurses work their butts off. In AICU, I don't think either my preceptor or I sat down for more than 5 minutes at a time without having to help a patient or work on an admission. But, in my clinicals in 1st semester, the med-surg floor was very relaxed. If you got your charting out of the way and your meds given, you could sit around for hours with nothing to do (well, that is, if you left your CNA high and dry).

Every floor is different, every hospital is different, and even different shifts on the same floor are different. But, with the median age of the US steadily increasing as our baby-boomers grow older, our patient populations get older as well. However, one could reason that within 20-30 years, when the baby-boomers are passed, the patient population would become slightly younger. The pt population will always be fairly old though; as people age, they are prone to developing more problems and having longer hospital stays.

So, nursing isn't all sitting around and letting CNAs get tortured; but, it does feel like a nursing home at times haha

cogath · Jun 25, 2011

I am interning on tele at a large hospital as a nurse and I am definitely not sitting around all day, in fact I am lucky to get in a break. I guess it must depend. I do nurse's duties and usually some CNA duties like showers, toileting, etc. It was also similar when I did my Med-Surg rotation. I did do quite a lot of nothing on my OB rotation though (Labor and Delivery was busy, but Postpartum wasn't).

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Jun 25, 2011

It's a fact that most hospital patients are greater than 60 years old. As a person ages, health generally tends to decline and their healthcare needs increase. In addition, the older patients all have Medicare, so they are more likely to seek out healthcare than the masses of young adults and middle-aged people who have lost their employer-sponsored health coverage during the recession.

The reality is that the job of a bedside nurse involves a lot of clerical duties: charting, taking off orders, massive paperwork, documenting the same thing in three different places, obtaining signatures, completing graphics and flow sheets, etc. Contrary to popular belief, the RNs are not sitting around and doing nothing. They are sitting to get through the mountains of paperwork that has become a part of their everyday duties.

Your post reaffirms that older people are devalued in society. The only way to escape older patients is to work in an area such as pediatrics, postpartum, labor & delivery, NICU, etc.

healthstar, BSN, RN · Jun 25, 2011

This is one of the reasons why I don't want to be a psych nurse, they do the same thing, they spend most of the time on the computers or talking to each other. So boring.

JustDes · Jun 25, 2011

It's a fact that most hospital patients are greater than 60 years old. As a person ages, health generally tends to decline and their healthcare needs increase. In addition, the older patients all have Medicare, so they are more likely to seek out healthcare than the masses of young adults and middle-aged people who have lost their employer-sponsored health coverage during the recession.
The reality is that the job of a bedside nurse involves a lot of clerical duties: charting, taking off orders, massive paperwork, documenting the same thing in three different places, obtaining signatures, completing graphics and flow sheets, etc. Contrary to popular belief, the RNs are not sitting around and doing nothing. They are sitting to get through the mountains of paperwork that has become a part of their everyday duties.
Your post reaffirms that older people are devalued in society. The only way to escape older patients is to work in an area such as pediatrics, postpartum, labor & delivery, NICU, etc.

I'm not the greatest at getting my point across on the internet, let me try again: I care about our older generation as much as the younger generation. However, as a (hopefully) future nurse, I would like variation. Seeing nurses with all this down time makes ME nervous. I'm an adreniline junkie, I like fast paced, thought provoking work. I don't recieve that where I'm at. I just want to know if it's the same everywhere.

Does that sound better? The first time I was really stressed out from a very long day after losing 2 patients. So if I did indeed offend anyone, I'm truly sorry!

JustDes · Jun 25, 2011

I just realised this is in general nursing, I'm so sorry! I was trying to get into general students discussion. I TRULY did not intend to offend anyone.

nola1202 · Jun 25, 2011

u didn't!

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Jun 25, 2011

I'm an adreniline junkie, I like fast paced, thought provoking work. I don't recieve that where I'm at.

True adrenaline junkies would do well in specialties such as emergency nursing, trauma, and critical care.

sistasoul · Jun 25, 2011

I work at a hospital as a cna (on tele), it's not big, but not small either. I'm in school for my RN now. I want to help people, I want to challenge myself and learn. I care about others, I really do. Most of our patients (a good 90%) are over 70 years old. It's like a glorified LTC center, I know this may sound harsh. I just, this isn't what I thought it would be. I thought it would be fast paced and the nurses would be busy, most of the work is done by the cna. Not trying to put down the RN's, but they all sit around until a Dr. shows up or meds are needed, they sit most of the time. I thought this was my dream, I still feel like this the path I'm meant to follow. I guess I'm just hoping it's not the same everywhere!

Hi,

When I worked as an aide I used to think the same thing about nurses. I could not understand how they could just sit there and not answer call lights. Now I know. If I do not sit I will never get my charting done. Most of the time I can not chart until after I give report and am there very late. I usually don't sit for a good 6-7 hours straight most shifts. If I sit it is to take MD orders off, confirm medications, call Mds, families, other departments, etc. Then after running all evening and giving report than I can do my 2 hours of charting. The aides go home on time, the nurses do not.

In my opion being a nurse is a lot harder because of the mental stress and the responsibility. I loved being an aide and I adore all of the aides I work with. They are very appreciated and their hardwork is always acknowledged.

Nursing is a tough job and it is made harder because of the acuity of the patients. It is like this because hospitals claim they do not have the money and staff according to numbers rather than acuity. Being a nurse and an aide are two very different worlds. I know of people who hated being an aide but love being a nurse.

GiantJerk · Jun 25, 2011

If you do work on one of the floors where the nurses let the CNAs do all the work, you don't have to be like them. As an RN if you aren't doing anything at the moment you can go help out with answering call lights and things like that even if everyone else isn't.