want to quit my CNA job, need advice

[sourapril]

I got my CNA lincense in the beginning of October. While looking for a CNA job, I worked as a caregiver for almost a month. The job was easy and my clients are really nice. But I thought I need a real CNA job in order to get some nursing experience, so I applied to hospitals and nursing homes. The only place that accepted me is a nursing home. I had the CNA job for about 2 weeks and I feel like I am drowning. I am depressed everyday and terrified to go to work. This is what happened during my orientation: I let two people fall. Neither of them hurt, and nurses were notified. I think it's my fault because I used the gait belt but didn't recognize that I was not capable of transferring them (I am a petite new CNA without any experience). So after that, everyone started passing the words that I cannot transfer people. I didn't feel like I am ready to be off orientation, so I asked the nurse if I could get a couple more days. The truth is the nursing home is really short on staff, so they were pushing to get me off orientation and start on my own asap. We usually have 4 CNAs during the day shift, but today is just me and three other experienced CNAs. I didn't feel comfortable being assigned my own patients (10 patients) but there is no other way around it due to short of staff, so they gave me my patients anyway. Everything was fine in the morning, but I was pulled to go to a transfer training for 1 hour and 15 minutes in the middle of the day because the nurses feel like I need to get more training. So I missed my two 15 minutes break. Didn't get my lunch break until I told the charge nurse that it's 2 hours before the end of my shift and I still haven't eaten yet. So I went for lunch for 20 minutes and came back realizing that I have to help a patient to shower. Well, I've never done her shower before and she needs a hoyer lift. I was freaking out because everyone is getting ready to leave (1/2 hour before the end of the shift). I asked 2 other CNAs to help me which they did but neither of them think it's urgent so they just took their time. I showered the patient by myself but was really frustrated because she is pretty much dead weight and she screams "help" all the time. At this point, I still have two more patient to chart, but after I finally put her back into bed, it's already 10 minutes after the shift. If we can't finish charting before the end of our shift, the computer doesn't allow us to chart anymore. I told the nurse that I don't want to get into trouble but I didn't have time to chart her. She told me it's OK (I was told by other CNAs that if I didn't chart on time I would get a write-up). Anyway, sorry about the long post. I just feel like I am being thrown into a lion's den and had no idea how to do my job right. I am constantly under stress. While the nurses are friendly to me, and ask me what trainings I need, I just don't know what to tell them. I feel like I am so slow (but I am always busy, running around). Can you give me some insights? Thank you!

[sourapril]

It's so heartbreaking that those poor seniors are not getting the care they deserve. I want to change, I want to make a difference, but the longer I stayed in the nursing home, the more I realize I can't change a thing. I can make one old lady's day better during my shift, but the CNA who comes after me could totally ruin it. Too much yelling, too much bullying against the elderly and other CNAs. And the smell of urine and feces would stay with me for days and days. (maybe it's just in my head)

I am a CNA student doing clinicals at a nursing home, and I feel the same way. My second day here, and I know I could never work in such an environment. It's chaos, really. They are consistently understaffed, the residents & CNAs are rushed through every task. The shower room/bathroom floor is always sticky & reeking of urine. A lot of things do not get disinfected after each use, supplies are scattered all over, literally. Several residents care instructions are not being followed, resulting in bed sores and depression.

I've fed, changed, and bathed countless people in the past 2 days, and I think hardly anything was recorded or charted from my input.

I am glad I'm lucky enough to see all this before accepting a job offer from them. I truly hope the majority of LTC facilities are not like this, but I get the feeling a lot of them are.

When I seek employment as a CNA, it will be in a private home, hospital, or doctor's office. I can't handle the heartbreak of geriatrics.

[ctmed]

A 'real' CNA job is any one you receive a paycheck for. Do not fall for the propaganda. True, some do pay better than others.

Barring the fact that many agencies want one year hospital and hospitals themselves want hospital experience (and hospitals pay pretty low), it really does not matter.

Now, if you are talking working at a teaching facility that helps pay for a better degree (nursing or allied health - this is getting rarer, though), that may be something. But even then... there is a such thing as morale and feeling good when you go home and take off the scrubs.

[kserasera]

This is my first CNA job and I had started out working an AM shift. It was so stressful; I felt rushed and was not able to give good care for my residents. My coworkers did not want to help me out and criticized me when I was slow and made mistakes. Some residents were really hard to take care of. You need to have a lot of patience for them. After I transferred to PMs, I was able to work better because it was more relaxed as we had more time to get people ready. But still, I had coworkers who rushed to get everyone into bed by 7PM or ones who didn't do anything but sit by the nurses station and talk with the supervisor. I would pick up their slack by doing more people, answering lights, and special job duties. The residents would then complain or make demands when I was busy. They would be unappreciative and degrade me. The nurses would then get angry at me for not doing this or that. It has made me less compassionate and sympathetic towards my residents. i have been losing sleep due to being anxious. Which, has caused me to make a lot of careless mistakes due to not being able to concentrate and think clearly.

[kool-aide, RN]

Don't feel bad! I felt the same way when I was new! Of all of my skills, I think safely transferring/ambulating patients is the one that took me the longest to learn. You'll get better. Just give it time. DON'T GIVE UP!

[oblina]

Try assisted living, adult day care, or even home health aide. You get the familiarity with the patients, but not the extreme work load of a LTC facility. It will get better when you get more comfortable with ambulating patients, and using devices such as the hoyer lift. The best thing to have when getting through your day is confidence, which will only come with positive experience, which takes time when you are learning. Good luck, and I hope you find a job that gives you better experiences with patient interaction and care.

[Elvienm]

I just want to suggest that you should try to get more experience, because handling patients is not easy...and it is a big responsibility over your shoulders. when I was taking the classes for CNA, we went to practice our skills at a convalescent home, and our instructor always make sure we got as much experience as possible..because most likely it will be similar every where. unless you do private care..

Good Luck!

[WiseMonk]

I have am a 30 year old male cna veteran.

It sounds like your having issues with time management. Your shower at the very beginning and you want to try to get your shows done from the get go. Then do vitals or vise versus, do vitals quickly yet accurately and believe me that's a skill to hone. Then COMMUNICATE to your supervisor. No the Chair of command in nursing. Who you are rcm is who the Don is who the administrators are and so on and so on. Communicate teamwork failures. Don't worry so much about falls as thats going to happen. Just do your best and report. Falls in this industry happens. It's how you prevented it or how you responded is what matters. Cna works....isn't for everyone because it's awful. To be honest it's to stressful and not worth the money. I love doing it for the people but not for the money and the disrespect from SOME people is real. In the end it's the little things. I have 20 years in nursing. Given I basicaly got admitted at nine and I never left the hospital. Long story short. Asses you and ultimate make a decision but give it six months. It's grueling but that's work. In the end i hope this occupation teaches you something. It's amazing how nursing changed my life. We truely do stand on the shoulders of those who came before us. Good luck. Keep your head and your love alive. Smile and spread joy.

[cduenes41]

I know this is an older post but one suggestion for new grads is to work the NOC shift initially, if possible.

Less cattiness, slower pace, and less chaos.

This type of flexibility is one of the main reasons I became a CNA. That, and the demand for hiring CNAs is constant. The program (depending on what school you attend) pays for itself the first month of working.

All the bestest!

[Wannabenurseneko]

The nurses at your job are very understanding and kind . I can't say the same for the experienced CNAs:no:.