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Discussion

What do you think?

I have worked in a hospital as a unit secretary/ward clerk for about 7 months now. When I was hired I was hired PRN until I took my CNA test & was told that I would move to a CNA position after that. I got it in June & am still working as a ward clerk. I'm a nursing student, so that reason that CNA work is so important to me is because I need to experience & want to become more comfortable with working the floor instead of sitting at a desk for 10 hrs. I drive 20 miles to work and it doesn't seem like my boss is willing to switch me because that have a shortage of ward clerks, only because she puts things off until she's in a real bind and doesn't hire anyone. As I read the local paper, I saw an add for CNA's at the Long term care facility that is a mile away. I'm debating wheter I should stay in the hospital, knowing that it is possible that I may not get my CNA job for a while, but knowing that I may work there after I get my RN...OR...should I go down to the local home and get a job there where I'll actually be using my CNA liscense which I paid to get and be getting some experience that I REALLY need. I just don't know for sure what would benefit me best. My husband says don't worry about the hospital & get the job that's closer & using your liscense. What do you all think?:uhoh3:

Featured Replies

Listen to your husband.

:)

There's a lot of things to consider besides just how close the LTC facility is. First of all, are you planning on going RN later on or already in the process? Many hospitals offer tuition reimbursement, especially for RN's, and this isn't always the case with LTC's. Also, will you be working part time at the LTC? If so, chances are good they won't provide you with any type of insurance. Additionally, once you get a semester of nursing done, most hospitals will hire you in as a med assistant.

So, it really depends on your situation.

  • Expert

I personally would not work as a CNA at a long term care facility, because the staffing tends to be unstable, the employee turnover rates tend to be high, and the CNA work is very backbreaking at nursing homes.

I am an LVN/LPN at a nursing home, but the CNAs at my facility are sometimes responsible for 25 patients per aide. That's 25 showers that you'll have to give, 25 elderly people who are dead weight that you must transfer from bed to chair, and 25 diaper changes every few hours. You will likely have to pass out meal trays, dress each of the residents, get screamed at by family members, and so forth.

Hospital CNA work is challenging, but LTC work is backbreaking and grueling due to the lack of help.

I'll tell you to stay working as a ward cerk while you apply in other places to work as a CNA for the experience it mustn't neccesarily mean going to the nursing home.You listen to your husband then follow your heart cos i know that you really wanted to work with your CNA license which was why you got the license.Goodluck in your decision.

Azor

  • Author

This hospital doesn't hire that way after the 1st semester, for some reason. I've absoluetly considered the tuition reimbursement thing & its definately weighing heavy. I know they favor the RN school there in town, which is not the one I'm going to. I will graduate next december (2008). It's just a tough choice, because I need the experience to become a little more comfortable with patient contact & am not getting anywhere at the job I have. It's definately a lot to consider!!!

I agree with The Commuter. I also work a part time job in a LTC. The CNAs have it hard. It is back breaking work, baths, bed changes, q2hr bed checks, lifting people up and down, in and out of bed. Work as a CNA in a LTC is going to be just that for you.........back breaking work. You really won't get any experience as a nurse in a LTC as a CNA. The nurses can't let you give their meds, do their blood draws, or catherizations.

IMHO, the ward clerk job should give you some experience. You should be learning some things out of the charts as a ward clerk. If you're not, you can still take it upon yourself to look things up. Lab values, diagnosis, reasons tests are ordered, etc.

I would stay with the hospital ward clerk job, myself.

  • Expert

I agree with your husband. I'd get the CNA job close to home. To hold onto the ward clerk job I'd just call your boss and tell them you need to take a leave of absence for a few weeks because of a serious illness of some member of your family (make something up) and you have to be at home with them. If the CNA job doesn't work out, you'll have the old job to go back to. If the CNA job works out then you can call the old job and, regretfully, tell them that your circumstances are such that you have to resign; they don't need to know the real reason.

I currently work as a PCT (CNA + Foley Catherization + EKG + IV Removal) in a hospital. However, I did my clinicals at a nursing home and I would not recommend it. Do you want to work in a hospital or in a nursing home once you get your RN license? I guess this should determine what choice you make, if you want to work in a hospital, stay at the hospital. I'm currently getting cross-trained to become a Unit Secretary/Monitor Tech at the hospital, which will be just as good an experience as working as a PCT. You get to read and order the doctor's orders (which is quite challenging!), you get to watch the heart monitors and interpret them and you get more "medical" talk with the nurses than you otherwise would. At least it's this way at our hospital.

Maybe they can switch you to the floor 1 or 2 days a week and you could work the other days at the desk? Maybe that's worth trying?

  • Author

Thanks everyone. I currently read the monitors & it has been a great experience and reading the Doc's orders is definately a challange. I appreciate all of your input & keep it comeing with the pros/cons of LTC or Hospital care. Thanks so mucn!

I am an LVN/LPN at a nursing home, but the CNAs at my facility are sometimes responsible for 25 patients per aide.

Sorry... Maybe a little off-topic, but...

Wow! The state maximum for Ohio is 1 aid per 15 residents. Even that is too many people to handle on most days!

So... to dodgerla I would recommend you ask them their typical CNA to patient ratio. That could be a huge deciding factor. You don't want to wear your body out before you even start your RN career! Also, in a nursing home you may get a lot of patient contact, but you don't get really any experience in acute care. If that is the field you wish to be in when you get your nursing degree, I don't know how much having patient contact in a nursing home is going to help you. They are two different worlds!

Erica

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