Will Somebody Please tell me it gets better as a Nurse?

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I quit. I finally did it. I had been threatening to for months...but I finally did it. I have 2 weeks left on the job.

I hate my job. HATE it. I'm a nightshift CNA on a fairly busy stepdown / tele unit. I am the only CNA on at night. There are 38 patients when the unit is full, which it frequently is.

I am responsible for call lights, stat labs, stocking the unit, running labs downstairs, transporting patients, setting up new admits, fetching equipment, (with RN) q2 hour turns, AM accuchecks, breakfast tray setup, and any other various tasks including vital signs when needed, and everything else a cna can do.

FOR ALL 38 PATIENTS.

I started this job 2 years ago all happy about finally being able to work in a hospital and do some "nurse stuff." (I am trying to get into nursing school)

I was eager to do any and all tasks assigned to me. I begged nurses to let me watch procedures and explain exactly what they were doing. Everything was new and exciting.

The novelty wore off quickly.

Patients are so demanding and rude.

My chore list is incredible.

And many of the patients...I honestly wondered what we were doing for them?

Why did we code this 98 year old woman, break 2 ribs during CPR, and now she can only moan in pain and develop bed sores.

Why is the wife of the yellow, 100lb man (and not because of his ethnicity) who has oozing sores on every visible part of his body, no will to do anything (even eat, so he has a feeding tube) insisting on another round of chemo?

Why are we still accepting admission (3rd time in as many weeks) on this known drug addict who roundly abuses the staff and leaves AMA after 2 days? 2 other area hospitals refuse to admit her...

And then there are the nurses. Let me preface this by saying 90% of them are TERRIFIC, FANTASTIC, AMAZING, WONDERFUL individuals who I would not hesitate to ever have care for me or a loved one. They have been amazing about showing me things, and cheering me on in my schooling. :redbeathe

The new grads, however...

I know they just graduated. I know they are overwhelmed. I know they are doing so much more than me. But. I am not their personal slave. They seem to have the idea that because they now have that spiffy new RN after their name that it exempts them from doing "aide" work. :uhoh3: They have me get ALL their vitals, call my phone when their patient needs to be changed/taken to the bathroom/turned etc. I find myself neglecting the other nurses because these nurses have me running crazy!

And then there are the Aide Hogs (Thanks Kylee...I think that was your phrase)

The ones that are always very, very, nice...but do not seem to realize that I have 8-10 other nurses to report to. They will catch me as soon as they get out of report, and give me a list of tasks a mile long. All things that are part of my job, but still...I cannot CANNOT empty everyones foleys and record i/o s and give baths in the AM as I am supposed to be doing accuchecks, setting trays up, and drawing any lipid panal labs (as phlebotomy doesn't show up until 8, but our trays arrive at 645)

I just cannot take it any more. I feel like I am turning into a mean, crabby, burnt-out mess. I have a very hard time responding graciously when a nurse asks me to "grab vitals while you are in there" or when a patient asks me to do some task she could easily do herself...i.e. grab a tissue, butter her toast, WIPE HER after she has peed -when she is fully able to do so herself!:banghead:

I feel like I am getting lazier. I find myself looking for and taking shortcuts (not stocking diabetic supplies every night...just putting in LOTS of supplies every 3 nights or so.) or putting off going down and fetching a walker/pnemo pump/etc. until I have a lab to run down, or some other reason to go downstairs.

I hate this. I want to be more like the person I was...eager to work with patients and learn new things.

Now I am worried that this is reflective of what my nursing career might be like. Am I going to end up resenting my patients...the very people I am there to help?

(Of course, I want to work peds... so hopefully will not have to deal with snotty old women who want to be waited on like they are Queen. I know peds has its own set of problems, namely parents!, but ...)

Sorry this has been so long. I just was hoping someone has some encouragement for me. I am not going to work as a CNA anymore. I applied for a few jobs at Children's hospital, but did not get them, so will go back to my old standby...pharmacy tech. (have been doing it off and on for 8 years)

And fingers crossed for nursing school next year...(was put on the waiting list this year...but prob. won't get in.:cry:)

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Specializes in Long term care, and pediatrics.

It seems like your going through alot at work. I started out as a cna, worked as one for 6 years in long term care. I am now an LVN, and will be in about 2 weeks working hard at my RN. What you must first understand about nursing, is that its little hassel all the way around, it does not matter your title, alot of what you are doing now as a cna, you will be doing as a nurse, because as a nurse when you dont have any of your aides around, to help you out, your stuck to do the job yourself, because the job must be done. Its obvious that you have tolerated this job for some time, so the passion seems to be their. However, if you feel this is something you absoultely cannot handle, then you should find another career path.The feel of burnout, no time to do anything, running circles around yourself, unsatissfied patients, nagging family members, ect you know this list can go on forever, All of what I mentioned is nursing, these feeling will literally come and go on a daily basis. Goodluck!:uhoh3::redpinkhe

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38 pts and one tech, that is crazy. :banghead: sounds more like ltc staffing then hospital staffing.

I don't know how you stayed as long as you did.I hope you get into nursing school soon. :nurse:

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Specializes in Case Management, Home Health, UM.

Reminds me of the days some 38 years ago, when I was also working the night shift as a Nurses' Aide (there were no CNA's back then) on a busy medical floor. I, too had around 40 patients every night, and it was a NIGHTMARE. After 18 months I couldn't take it anymore, either and quit. I went to LPN school and made a solemn vow to myself that if I ever became a Charge Nurse, I would NEVER inflict the abuse on my Aides which was heaped on me by my former supervisor, whose mission in life seemed to make mine a living HELL. And I've KEPT that promise.

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Specializes in Cardiac Care.

If it is any consolation (and I know it isn't!), I think you're amazing! You have, without any doubts, the most demanding, thankless, back (and heart) breaking job in healthcare. It is clearly obvious to me that you want better, not only for yourself, but for your patients. That's what sets you apart; it's your desire to advocate for something better for your patients. Is it going to happen with one nursing assistant for 38 clients? Never. Your hospital is begging for trouble with staffing like that.

I sincerely wish you the best of luck in nursing school.

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Specializes in ICU, SDU, OR, RR, Ortho, Hospice RN.

Follow your dreams and work hard at getting in to Nursing School.

You can achieve anything if it is your true passion.

I wish you every success in your future career.

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Specializes in ICU, CCU, Trauma, neuro, Geriatrics.

It only gets better, you have the work load for 3 tech/cna's where I work right now which is on a tele unit. Last night we had 18 patients and one tech/cna, each nurse took one of their patients as a primary care...which means we did all the aid work, vitals, turns, potty, I&O, glucose draws, etc on one of our patients so the tech was able to properly do her job on the patients assigned to her. Sometimes you have to look around a bit to find a facility/unit that respects the workers but they do exist.

Becoming a nurse was one of the smartest things I have done.

I wish you success in your career.

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Specializes in Triage, MedSurg, MomBaby, Peds, HH.

I just hope you get into nursing school very soon!!

:saint:

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Specializes in CNA, Surgical, Pediatrics, SDS, ER.

That is outrageous that you are expected to all of the tasks listed above for 38 patients. That is out of reach for anybody.:no: I can see why you quit. When you are a nurse if you work in a hospital you will never have 38 pts to care for at a time. :nono:

Thank you for being a CNA:bowingpur one of the hardest jobs to ever do. Take the skills you've learned there and continue to use them when you get into nursing school. Good Luck.:rolleyes:

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Specializes in Behavioral Health, Show Biz.

:yeah:

I commend you

on your commitment

to excellent patient care.

GET A NEW JOB!:smokin:

You will be an excellent nurse

but your present job

will eat you alive---

Your present job/unit

is poorly understaffed.

:down:No ONE person---

CNA or otherwise

should have a 38-patient assignment.

It's unsafe.

:nurse: MUCH SUCCESS AND MANY BLESSINGS TO YOU IN NURSING SCHOOL!!!

*******************************************************

To answer your question

DOES NURSING EVER GET BETTER?

You'd better believe it!

The pay

Your niche---when you find it---VOILA!!!---

THE MAGIC BEGINS!!!.:wshgrt:

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Specializes in Infection Preventionist/ Occ Health.

Where I worked, CNAs only had 5 patients each. Of course, if we were really swamped and the aides weren't busy we would ask for a favor. However, I also did my CNA's vitals, foleys, etc on my patients if I wasn't busy.

You are not lazy, you are just being efficient with your time and energy. Pace yourself for the next two weeks and then go to another hospital with better ratios!

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Specializes in progressive care telemetry.

I can't imagine 38 patients even if it is on nights! On my unit (busy surgical floor, 28 beds, usually full, normally about half the pt are tele) evenings and nights have 2 aides, days have 3 and even those ratios keep us hopping! Occasionally we'll be short an aide on days, I'll have 14 pts and *that* makes me insane! Most of the nurses are really great too, I still feel like that just isnt' enough time to get anything done right.

Props to you for keeping up as well as you did and good luck with your next job!

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