Opinions from people who are a CNA and work in a Nursing Home.?

Question

I am curious about people who work in a Nursing Home or other nursing facility as a CNA. How do you enjoy your job? Is it rewarding for you? Does it have a lot of stress?
I have worked a year as a CNA in a nursing home and find it rewarding but very stressfull. I work full time and find it hard to enjoy my days off because I am so tired that all I wanna do is sleep. Is there anyone else that is dealing with this, and if there are, how do you deal with it.

Answer 1

I have been a CNA for almost six months and I must say I love my job. I know that it can seem gross and untolerable to some people, but I personally love taking care of people. I became a CNA to better prepare myself to become a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. I love my job because the elderly people I take care of feel like my grandmas and grandpas! Yes it is a job that is very very stressful. There is always someone who needs you to help them and sometimes you feel like you need 15 clones of yourself to get things completed. I have pulled my back out 3 times and I have had a herniated disc because of lifting people. I would say that back problems are a huge concern, but I do not plan on staying a CNA for very long. I understand how you feel when you say on your days off you just want to sleep and that was how I was. I work full-time in a nursing home and I work at an Assisted Living facility on days I don't work at my other job. I am only 17 years old, but I do this because I adore the people I take care of. The days I am there working are fun because they are fun to talk to! You will get used to it, I promise. It may seem so dull now, but it will get better! It is normal to be tired all the time. I just load up on Starbucks and get through my days just fine! Good Luck!:)

Answer 2

As was said by the other writer, S*** & P*** are a part of body functions and are regular activities of a CNA who is the grunt of all health care (not meant a derogatory just a fact). A CNA has a very hard job that most do not appreciate them for doing. There is a lot of heavy lifting, foul smells and waste to clean, blood as well sometimes. People in pain that are not friendly and grateful you came to help, fussy families that cannot be pleased... The up side is there are a lot of grateful and wonderful people you will take care of and if you enjoy helping you are doing a good thing. It is a good job, but very hard work and a lot of responsibility and mostly non-stop running thru the day in patient care. If you are looking at the $$ more than anything else--don't go any further and change majors now--nursing is too hard of a job to only think about $$ and too much $$ is spent to get a degree only to find you hate it. Nursing is not the way to make a lot of $$ and now there is no job security even for them in some areas. It is hard work and you better not mind paperwork as that is very important as well. Hospitals has rapid turnaround of patients , Nursing Homes don't as fast. Yes you can go thru all the levels and get a BSN, you can then supervise others and still take patients too. If you get advanced degrees or certificates you can do other non-patient jobs but most will require some years of active patient care 1st. If you enjoy Medicine then consider other non-patient care roles--IT, Medical Records, Lab Tech, Unit Secretary, Lawyer, Educator in a school or in a Hospital, Nursing Home, Home Health or Hospice... I do suggest you start working as a CNA now and find out what it really means to do patient care from the bottom so you don't waste time in school for a degree you may not want and you can change focus early and save $$ and time and effort in the longrun. Know that Nursing does offer many options of changing aspects of a nursing career without major time in re-training as the basic skills transfer to most jobs-- Pediatrics to Obstetrics to Geriatrics to Clinics to Hospitals... you only learn the specialized care for each job, you already know how to care for them in the basic needs. We need caring Nurses and many opportunties are coming to them but you must be dedicated to it or you will be miserable and others will know making it a double tragedy. The BSN is going to be the best way to move out of direct care to other areas as most positions require that degree for consideration of an upper management position. Think carefully on this as it is a major decision

Answer 3

I AM A CNA I HAVE WORKED IN ALOT OF NURSING HOMES AND WHAT YOU HAVE BABY-BOO IS BURNOUT CNA WORK IS UNDERPAID AND WE ARE WORKED UNTILL EXHAUSTED WE HAVE CHOSEN THE MOST THANKLESS JOB IN NURSING . I WORK IN AN ASSISTANT LIVING CENTER FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE ALSHEIMER AND DEMENTIA I WORK ANY WHERE FROM 112 TO 154 HRS q 2 WKS I HAVE HAD MY GLASSES BROKE FROM BEING SLAPPED ACROSS THE FACE CUSSED AND CALLED EVERY FILTHY NAME KNOWN AND LAST WEEK WAS BEAT ACROSS THE BACK AND HEAD WITH A WALKER BECAUSE I WAS IN HER HOUSE ROBBING HER BUT I HAVE WORKED HERE FOR A YEAR I LOVE MY PEOPLE AND WOULDNT LEAVE ONLY SPECIAL PEOPLE CAN DO ARE JOBS AND IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR AWARDS YOU ARE IN THE WRONG JOB THE ONLY REWARD IS WHEN THEY KISS YOUR HAND AND SAY I LOVE YOU AND YES ON MY DAY OFF I SLEEP IT YOUR BODY PROTECTING ITSELF FROM MELT DOWN TAKE VITIMINS AND CUT BACK YOUR HRS .STRESS WILL TAKE ITS TOLL ON YOUYOU DONT SAY YOUR AGE BUT THE OLDER YOU ARE THE STRESS IS HARDER

Answer 4

I quit, I know someone has to do it.and thank you for being the one.It wasn't the Physical part that was so tiring,although my feet and back hurt,mentally and emotional It was exhausting watching people suffer so much.It was depression not fatigue that wore me out .I could still hear this woman's screams when I tried to go to sleep.God bless you and what you put yourself through, for me the burden got to be more than the reward.