As I mentioned in my previous post, I am interested in pursuing a graduate degree in the health care field. More specifically, I am passionate about pursuing a Masters degree in Physician Assistant Studies. Due to this, I am currently working as a CNA, not just to gain patient care experience, but to see if working in health care is the right field for me. And let me tell you: despite all the frustrations I face in my job, there are just as many perks. And after a year as a CNA, I can tell you with ease that health care is the right field for me.
A CNA is also known as a certified nursing assistant. My job duties as a CNA include: showering patients, toileting patients, getting patients dressed, making beds, feeding patients, transferring patients from bed to wheelchair and vice versa, taking vitals, charting, reporting changes to the nurse, etc. To work as a CNA you typically have to hold a CNA certification, which can be easily obtained. My CNA class was slightly over a month long, and consisted of both theory (lecture) and clinical (hands on experience in a nursing facility). After the class, you are expected to take your state licensure exam which consists of a multiple choice exam as well as a skills portion. I took my CNA class during the summer of 2018 and passed the state exam on my first try. A month later, I was employed at a skilled nursing facility.
I was really nervous to begin working as a CNA, for a variety of reasons. One, I had very little health care experience and direct patient care experience. I was concerned I was not going to be able to effectively communicate and get along with my patients. Two, I am very introverted, so when I was a new CNA, it was hard for me to ask other CNA's for help when transferring a resident or asking where a particular piece of equipment was. Three, I was very very concerned that this job was not going to work out for me. The skilled nursing facility that I work at has a rehabilitation side and a long term care side. I work mainly on the long term side, where we have mainly older residents who are very much dependent on our help and need us to help them with their everyday routines. I came into this job having very little experience working with older patients besides the experience from my CNA class, so I was not entirely sure how to work with them.
Let me tell you, the first month was REALLY rough for me. I went through my orientation and got lots of help from the other CNA's which was great, but it took me a while to figure out the different perks that each resident has. For example, some of my residents have particular routines regarding getting ready in the morning, and when one resident wakes up on the wrong side of the bed, it may take a little longer with them. There were so many days when I wanted to quit and burst out in tears because of how hard being a CNA really was. So many people believe that being a CNA is easy, but trust me, it is not. Once you have first hand experience as to what we actually do, you will realize how stressful and frustrating it can be. I have friends in my science classes who have told me they worked as CNA's and quit within the first month because they could not handle being yelled at by families or by patients, or the hectic environment.
Not every shift is the same either. Some days everything will go really smoothly, with my patients wanting to take their showers, wanting to take their medication, and so on. However, sometimes the unpredictable happens. A patient will fall, someone will refuse to go to physical therapy, the family will be frustrated with my work, or a patient will be really aggressive and hit me multiple times and scream. These are the times when I find it really hard to be a CNA. Having so many stresses piled on top of each other can be hard to bear.
Despite all of this, I always think to myself that if I breathe, stay calm, and work effectively, everything will work out in the end. I have now been a CNA for a year, it has taught me how to be patient, handle stress more effectively, and communicate with and work with others. And, despite all the negatives that I have written about, there are so many perks. I have so many memories of sitting with my residents listening to them tell me stories about their kids and grandkids, making jokes with them, and walking into a resident's room and having their face light up and them saying "Hi Sarah! How are you?"
There are ups and downs to being a CNA, but there are always going to be benefits and hardships with any job. I would recommend becoming a CNA however, if you are interested in pursuing a career in healthcare, are interested in nursing or any other hands on healthcare profession, need a job, or just love helping out patients and making a positive impact on their lives. Working as a CNA really solidified the fact that I want to work in healthcare, and although it can be demanding and frustrating, it is also very rewarding.
A CNA is also known as a certified nursing assistant. My job duties as a CNA include: showering patients, toileting patients, getting patients dressed, making beds, feeding patients, transferring patients from bed to wheelchair and vice versa, taking vitals, charting, reporting changes to the nurse, etc. To work as a CNA you typically have to hold a CNA certification, which can be easily obtained. My CNA class was slightly over a month long, and consisted of both theory (lecture) and clinical (hands on experience in a nursing facility). After the class, you are expected to take your state licensure exam which consists of a multiple choice exam as well as a skills portion. I took my CNA class during the summer of 2018 and passed the state exam on my first try. A month later, I was employed at a skilled nursing facility.
I was really nervous to begin working as a CNA, for a variety of reasons. One, I had very little health care experience and direct patient care experience. I was concerned I was not going to be able to effectively communicate and get along with my patients. Two, I am very introverted, so when I was a new CNA, it was hard for me to ask other CNA's for help when transferring a resident or asking where a particular piece of equipment was. Three, I was very very concerned that this job was not going to work out for me. The skilled nursing facility that I work at has a rehabilitation side and a long term care side. I work mainly on the long term side, where we have mainly older residents who are very much dependent on our help and need us to help them with their everyday routines. I came into this job having very little experience working with older patients besides the experience from my CNA class, so I was not entirely sure how to work with them.
Let me tell you, the first month was REALLY rough for me. I went through my orientation and got lots of help from the other CNA's which was great, but it took me a while to figure out the different perks that each resident has. For example, some of my residents have particular routines regarding getting ready in the morning, and when one resident wakes up on the wrong side of the bed, it may take a little longer with them. There were so many days when I wanted to quit and burst out in tears because of how hard being a CNA really was. So many people believe that being a CNA is easy, but trust me, it is not. Once you have first hand experience as to what we actually do, you will realize how stressful and frustrating it can be. I have friends in my science classes who have told me they worked as CNA's and quit within the first month because they could not handle being yelled at by families or by patients, or the hectic environment.
Not every shift is the same either. Some days everything will go really smoothly, with my patients wanting to take their showers, wanting to take their medication, and so on. However, sometimes the unpredictable happens. A patient will fall, someone will refuse to go to physical therapy, the family will be frustrated with my work, or a patient will be really aggressive and hit me multiple times and scream. These are the times when I find it really hard to be a CNA. Having so many stresses piled on top of each other can be hard to bear.
Despite all of this, I always think to myself that if I breathe, stay calm, and work effectively, everything will work out in the end. I have now been a CNA for a year, it has taught me how to be patient, handle stress more effectively, and communicate with and work with others. And, despite all the negatives that I have written about, there are so many perks. I have so many memories of sitting with my residents listening to them tell me stories about their kids and grandkids, making jokes with them, and walking into a resident's room and having their face light up and them saying "Hi Sarah! How are you?"
There are ups and downs to being a CNA, but there are always going to be benefits and hardships with any job. I would recommend becoming a CNA however, if you are interested in pursuing a career in healthcare, are interested in nursing or any other hands on healthcare profession, need a job, or just love helping out patients and making a positive impact on their lives. Working as a CNA really solidified the fact that I want to work in healthcare, and although it can be demanding and frustrating, it is also very rewarding.
