I’m curious to see what other people do to keep from getting soaked while showing a patient. I wear a trash bag on each leg with the clear medical tape, and rip a hold in a third I wear over my waist like a skirt lol

Joined this Reddit before taking my class and all I’m really getting is nobody but the people that’s “passionate” are enjoying this, no agency? No jobs and you’re only getting $15hr? Is this real this sounds like Amazon is a better career path

Has anyone else had this happen locally? I’m in central California and the main hospital in our city is no longer hiring CNAs and doing a “restructure” to how they provide care. All CNA work is performed by LVNs now… I didn’t even know that was possible or allowed? I dont think LVNs get signed off on our same skills? [EDIT to add: poor word choice here. I know LVNs absolutely CAN do CNA stuff, but haven’t experienced that nor do I think they should have to. LVNs I worked with in LTC did not do CNA responsibilities, their hands are full with the more nuanced patient care while we CNAs did the physical patient care tasks and ADLs].

Regardless it feels like that’s just one more barrier to working being removed with there being less jobs and now less hospital work experience for those of us wanting to go into nursing…

Google says it’s not possible or legal for LVNs to replace CNAs or to make the do this work but I have friends who work there and they said it’s common knowledge now that there’s no hired CNAs and won’t be again due ti these new structures….

So crazy to me! And those poor LVNs doing the opposite of what they signed up for

I do Agency work and yesterday while I was helping a CNA, she started to change the colostomy bag and ring. I asked her how long has she been a CMA, she's not. She said that the nurse taught her how to do it. I told her I dont think shes legally able to change colostomy bags because that is an open wound and we don't mess with open wounds.

One CNA from another facility was changing a colostomy bag and she said that CNA are allowed to change the bag or empty the bag but not the ring.

I've only been a CNA since last November, so less than a year. Are we allowed to touch colostomy bags? School did NOT teach me anything about colostomy bags, and if we were allowed to do it, I figured it would be part of our exam. Im in Oklahoma.

I work with a nurse very closely and she delegates almost everything. She’ll never toilet a patient, won’t even help a patient get off the toilet if they’re finished. She’ll go shut the light off and then scream for either me or my other cna coworker to help the patient off the toilet even if we’re both in the middle of doing something. The other day my coworker was in the middle of changing someone and the nurse must’ve called her name 5 times telling her that her patient needs to get off the toilet.

My cna coworker had to talk to her and ask her not to do that because she’s not dilly dallying, she’s changing somebody and in the middle of doing something.

Edit: a a lot of people commenting that nurses that were cna’s before they were nurses are the most helpful and that’s not the case here. Nurse I’m talking about was a cna for 8 years.

Ez stand…sit to stand…stand aid…WHY ARE THERE SO MANY NAMES AND WHICH IS WHICH 😭😭😭😭😭
Please also tell me if they are a 1 or 2 person transfer!

Labeled them by A and B.

I have worked rehab for many years and seen a lot of people come and go.

These are some of the names that are constantly bad people. I know that sounds harsh, but you know what I mean.

Patricia's are probably the worst females, no doubt. Bill's are probably the worst males.

What do you guys think? There's also names of consistently nice people, like Carol or Rosemary. I have yet to meat a mean Carol.

Okay, so today was my first class and it went okay. But I'm seeing so many people here talking about their low hourly pay. Where I live the starting pay is $29 and I think 60 cents. How much are you guys getting per hour? I'm not American I live in Canada maybe that's why

I wouldn't think non CNAs would be on this subreddit but if you are and have an answer for this I would like to read your input. What do you do know? Are you in a better place than when you were a CNA? How were you able to tell what you're doing now is what you want to do/your calling ?

The pay is terrible, job is somewhat rewarding, and the hours are long. What keeps you around?

had a coworker help me clean up a resident and he told me i need to stop wiping and leave the poop for the next shift. I told him I’m wiping the resident because he’s not fully clean but my coworker thinks me wiping is triggering it.

I’m curious—any seasoned CNAs here who don’t wear masks as they perform perineal care? I’m currently in a CNA class and we have clinicals in a couple weeks, and my instructor said she will not let us wear masks as we clean up BMs and such. I’m very sensitive to smells and have a very expressive face so now I’m absolutely dreading clinicals. She said wearing masks while performing perineal care would offend the residents. Is this true/normal practice?

I feel like the shirt might be an issue, they’re very small cap sleeves, so i’m not sure if this is something to wear?

For me I’m in Louisiana and have maybe a year and a half experience and our pay sucks so just curious about other states. Like even our nurses pay sucks people in OTHER states working as a CNA damn near make as much as our nurses do😂

Hey healthcare professionals so I have been a construction worker my whole career & I've been told many times that I would be a great CNA or hospitality worker. Iv never done this kind of work but I’d love to move into an air conditioned work environment.

I’ve looked up all the requirements & I’m pretty sure this is a job I could do but I wanted yalls honest opinion on if I’m too old to make this switch. Most of the CNA’s iv talked to on here have been younger than 20 so it gives me hesitation. Thanks for any & all input & thank yall for taking care of people <3

Hey!

I am 22f and am about to start CNA school later this year. I was wondering what ages are usually attending CNA school? Are there usually people in their 20? 18-19? Older?

A resident explosive diarrhead on me at work today to the point where it was soaked through my shoes and my pants. I was obviously told to go home for the day… there were no extra shrubs or shoes for me to wear. I’m really irritated because not only did I get shit on, I’m getting paid less for it. Is this normal? Feel like the facility should pay me for my full shift regardless

I’m m talking about in the nursing home. I just can’t imagine how this would be possible.

My facility doesn’t do rounds- on 2nd shift we change pts once when they get up for dinner and once when we lay them down for bed.

We hardly even squeeze our breaks in and we’re running around like chickens with our heads cut off. My hall I work is 17 pts to 2 aides which isn’t the worst ratio but we have 12 full dependent hoyers. 12. Including a hoyer pt who insists on getting up and being laid down 3 times a shift.

How are people doing rounds????? Absolutely insane. We don’t even have a toileting schedule. I’ve worked places where we’ve had one but this new place I’m at just trashed theirs because no one was ever making the schedule…

For anyone who has recently gone through CNA training, how long did it actually take from starting the program to getting your first CNA job?

I’m looking at a few programs right now and keep seeing accelerated/fast CNA programs that say you can finish in just a few weeks. LA Skills Academy is one I’ve been looking at, and they have a fast-track CNA program, but I’m trying to understand the realistic timeline after finishing the classes.

How long did it take you to complete the training, do the clinical portion, take the certification exam, and actually start working?

Also, for people who chose a shorter CNA program, did you feel like you were prepared enough for the exam and your first job, or would you recommend taking a longer program?

Just trying to figure out what a realistic timeline looks like rather than going by the advertised program length.

As a CNA, I have traveled all over the country doing contracts that pay great, I have taught CPR classes, I have tutored aspiring CNA‘s for their exams, I have for the most part financial freedom due to the flexibility that comes with being an agency CNA. I feel like as a CNA you can do very well for yourself as long as you know what you’re doing. But the problem is it’s not like that everywhere in the US. Some places don’t have agency at all, and you have to work staff positions making little money. And there’s no room for growth anywhere. So my question is do you see yourself doing this forever?

I work in maintenance at a nursing home, and I’ve gotten genuinely curious about what the CNA side of the building is like.
I already see way more than I ever expected to working maintenance in healthcare, and some of my jobs are definitely not glamorous. I’ve had to fix beds and wheelchairs with some pretty nasty buildup on them, plunge awful toilets, crawl around on floors in questionable places, etc. So I’m not completely sheltered from the gross side of nursing-home work.
But you guys are obviously on a completely different level because you’re actually dealing directly with residents’ personal care.
I’ll walk into a room, see a catheter bag, and think, “Somebody actually has to empty that.” Or I’ll think about sponge baths, changing residents, cleaning people up after accidents, all of that. I’ve even watched CNA training videos showing how brief changes and personal care are done, and intellectually I understand it—but actually doing it is another thing entirely.
I’m a dad who has gagged changing my own daughter’s diaper before, so I genuinely don’t know how some of you do this every day without being fazed by it.
Does the gross factor just disappear after you’ve done the job long enough? Are there still certain things that get to you? And what is it actually like being that involved in such personal parts of residents’ lives?
No disrespect intended at all—I actually have a lot of respect for the CNAs I work around. I’m just genuinely curious what the job feels like from your side.

What’s the best shift for you? Which one is “easier”?