CNA Work Experience

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watsupdoc

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Those who have worked at a hospital as a CNA: How does it differ from working at a nursing home? I've worked at a nursing home and personally I did not enjoy it much. My job duties only included bathing and feeding the residents. I want to experience more like taking vital signs and wound care. Any opinions?
 
Working in a nursing home as a CNA is really, really difficult. A hospital is much better. I work on the surgical floor of my hospital and get to put in Foley Catheters, deal with Tube Feeding, IV's, and much more "interesting" stuff. Plus, you interact with tons of doctors and learn a lot from the nursing staff.
 
I would say apply to a hospital immediately and this is why:

You will learn way more about procedures, diseases, treatments because there is a better learning environment in a hospital vs. nursing home
especially if you apply to a teaching hospital (one that has residents and interns)

You will have way more responsibilities in patient care because people trust you to do your job

Everyone knows that the nurses in the nursing homes treat cna's like slaves
whereas in the hospital everyone works as a team

There is less backbreaking work at the hospital than at a nursing home and more critical thinking type stuff at the hospital

You will like your job more and probably get paid more

Just my opinion, of course. BTW I have worked in both.
 
watsupdoc said:
Those who have worked at a hospital as a CNA: How does it differ from working at a nursing home? I've worked at a nursing home and personally I did not enjoy it much. My job duties only included bathing and feeding the residents. I want to experience more like taking vital signs and wound care. Any opinions?
Click to expand...

Former CNA for three years in a nursing home. Nursing home care is more chronic care. You get to know the patients and, if you are there long enough, you get to see the patients in good health and then watch them slowly deteriorated. It made me appreciate what just talking to people could do. I am not sure what the hospital was like but, in the nursing home, I had around 20 residents to care for which translated into about half an hour of direct care ( you would be surprised what you can learn in half an hour of talking to someone that no one talks to anymore). With all that said, nursing home word is very hard; I don't think I could have lasted more than another two years. Many residents treat you like their bitch and you start to learn that many of the policies set up are, well, pointless. I would disagree with this statement: Everyone knows that the nurses in the nursing homes treat cna's like slaves
whereas in the hospital everyone works as a team--> this was not my experience. I actually got to know all of the nurses personally and became very good friends with them.
 
I don't know if I should go to the interview at my local hospital because I am also waiting for a lab assistant and phlebotomist job at my local diagnostic laboratory. What should I do? The hospital interview is for this week and I haven't returned their call yet😕
 
I don't know if I should go to the interview at my local hospital because I am also waiting for a lab assistant and phlebotomist job at my local diagnostic laboratory. What should I do? The hospital interview is for this week and I haven't returned their call yet😕
 
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