CNA: Hospital, Day-Shift

Self Intro

Hi all, so that I can be completely honest with my answers, I’ll be keeping my identity anonymous. I currently work full-time as a CNA in a hospital. I work day shifts. This is also my first job as a CNA, so my experiences are limited and may not reflect the same ideas as other CNAs. Nonetheless, I hope that I can provide some useful perspective for anyone looking to work as a CNA in a hospital setting. If you want to know more about my experience or have any questions, reach out to PPASO and they will route your questions / comments to me.

What is a CNA

A CNA (certified nursing assistant), is a member of a patient’s healthcare team that works primarily with nurses to make sure that patients have their hygienic, nutritional, and comfort needs met.

In the department I work at (Medical/Oncology), typical tasks include:

• Feeding

• Bathing

• Toileting

• Repositioning immobile patients

• Taking vital signs

• Collecting samples

• EKGs, bladder scans

• Monitoring the status of patients

• Communicating with nurses

Logistics

In hospitals, CNAs typically work 12-hour shifts. Day-shift CNAs start at 6:30am and end at 7:00pm. We get one unpaid 30-minute break, and two paid 15-minute breaks. Full-time workers work three days a week. At this time, I get paid $20 an hour. A CNA license is typically required to apply, although some places will accept previous healthcare experience in the absence of a license.

My Experience

The work can be mentally and physically taxing. CNAs are up on their feet with little downtime, subject to verbal and physical aggression/misconduct, clean up all sorts of human waste, ensure safe patient and self movement, and are exposed to all sorts of illnesses and diseases. Managing these among other tasks for all your patients for 12 hours, is what in my opinion, makes this job difficult. Speed and efficiency without compromising quality of care can be hard, especially when staffing is inadequate.

Differences in patient preferences, mobility, diet, mental status, etc. add another layer to carrying out your tasks and care. Your mental checklist can build up fast and it's important to communicate; to ask for help, be assertive with your boundaries, but also caring and receptive to your patient’s needs. Importance for effective communication is further accentuated by loose structure and unpredictability. Maybe a patient doesn’t want to eat when you were planning to feed them, or maybe you have multiple patients who need help with toileting at the same time. Orders for EKGs, bladder scans, or collecting samples can come up without warning, changing the priority of your tasks. Things can change fast. Flexibility, teamwork, and effective communication are vital for keeping yourself level headed and on top of everything.

Although the work can be difficult, I do find it highly stimulating and rewarding. 12 hours go by incredibly fast with how much there is to do. So if you’re someone who prefers work to be on the busier side for work, I’d definitely look into being a CNA for your PCE hours.

Why I Chose to be a CNA

As someone who thrives in team environments, I was drawn to the aspect of working closely with others to deliver care. Before I was hired, I was told the culture within the department was very teamwork focused, and that the staff are like family, always willing to help one another. This kind of culture was something I was looking for in a work environment, and is now something I will always be looking for in the future. I’m lucky to have the co-workers that I have, and I advise anyone who’s looking to get a job to be sure they can say the same.

I also wanted to communicate with patients on a deeper level. Caring with patients for extended amounts of time (sometimes patients can be in the hospital for months), has allowed me to get to know patients beyond their medical conditions. This job has given me a different perspective on diseases/conditions and how it can affect a patient in many ways, including their family, living situations, and more.

Conclusion

The work of a CNA may look different from place to place, so remember to take my perspective with a grain of salt! Working day-shifts at a hospital has been difficult but rewarding. I have learned a lot not only medically, but about myself and how I navigate certain situations. It’s an experience that I don’t regret, and has provided me perspective and insight that I’m sure will carry over going further in medicine. To the reader, I hope this blog post provided some valuable insight and please let PPASO know if you have any questions for me!