Personally I feel that we should get better pay, plus I feel we should get more credit than we do. I also feel that when we are taking care of a client that we should be better informed espically by our supervisors. and really I dont think we should give out meds because if we are giving the wrong kind whos gonna be the first one to get fired? We are

Better pay and more respect, girl I was hired to work with only dementia and altheimers patients. I willingly took the job although I knew it would be really hard and it was very low pay for a single mother of two. Anyways, on the third day of being out of my training period I was left alone because of short staff. I got hurt because there was noone to help me and of course people have needs like going to the bathroom etc. The next morning the pain on my lower back was horrible I could hardly walk or even drive myself to the hospital when I called work they told me to call at a later time I left a message noone got back to me. After three days of medication I felt better so I drove to my job. After trying for three days to get a hold of someone and noone returned my calls. They said to me that they warned me about getting hurt in the orientation meeting its an automatic fire and so sure enough she said here is your check, you are fired. I had an emergency visit bill and medicine I paid out of pocket two kids at home and no job. Now, do you think that could have gone any differently?

maiana,
do you have a union at your work? Sounds like a bad deal. I think first thing to do is put it in writting and mail to your immediate supervisor, cc to state occupational licensing. Other thing to do is report this outfit to JCHO. They will continue to be short staffed because they do not think you will do anything and just fire CNA's who complain.
YES Cna's need better pay and better staffed.
I worked prn at a hospital post surg and medical last summer. They had ONE CNA for the whole floor. The whole place was messed up and they could not keep any staff. Simply because they did not have enough CNA's. 3 were out on workmans comp and actually looked down on for being legitimatly injured on the job. Maybe there are a few poeple who fake it, but really it would be much easier and painless to slip on the floor at MCCdonalds or somthing, people don't get into nursing to become injured.

kat88 that was some good info. Ill definitly keep that in mind.

kat88 said:

maiana,
do you have a union at your work? Sounds like a bad deal. I think first thing to do is put it in writting and mail to your immediate supervisor, cc to state occupational licensing. Other thing to do is report this outfit to JCHO. They will continue to be short staffed because they do not think you will do anything and just fire CNA's who complain.
YES Cna's need better pay and better staffed.
I worked prn at a hospital post surg and medical last summer. They had ONE CNA for the whole floor. The whole place was messed up and they could not keep any staff. Simply because they did not have enough CNA's. 3 were out on workmans comp and actually looked down on for being legitimatly injured on the job. Maybe there are a few poeple who fake it, but really it would be much easier and painless to slip on the floor at MCCdonalds or somthing, people don't get into nursing to become injured.

I think pay should definately be scaled for CNA's according to where you work and when you work.

Our Day shift gets pts up in the morning and serves and cleans up after two meals, provides showers along with putting pt's back to bed. They should get a differential.

East Wing has patients that are generally independant with a few total assists.

West Wing: oh my God, the CNA's deal with alarms, flight risk, total assists, wandering dementia, altheimers, and bizarre psychiatric disorders. (Paranoid Schiztophrenics). They work and prefer to work there asking me how possibly do I deal with the patients I work with?

Those CNA's are the strongest and the best of the best.
They should make more money!

CNA's in general: I have noted that the CNA's talk about being able to apply for chapter 8 housing, WIC programs and some recieve food stamps. Heartbreaking.

You can look in our parking lot and see the CNA cars are rusted out, old and often a tire is being changed in the lot.
Look in the nurses parking lot and they have brand new cars.

Please think about the nursing shortage and how much support nursing CNA's have been given over the years, we are one step away from honorary LPN's.

We are going to the poles to vote!
Vote in our favor.
Peace

As a cna for 20 years I agree that we are overworked and underpaid.In my area we have no unions for us either. I worked in one facility where the adm.had the balls to say "cna's were a dime a dozen".He was fired about 6 months later. But I had already quit.Another time I was working home health and a nursing home staff went on strike.I was called and asked to cross the line for 15.00 per/hr. As much as I needed the money I refused.I'm out now with a back injuy.I had to get a lawyer and in Jan. it will be a year.I am going nuts!!!!!!

CNA's the back bone of the medical team. Let them get down or behind we all suffer. They do not get the pay nor the credit that they deserve. Some of us started our nursing careers as CNA's, Emergency medical techs in the ER and PCA's. We all know how important they are. MY VOTE............MORE MONEY? YES!!!

Of Course CNA's should get better pay...they are the eyes and ears....:)

I'm a CNA at a Skilled Nursing Facility.  I work PMs on the unit with the Alzheimer & Demintia residents (patients).  Some are hospice care, but most are not.  What I find totally irritating is that the majority of the CNAs I work with would much rather cut corners and get the work "done" (I say that lightly) so they can sit and gossip than do the actual work needed for the residents.  Most of the CNAs I work with are right out of high school or slightly older, but maturity wise, they have a long way to go.

That being said, I wouldn't want to give those CNAs a raise simply because the rest of us pull their weight and cover their a$$es.  I understand the business side of the world as well, but respect is the one thing I think we need more of from the Nurses.  Recently there was a CNA who passed her exam for LPN, and suddenly she is rude and demeaning to the CNAs.  I know she is learning a whole new procedure for her work day, but that is no reason to be short and demanding with a person.  She "asked" me to do something the other day and one fo the residents spouse was there.  He couldn't believe the way she "asked" me to do something.  He actaully went up and talked to the Unit Mgr. about it. 

I've always believed that please and thank you are the three most important words in the english language.  If we could get a few more of those that are really meant from the nursing staff, it would go a long way!

YES YES YES!  As an assistant director of a 120 bed facility I wil tell you we don't pay our CNA's nearly enough.  It is by far the toughest job there is with the lowest pay & respect.  I make a conscious effort to tell my aides thanks for a great job because I recognize they are all burned out, overworked & underpaid.  It also amazes me how my nurses talk to my nurse aides.  Behind every good nurse is a nurse aide wiling to come in & do the dirt work.  Speaking of dirty work, this nurse does peri care!  I get a kick out of my new aides that come on board when they see me in a patients room transfering, assisting with ADL's, feeding & doing peri care...yes I did say peri care!

I not only think that we should better pay,I also believe that even if we work part time or in home care we should be able to join a union or get benifits .I meen we really tend to do a lot at time .And it's feels like we don't get any recongnition!

CNA's work their butts off.  Yes better pay would be nice;however, I think the main reason the pay is low is because there is not much schooling involved in becoming a CNA.  Doctors and nurses have to put more time and effort into getting their degrees. This is sad but true. 

I think CNAs should get more pay.  My husband is a LPN, at a nursing home, he treats his cnas with respect and appreciates them and the job they do.   I commented on CNAs ought to get more pay, actually I made a comment that just about every job at the nursing home ought to have about the same pay, only maybe a few more bucks difference. BECAUSE they all have a job, that they work very hard at, and basically no one else wants to do!  With a lot of responsibilites, each in their own catagory. Including housekeeping.

But then I got to thinking about it, money wise,   if the nursing home had to pay a CNA the same amt or close to a LPN, would less CNAs get hired and more responsibilities fall to the LPN?  Since they have already had the training for it?  I think CNAs get less pay because they have less schooling.   The paperwork is terrible my husband says, you miss one thing and the whole nursing home could be in trouble.  And yes they get more of the grunt work.

I know that its not always easy, but  my husband continued at a community college for his LPN, working at temp agencys (which pay way more then at a hospital, which not too many hire cnas) to pay for his college classes, he said if he didnt pass the LPN courses, he was not working as a CNA, he didnt like the job and would find something else to do.

I know its hard to work at a job that you dont really like or care for, and in todays economy, theres not much of a choice in what to do.  Maybe with Obama and his *SAVING THE DAY* ideas and school funding,  healthcare reform and etc,  more CNAs can continue to a higher degree that they would like in the nursing field. :-)

Mariana_1006 says ...

Better pay and more respect, girl I was hired to work with only dementia and altheimers patients. I willingly took the job although I knew it would be really hard and it was very low pay for a single mother of two. Anyways, on the third day of being out of my training period I was left alone because of short staff. I got hurt because there was noone to help me and of course people have needs like going to the bathroom etc. The next morning the pain on my lower back was horrible I could hardly walk or even drive myself to the hospital when I called work they told me to call at a later time I left a message noone got back to me. After three days of medication I felt better so I drove to my job. After trying for three days to get a hold of someone and noone returned my calls. They said to me that they warned me about getting hurt in the orientation meeting its an automatic fire and so sure enough she said here is your check, you are fired. I had an emergency visit bill and medicine I paid out of pocket two kids at home and no job. Now, do you think that could have gone any differently?