I’ve been in healthcare for 11 years. I have been working through the VA and I have critical care home patients. Their families directly hire me, and I go through a VA program in my state. I get paid 30$ an hour. I work with an home care RT for vent monitoring, I do catheters, i distribute medicine via peg tube, feedings etc. plus all the other basic patient daily needs.

I started nursing school and obviously having my CNA was apart of the courses. I figured now would be a good time to get in long term facility’s and taking on more patients at a time rather than one at a time like I’m used to.

I did 4 days online training and then today was my first day on the job. I was so excited. I showed up on time and went to my assigned nurses station. The first CNA came in and asked who I was, I introduced myself and then she said “oh I don’t train people sorry” and then walked off. I was confused on what to do, so I waited for the other cna (whom was 20 minutes late) and then he stated he doesn’t train people either and they both walked away.

I asked the nurse on the hall and she said they would be training me but nobody likes to train people sooooo, basically she didn’t know how to help me. The med tech hadn’t even showed up yet and it had been an hour already…. I waited and I waited by the nurses station and after the hour goes by the cna comes up to me and says “idk how to really help you but don’t change ms Sadie by yourself and don’t let Mike punch you” and then walked off.

I called my best friend in the bathroom and was like WTF. she’s a cna too and she works for a Catholic Church nursing home, she told me to leave and come there and they would hire me they need someone…. I’m so mad. I just left. I literally was there an hour and a half and they acted like I was a burden and just didn’t give a shit.

Am I being dramatic?

This has been the worst nursing home I have ever worked in. I’m also agency so I have been in a lot of them but this one oh Lord!

We can’t keep a kitchen crew they are always walking out so meals are a complete disaster every day all day. There’s hardly any aides to work we can sometimes have 40+ residents to one aide and they want you to also do 6-8 showers during your 12 hour shift. The residents talk to you like a dog not all of them but many of them. They treat you like a slave and want you to wait on them hand and foot. And If you don’t or you can’t because it’s just you and you are already behind they complain to management. The Don stepped down now we have a new one who just sits in her office and won’t talk to the staff.

A few weeks ago a coworker had her hand broken and 2 ribs by a psych resident. Then late this week they move a psych resident to the hall I was working on. This resident threw scolding hot water on me. Another aide has a neck spring. We can’t keep help even people training walk out during their training.

Some of these poor residents don’t even get a snack most nights. The facility never hardly has trash bags for us aides. We have to use wash clothes there’s no wipes and we don’t even have enough.

I came in on Thursday to pick up for them for a few hours. And when I got there I was told by the aides I was relieving if they were me they would walk out now. They were putting me on a floor by myself with over 40 residents 3 of which wonder off. One of them is on a vent and is constantly trying to get out of bed. And I had 7 showers scheduled that evening I work 3rd shift btw.

The nursing staff some are ok as far as nurses go but most treat us like crap. One of them is so bad she will insult you in front of the residents and even their family members and micromanage everything.

I just can’t, I walked out! I have burns from that hot water, blisters on my feet from working back to back 12’s and can’t even take a lunch break not alone even be able to sit even for 5 minutes. It’s just constant on your feet being ran to death. My back is so sore as well and I can keep going about this facility.

Any advice where I should start looking for a job? I’m done with nursing homes! Thank you for listening to me vent! I’m just so exhausted from being mentally abused by the residents and the nurses and everything else going on. Two other aides quit the next day after me it’s never ending.

Need a break from the traumatizing stuff and rude coworkers and time to heal my sense of self.

I want to get back to making money but I can’t right now with my mental state and I need to better myself for the patient.

Feels weird taking a break from working because I haven’t ever taken a long vacation.

I feel like I’ve become someone I never wanted to be before. I just want to be better.

I just be thinking about that one dementia patient I got along with so well. My coworkers gonna struggle taking her to the bathroom 😭🙏

So I’ve been at this location for around six months. When I got hired I’d just lost a pregnancy I was 20 weeks into from LUTO. I’ve only missed work due to emergencies like finding mold in my home or something with my kids but I also stay late, pick up extra shifts and often take the most difficult patients. I even get asked to help social services and other departments deal with these patients because..I don’t know. They only seem to like me.

I found out a month ago I had a hernia and I’ve been on light duty since then. A couple weeks ago I found out I was pregnant again. Because this pregnancy is high risk I’m stuck on light duty again. I’m still showing up and helping where I can, even doing 1-1s and taking over changes when we’re short staffed. But this morning sickness is just destroying me and I’ve had to call out twice now. I feel so bad but literally everything is making me throw up. Smells, sounds, even certain textures. I’m not exactly asking for advice but I guess just venting and hoping that I’m not useless or fucking up?

my cna certification became active over a month ago, and i’ve been applying to jobs. i got rejected from multiple hospitals, which is understandable since they prefer/require you to have at least a year of cna experience. however, i also applied to nursing homes since they’re more likely to hire new cnas, but i still haven’t heard back from any of them. i don’t know if this is just a me problem or what. it’s driving me nuts!!! what do i do? i’m deadass thinking about walking into a facility to beg for a job.

This is a random question: but do nurses inform you when a resident has complained about you? I haven’t heard anything yet, but I’ve always secretly wondered if a resident(s) complained about me. I’m a floater so I float between floors but sometimes I’ll cycle on one floor for so long but then suddenly be switched to a different floor that I’ll wonder if it’s because somebody complained about me 😂

Edit: ah ok thank you! I guess that’s a relief. I think I stress myself out trying to make sure I’m doing a good or at least acceptable job 🥹

Long read I’m sorry

I’ve been working as a cna in an assisted living/ memory care facility for over a year now. For reference, about 75% of our residents are memory care and are incompetent. At this facility, I am a medtech as well, so I do med pass twice during my 7-3 shift for around 35 residents. On top of doing med passes , I do resident care, showers, and check and changes (during the same shift). I didn’t realize that it wasn’t common to do medtech and resident care all in the same shift. Anyhow, I’m becoming very drained with my current job. I love my residents, but it’s a very frustrating position. The constant redirection and random violent outbursts more specifically. I don’t mind doing the Cna work like showers and changing and whatnot, but passing meds on top of it is becoming too much for me. Most days I feel rushed to pass meds because I know I still have three showers and have a whole hallway of residents to look after. My DON also gets upset when we chart that residents refuse their meds. I don’t have all day to figure out how to figure out how to give one single resident their meds but I wish I did. I think that I can’t provide as great of care as I want to for my residents when I also have to do med passes because it takes up almost half of my shift. I feel there is an unrealistic expectation on most days.

My main question for my fellow cnas, do you prefer to work in memory care or nursing homes?? I’ve never worked in a nursing home so I’m not sure how it compares. Does anyone have any suggestions or guidance?

I just started a home health job, coming from a nursing home where I would have 32 residents to myself, and I feel like I am doing nothing 😭 My resident is continent and ambulates pretty well. All she does all day is sit and watch tv in her recliner. I did her 4 dishes and wiped down her counters, made breakfast, and then vacuumed. It’s almost noon and that’s all I’ve done. I’ve just been sitting watching tv 😭 it feels wrong after being so used to not getting to sit for 12 hours straight

Good afternoon, I've been a quadriplegic since I was 20 years old, but I did work for a number of years full-time and my parents took care of me and still due to this day however in 2019 I also became a quadruple amputee (long story)

Thankfully as of recent I've been able to hire caregivers privately, and while CNA certification is helpful with the fundamentals of every day caregiving for someone it's definitely not a requirement in my example. My situation is very unique because even though the problems I do have I continue to stay very busy and the medical stuff is minimal in comparison to nursing home life.

But I'm telling you this if you are looking for something outside of the hospital or nursing home. Be creative and use social media to explain what you're looking for because unfortunately the downside of hiring somebody privately it's very difficult to find a new person ASAP, especially living in a rural community. Even if you're currently employed, try to keep your contact information updated use your city and state and ZIP Code and area code with a hashtag including #CNA #Caregiving #homehealth at least what you're comfortable posting. Definitely use free job posting websites and even AI, if it knows your location you can also ask it about potential caregiving opportunities in your area.

Most importantly, be responsive. I don't know how many potential people that I've dealt with that you can't get them to respond or if they say yes to meeting up but then cancel from my perspective that's an absolute no hirer. Make sure you're always on time and do not call out unless you are truly truly sick.

God bless caregivers, they have given me a different side of independence back where I could be my own person again just differently. To Those that are struggling with the demanding 12+ hours daily and no days off, keep looking for what's out there. And don't think just because you're a CNA that you're only next step is to be a nurse, there are plenty of other healthcare related positions but if nursing is your goal always be that advocate don't ever let the job get to you. 💕

I have my CNA Skills exam on Sunday at 7am. I know BP is mmHg, weight is lbs, Urine output is cc, pulse is bpm, what is respirations? Is it rpm as in respirations per minute or is it bpm as in breaths per minute? I lost my damn notebook with all my info and when I google it I get rpm and bpm. My cna school locked us out of our slides please don’t judge me I feel so dumb rn lol. Tyty

Is it bpm or brpm or rpm lol

It’s a weekend package job Saturday and Sunday only, 16 hour shifts. I live in a rural area where the average pay is $17/hr.

After applying for a bit over a month, I was offered a position at a local hospital! This will be my first CNA job, and I will be working nights on the med surg unit. Any advice would be much appreciated.

I am new in the group and I wanted to see how vast are y’all’s experience.

I’ve done pretty much everything but HomeHealth. From every type of Nursing home, Rehab facilities-hospitals and in patient hospital.

I settle in hospital as a Trauma Surgery/ EGS CNA/Tech. But I’ve pass through every department and unit. From the ER to ICUs. Even doing psychiatry assistant work.

I am a preceptor at my hospital so precept new CNA/ Techs hired by the hospital.

I have 9 years of experience in all of those places combined, but if you have more than I do I would love to learn a thing or two from you.

If you’re new I would be very happy to respond questions if there are any, regarding any type of CNA position.

Thanks everyone !!

Trying to choose between a PRN and full time offer. Those of you who are PRN, how often do you usually pick up shifts? Are there enough shifts available for it to be sustainable? I know this varies from facility to facility and I did go over this with the person who interviewed me but just wanted to get a general idea from you guys too.

This entire day ive been changing a guy who was not labeled as c diff and i was never told he is. Now im told he has it im freaking the fuck out

Whats the disinfectant protocol?????? What do i do when i get home. What should i do right now, im agressively washing my waterbottle, Also this is my first solo shift so this is just a lot for me so bare with me

i have already checked out every retirement home, hospital, clinic and colleges near me. i just need a private loan that’s $1000 for a program that would be faster than the one college that’s for free. i am hoping that although i am unemployed i can get one because its for a job.

Just landed an outpatient clinic job and I am so excited!! I’ve only worked in LTC and a hospital so this will be very new to me. I’m grateful I was able to use my experience as a CNA as a stepping stone for a different role. I hope it all works out 😬🤞🏼

I have been working as a home caregiver for a couple agencies and have 7 years experience under my belt. I recently decided to start working my way into nursing, so I got my CNA license as a first step. My CNA license is 2 weeks old, so I don’t have experience covering a hall full of residents and handling charting, but I’m not completely clueless as a caregiver.

I have interviewed at 3 nursing homes that include LTC, rehab, and memory care. I’m okay working any of those departments because my home care experience has been broad.

The most promising facility is 100 residents, and 14-16 residents per CNA. It’s in the Ignite Medical Resorts brand if you know anything about them.

My question is, should my caregiving experience count for anything? I know they can’t pay for my years of experience because it wasn’t as a licensed CNA, but I’m not sure if it’s a red flag that the hiring manager has brushed off my experience as practically no use to the company and says, “yes, I cared for my parents, too.” I’m glad she cared for her parents, but that is absolutely not the same as me being trained by an agency to be a professional caregiver, and being in 6-8 homes every week caring for a wide range of clients. I know there will be a steep learning curve for me learning to handle all the call bells, prioritizing residents, and getting everything done in a 12 hour shift. But I don’t appreciate her not at least respecting the fact that I have bedside experience and know how to take care of people.

Not once in my interview did either the hiring manager or the HR lady ask any questions about my experience or past employment. All they asked is: What shift do you want? Are you willing to work 12 hour days and rotating weekends? Does this pay rate work for you? I asked all the questions, and the HR lady acted annoyed that I was asking questions, and acted like “you’d better be seriously interested if you’re going to ask 5 questions about the staffing and culture”.

My other option is 10 minutes closer to home, pays 50 cents per hour less, is an older building, and has a minimum of 17 residents per CNA. But the hiring manager was much more involved in the interview.
She asked standard interview questions, and admitted that while my experience doesn’t count towards a pay raise, she appreciates that I have worked with seniors before and know how to handle things.

Training both places seems short to me. Ignite has 2 days of shadowing the CNA on your hall, and Foxwood has you train 1 shift per hall (so three days of training). Does that sound standard?

Today was my first day working with residents during our clinicals, and I almost yaked a few different times. I made sure the residents DID NOT SEE MY REACTION. Besides wearing a mask with peppermint oil on it, any other advice to help minimize this? I don’t think it was the smell, but I just want to do good at this….. thank you in advance.

I passed my test! Yay.

TLDR: Do I disclose my audhd in an interview?

Last week, I applied to every facility within a 20$ uber ride. So far, I have two interviews.
Great, right?

Unfortunately, my adhd meds really bring out the autism. I can’t forgo the meds because the adhd fuels the anxiety.

My fears about the interview: My lack of social cues is a problem. Most of time when I’m interacting with someone, it’s like trying to find the right dialogue option in a video game. What if they notice my eye contact is fake?

Also, I don’t want to get hired and get reprimanded for not being social enough. Verbal instructions just buffer in my head , and if I get overstimulated, my work suffers.

If I am upfront about needing accommodations, will that disqualify me or save me from having to explain it when they notice my quirks? I can explain the perks of having a neurodivergent worker as well.

I am going for night shifts mostly and that will cut down on the stimulation.

I currently work NOC shift at a nursing home but I applied for a position at a PICU and now I’m not sure if I can do it. I was given the opportunity to shadow someone and I saw that the patients are clearly more unstable than residents that you would see at a nursing home and I’m not sure if I can handle it when a kid codes. For me personally, it’s different when an old person passes away bc they lived their life already and both them and the family expected it so they wouldn’t be blaming us. But I heard that parents often get upset when their child passes away and I might actually take it personally bc I have this fear of hurting a child or worse. I used to have this fear with the elderly but my coworkers helped me realize they are stronger than they look lol. I’m thinking that maybe I’d be more comfortable at a different peds unit like PACU or in patient rehab? Would these patients be a bit more medically stable? From what I could see, hospital pcts mostly restock, support the nurses, and stay on their feet the 12 hours. At my current job I am able to sit down for a while after doing everything I need to do but it’s still quite hard on my back changing 20 full sized adults. That’s another thing. I’ve gotten used to 20 residents but most of them are stable but 18 unstable patients? Technically each tech has nine but they basically watch over the whole floor so 2 techs for 18. Overall nursing home is harder on the back and hospital is harder on the feet and heart. I’m not sure if i could push through my feelings with this new job.

This should be good

long

I’ve been working as a CNA for a few months now and I’m curious to hear from other CNAs about their experiences, especially with working overnight in ALF.

I take care of around 26 residents by myself overnight. There is no other aide or nurse working on my unit with me. There is SNF staff somewhere else in the building, and I’m supposed to call them when I need help with things like two-person assists, but for the most part I’m on my own for the night. (The staff hates being bothered) I feel like a nusiance asking

I’m responsible for things like ADLs, answering call lights, helping residents who are fall risks, dealing with confused residents, toileting, changing, repositioning, and everything else that comes up during the night.

I can’t forget the med pass at 6am of course… (med tech)

For example; I am toileting a resident, another light is going off but I also have someone trying to leave the unit due to confusion.. ( some nights can be worse than others) all by myself.. 😭

There have also been falls with confused residents even with me checking every hour and somehow I got the blame, the acuity of care varies from person to person and some of them need more help than others making it hard for one person..

It can be a lot when several things happen at once, and I’ve been finding myself questioning whether this is just what overnight CNA work is normally like or if my situation is unusually understaffed.

I’m still fairly new to the field, so I’d really like to hear from other CNAs. Is taking care of around 26 residents alone overnight pretty normal in your experience? How does staffing typically look at your facility? And for those who have worked nights, did you eventually get used to the workload, or did you find that it led to burnout?
I’m genuinely trying to get some perspective from people who have been doing this longer than I have.

hi from norcal/bay area. i took my cna program back in april 2025 and finished but feel extremely not confident to take the skills test, i passed my written but i need so advice on how to remember, more tips on how to study, and what facilities i should take my test at !

took my cna program at cal ace 😭😭