Jobs tend to define your potentialities and interest, meaning that if you choose a career profession that is simply not “you” then job frustration and inefficiency at work is likely to happen, as an aftermath of which you will find yourself either submitting an “I resign!” letter or compelling your boss to pick up the gun and fire you away! In order to prevent the latter scenario, it is always best to review the pros and cons of a particular career before you dive in.
Now, if you are entertaining the thought of joining a nursing career, then the following pros and cons of a CNA career can tell you whether this particular career is suitable for you or not.
Cons of CNA Career: Time to Know the Real Truth
You would have expected to first get acquainted with the pros or rather say the goodness of taking a CNA career but, here, we have taken the initiative to get you first informed about the cons of the CNA career, which might be somewhat bitter to digest for you; nonetheless, we do have also given some tips that would help you fight those obstacles with ease.
1. How Difficult Is CNA Career & How Modest the Salary Earnings!
The duties of a CNA, when orally explained, might seem a piece of cake but practically upholding those job duties would leave you mentally and physically exhausted. You see, as a CNA, you are responsible for getting the patients showered, dressed, fed, and even groomed, not to mention the dirty works like changing their bedpans and wiping their butts clean! Your back might also ache from all those bending and lifting.
And, from time to time, you will have to check the patients and see whether they need to go to bathrooms or, much worse, whether they have already spoiled their bedsheets with incontinence or vomiting, assuming that latter has happened (happens a lot), then as a CNA, you will be the one responsible to clean up all that dirty mess.
If it was just a couple of patients to take care of, then the $8-$12 hourly wage figure that the CNA generally earns would have been justified. But, it’s not just a couple of patients, rather you are charged to take care of 9 or 10 (and sometimes even more) residents on your own, which is too much for a single person to handle.
What’s more infuriating is that, aside from being underpaid and having to act as the janitor of the health industry, the CNAs are also looked down upon by their senior nurses.
Tips For Increasing Your CNA Salary:–
The credit for the modest salary earning of CNAs goes to their short-and-sweet schooling period (just a 3-8 weeks long certificate program; no need to earn the associate’s or bachelor’s degree) and, also because of the fact that anyone with a compassionate heart and caring nature can or has the ability to uphold the CNA profession.
Nevertheless, if you do overtime or pursue advance education like that of associate’s or bachelor’s degree in nursing, then you would be able to command a senior-level nursing post of a Licensed Practical Nurse ($47,000 average yearly income) or Registered Nurse ($78,000 average yearly income), whose earning potentiality is also much better than that of a CNA ($29,000 average yearly income).
2. The One Giving the Nursing Care Might Have to Get the Nursing Care!
Yeah, the CNAs are the ones who provide professional nursing care to the patients, but this does not mean that they are immune to the diseases and infections carried by the patients; there’s always a chance that one may get victimized by some infection.
Besides being in personal touch with the patients, as a CNA, you also have to do all the dirty works like wiping the patient’s butt and changing their bedpans, which are fraught with infectious germs. Hence, there’s no knowing when you may become a patient yourself!
It’s not the health risk that you have to worry (after all, your boss does offer health insurance); rather, it’s the lawsuits that you have to dread the most for you are a human, not a machine and so are susceptible to do mistakes, which if results in the injury or complication in the health of the patient, then you might have to face a lawsuit and get fined for your unintentional mistakes.
4. No Guarantee of Respite Even On Weekends or Holidays!
Since the disabled patients are in need of eternal nursing care, the patient care facilities employ the CNAs 24 hours a day with 8 or 12 hours long shifts. As a CNA, you may choose to work in any time shift (be it at morning or evening or night) that seems best for you, but, mind you, whatever shift you choose, you will be working round the clock, addressing the call and problems of the patients.
Besides the normal working days, health facilities even demand their hired CNAs (who have agreed to take the on-call job position for a higher wage) to come on holidays or weekends. Hence, the bottom line is that CNAs have to work round the clock or at odd hours, and there’s no guarantee that they would be able to enjoy a good holiday or weekend, for the patients charged under them may undergo any health complication at any time.
Pros of CNA Career: Time for the Good News
Now that you have digested the bitter facts about the CNA career, it’s time we wash off that bitterness from your mind with the following sweet benefits or, rather say, the pros of taking the CNA career.
1. Short and Sweet CNA Schooling Period; No Need for Associate’s Or Bachelor’s Degree!
The most appealing feature of the CNA career is its short term certificate training program, which can take as little as 2 to 8 weeks for completion. Upon graduating from your CNA program, you are then qualified to challenge your state’s licensing exam (if there is), passing which would make you wholeheartedly welcomed to work in any of the health care industries.
You see, within just a couple of weeks or a mere month, you would have earned the title of a Certified Nursing Assistant and thus will start earning money.
Note:–In order to gain enrollment in the CNA training school, the candidates are expected to be the proud owner of a high school diploma or a GED certificate; no further education qualifications are required, although good health conditions and clean criminal background is essential.
2. Job Security & Health Benefits: CNA Can Find Jobs At any time!
During the times of economic crisis, people might have to close down companies or reduce the number of their employees.
However, in the case of the health care industry, this is not so. There will always be new patients knocking at the doors of the health care facilities, meaning that further work for the CNAs.
What’s more, as a member of the patient care team, you are also entitled to enjoy the various health benefits (such as medical and life insurance) that come in a package with your job appointment letter!
3. Multiple Shifts For CNA: Spend Quality Time With Friends & Family!
Well, the patient care facilities do require the CNAs to work round the clock i.e. even in odd hours, be it at early in the morning or late at night. However, since the CNAs are also human, the considerate healthcare industry has set aside the provision of multiple time-shifts, which are usually of either 8 or 12 hours long.
A typical 8 hours shift would have morning (6 am to 2 pm), evening (2 pm to 10 pm) and night (10 pm to 6 am) shifts whereas the 12 hours shift basically has a day (6 am to 6 pm) and night (6 pm to 6 am) shifts.
But, mind you, this timetable may not be followed in all health industries; the morning shift may start from 7 am in some health facilities, while in some, shifts would occur every 9 hours.
Anyways, the bottom line is that as a CNA, you will have the choice to apply to work in your desired shift (be it at morning, evening or graveyard shift), and after that, they would be able to spend the remaining time with their families and friends or, if you prefer, you may even pursue advance nursing education to push forward your nursing career and enjoy a better salary figure.
