I am currently a CNA at the local hospital. I have been a CNA for 5 years, and have experience in long term care, assisted living, and home care as well. As August approaches, I am considering going back to school. Nursing would be the obvious next step.
In truth, I do want to be a nurse. I want the flexibility, the pay, the respect, the responsibility. I enjoy the material, I enjoy the skills.
But watching the nurses around me, and based on my own experience as a CNA, it seems like a thankless job. Everyone says that its worth it to be a nurse, that you're making a difference and your patients remember you. I don't think I believe that. Maybe a select few patients that you've worked with multitudes of times, but I can't say I've ever witnessed a nurse really making an impact on anyone's life. They come in, do their assessment, give pills, hang fluids, and the pt gets frustrated because they ask the same questions every 8-12 hours. Even the patients who do connect with the nurse on a slightly deeper level, it doesn't seem..."Memorable" to me.
I don't want to go into another thankless career. I'm currently there with the CNA and its kind of draining. I am insignificant in my role. No one remembers me.