CNA Works as an In-home Caregiver
Considered working as an In-home Caregiver? This interview will take you through the ups and downs you can expect in the position, what it takes to land the job, what you can expect to earn and more. This is a true career story as told to JobsInHealthcare.com and is one of many interviews with health care professionals which among others include a Medical Coder and Biller and a Nurse Aide.
I have been an in-home caregiver, or certified nursing assistant, for the past five years. I work for a private company in the city that I live in. I have been doing in-home care since I received my certification five years ago.
I have to say that I thoroughly enjoy my job. I work first shift and I now have my choice of clients to sit with. At first my job was not that great and I seriously thought about not continuing in this line of work. One of my first jobs was sitting with someone at a nursing home. I had to assist the person when he or she took a bath. I also had to change their diapers since they could not use the bathroom by themselves.
The first thing that I do when I arrive at the nursing home is to make sure my client has eaten. This is not the most pleasant thing to do. I have to make sure the food is cut into small pieces so they won't choke. After breakfast, I change my patient's clothes as well as the sheets on the bed. Then I sit with my client and talk to them, or watch television. Pretty much I can do everything I want with my client as long as I stay with them. The thing that I don't like doing is giving my clients baths and changing their diapers.
I needed a strong stomach to visit one of my clients, and because of this experience I almost quit. But I stuck it out, and now I can choose the clients I want to sit with.
I would rate my current job satisfaction as an eight. Some days are better than others, but overall I truly enjoy what I do. In order to make me fully satisfied with the career that I have, I would like to work in a hospital.
I feel as though I have made the right career choice in my life. Every day I visit my clients they smile at me, which warms my heart. Mostly I sit with elderly people, so it's nice to do something special for them. Some of the people I sit with do not have a lot of family members to take care of them, hence I consider myself part of their extended family. I love hearing all their old stories, and they like listening to my daily adventures. They also enjoy hearing stories about my children.
I received my nursing assistant certification as a single mother of three children. My father was also diagnosed with cancer about 10 years ago and I have had to see him suffer with not being able to eat. I think this is what made me decide to get into the health field.
Like I said, I got started as a nursing assistant after seeing the struggles that my father has endured battling cancer. Currently my mother is in a nursing home, which has motivated me to focus more on my work.
One thing I would have done differently is to continue my education into the nursing field and get into obstetrics instead of working with the elderly.
I have learned the hard way that you have to take one day at a time. I had one client a few years ago who had some heart issues. They ended up being put in the hospital, and before I had a chance to go see them, they passed away. It was a very sad experience for me, but I treat every day like it is my last and live life with joy and love.
Working is a lot of work! I have to work if I want to succeed. However, working on a job I like with people I love makes the working world a little easier. I want to go to work each day knowing that I'll see someone who will make me smile.
When I first began working as an in-home aide, one of the people I sat with had a small dog. As I pulled into the driveway, I saw the dog outside on the porch, yet he wasn’t supposed to be outside. I walked to the porch and noticed that the door was locked. The client I had to sit that day had thought it was the weekend and gone off with his child, accidentally letting the dog out of the house when they left. I had to call the office and let them know that my client decided to go shopping instead of letting me sit with them. I ended up sitting with the dog so that he wouldn't run away until my client and his child came back.
I go to work each day to support my children and because I like seeing the people I take care of. I want to be a good role model for my children. One morning, as I was getting dressed to go to work, my daughter came into the bathroom and told me she wanted to be a nurse like me. I asked her why and she said she wants to help people feel better. When my children want to continue their education because of something I have done, it makes me feel like I have accomplished something very big.
One of the bigger challenges is changing bed pans, and as a matter of fact it's one of the biggest reasons I want to pull my hair out. Yet my job really isn't that stressful, unless my client is sick.
I'm currently making about 10 dollars an hour and I can get around 40 hours a week. I can definitely make it on what I earn, but I would like a little more for some of the things I do.
I have about two weeks of vacation that I use in the summer to go to the beach. It isn't enough! Most nursing assistants can take a short six month course at their local community college. If my best friend wanted to begin this career, I would say have patience and understanding.
In five years I would like to be working in a hospital on the obstetrics floor with little babies.
