Living Wage/limit ratios for CNA

[Jackie]

:)Why don't CNAs petition their states for a living wage of at least $15.00 an hr.? CNAs do a lot of work and they provide very good care to the residents. The LVNs and RNs would be in trouble w/o CNAs. Is there a national union? We have so much power as CNAs and I think we need to use it, especially in California. That place is out of control! Help:)

[philly215]

i agree with you we do bust are butt and should have higher pay

[char]

yeap, I agree...
At the hospital where I work, is not unusual for a single CNA take care of 18 Pt's at time, (med surg ) while many of the nurses are sitting at nurse's station reading magazines, or doing a bunch of nothing and pretty much ignoring if we need help...
that's why I am getting less sleep and going to college to became a nurse too... their job is a lot "easier" e not as heavy as ours and of course pays a lot better ...
See, I am not saying all the nurses act like that, there are nurse's working pretty hard also, but at least were I am working now , some nurse's will pretty much refuse do any kind of work, that they say " it is CNA stuff " , even if we are short on CNA's ( which is normal)... and the CNA wage it is a joke...
I see "waitress" making more money than we do, and don't have to work as hard as we do, neither clean people butt...

[winkle2]

I agree with the responses, CNA's should petition for a least $15.00 per hour. We do most of the work and we know the patients more than the nurses do. I am a CNA working on becoming a O.R. nurse and I do not understand why CNA's don't petition.

[Guest]

I am about to become a CNA but have been in healthcare otherwise for a number of years otherwise. I agree with you that CNAS should be paid more but I wish CNAS would realize that most people working in healthcare are underpaid and overworked for what they are doing. Another thing that CNAS need to realize is that in this country you earn more money in healthcare by having more education. I am not saying it is fair but that is the way the system works. Aswe all know life can be terribly unfair sometimes
I always get a chuckle to how CNAS always perceive that whenever a nurse is behind a desk sitting or doing something non nursing how CNAS feel they that is mostly all they do, a lot of nothing, I wish CNAS would really take the time out to get to know what a nurse does before making those kind of judgements. I know many a nurse who barely manages to get off the unit do to their work load. They often choose to sit the desk rather than leave the unit and fall even more behind in their work. So when you see a nurse sitting at the desk, make sure you know how long that person had to wait to take a load off their feet.
I agree though you will find some of those nurses on occassions who feel certain things are beneath them to do. In my experience there is not too many of these.
I am about to become a CNA with both eyes open wide. I know I will work hard and get paid less than any other member of the healthcare team because of my status. I plan on getting my RN so I can move up on the totem pole. If I were going to stay a CNA to I woulld investigate what skills I could acquire that would add to me being more valuale, to the employer and thus increase my pay. I won't join forces with those who are fighting for more pay. The reason is because heallthcare is a business an d if CNAS overprice themselves as a group healthcare systems will simply get very creative and cut back on CNA usage or create a whole new type of position that they can pay less to. Think of your own household budgets,I am sure most of you know how to trim the fat and stretch your dollars when you have to.