Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
When I was a CNA I worked for a home health company, and some of the overnight companion jobs allowed TONS of free time.
One job was come in at 10pm, sit in a dimly lit room (with book + book light) and monitor an Alzheimer patient during the night (in case he tried to get up). Only a few times did he wake up confused, and I redirected him back to bed or called staff to help him (the facility was responsible for changing him, we just prevented falls). That lasted about a year.
Another was an elderly paraplegic - I would arrive at his house at 8pm, watch TV with him until 10pm, do a twenty minute routine to get him to bed (bathroom, transfer, etc), then I went to my room (I had a private bedroom/bathroom/shower etc) and monitor him via baby monitor during the night. I was allowed to sleep (just turning the radio up high incase he yelled for me),,,usually I brought my laptop and talked online to my wife each night, then sleep at around 2am, wake up at 7am, shower, wake him up and the next shift would arrive and begin cooking breakfast.
Another had me driving someone who was post stroke to the gym each day for rehab - he got me a temporary membership, but I preferred bringing books and studying.
It was a very nice gig while it lasted (I became a nurse), base pay was $10 but went up to $15 depending. I worked with that company for about a year and a half.
I don't think I'll ever get paid to sleep again though.....
Are there enough overnight jobs so that, once you have your certification, you can easily pick and choose to become an overnight CNA so that you can have lots of free time?
How much does it cost to train and be certified as CNA?
Believe me, those cush jobs go to senior CNA's, who have ten years or more seniority. And they have few CNA's on a night shift, maybe one, who is tasked to do bed checks, turning patients, monitoring for wanderers, and doing work tasked for them, often inventory, and re stocking, ordering supplies for the floor, doing compliance checks on safety equipment, documenting and checking code dates on supplies, believe me, fat CNA jobs, are few and far between.
Work at a substance abuse treatment center, as night staff, that is easier work, but again, low pay, no benefits.
Prison guard duty on night shift is pretty good, but takes seniorty to get there, and many places now, do rotation, 3 months swing shift, 3 months day shift, 3 months night shift. So you meet more people, get cross trained on different duties for each shift, and management can monitor you.
I can see the OP having a talk with the boss after a week. "This is not what I expected when I took this job. You people actually expect me to work and not read".
Are there enough overnight jobs so that, once you have your certification, you can easily pick and choose to become an overnight CNA so that you can have lots of free time?
How much does it cost to train and be certified as CNA?
Could only have free time working graveyard shifts. Expect some nights to go bad and you won't get any time. No hospital or nursing home will let you doze, and they will report you.
Takes at least 10 weeks and $2,000 if done at a local adult school. Need vaccines for Hep A, Hep B, yearly TB test, yearly flu shot. Recommend DTW and pneumonia vaccines. You'd pay for these. Expect background check, drug screen, need clean credit and driving record. Will need to be bonded if doing homecare cases.
Must be okay with wiping butts, cleaning up urine, excrement, mucous, vomit, blood, etc.
Should be able to lift dead weight patients, wrestle with demented ones, kiss up to nosy family who will not trust you. You must be deferential to all nurses, who make great friends and bad enemies.
Believe me, those cush jobs go to senior CNA's, who have ten years or more seniority. And they have few CNA's on a night shift, maybe one, who is tasked to do bed checks, turning patients, monitoring for wanderers, and doing work tasked for them, often inventory, and re stocking, ordering supplies for the floor, doing compliance checks on safety equipment, documenting and checking code dates on supplies, believe me, fat CNA jobs, are few and far between.
Work at a substance abuse treatment center, as night staff, that is easier work, but again, low pay, no benefits.
Prison guard duty on night shift is pretty good, but takes seniorty to get there, and many places now, do rotation, 3 months swing shift, 3 months day shift, 3 months night shift. So you meet more people, get cross trained on different duties for each shift, and management can monitor you.
How do you know that they only give those cushy jobs to the senior CNA's with ten years+ experience?
Thank you for the second suggestion.
Why do you have such an aversion to actually working while you are at work?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
