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I work as a night shift CNA from 7pm-7am. The work isn’t difficult in itself. There are complications, however.
I began this work after helping my mom thru her cancer and staying with her in the weeks prior to and during her passing in 2018. I’m a 25 yr old young man. I used to work with computers, but had a strong need to help people after my moms passing. I started work at a care home in Sept 2019 and am there currently.
I work best how I worked in my previous job. Sitting by myself somewhere where I can focus either on fixing computer hardware or on doing bookkeeping. I naturally have skills for math and have an analytical mind. I was often distracted, because I often daydream. I saw this as a problem to fix, and was looking for a job not involving computer screens anyway. This current job requires multitasking and handling circumstances outside of my control. Working with humans is different from working on computers. I really do have a great character for it and love to help people, but this empathy comes from personal struggles - addiction (not drug or alcohol), loss of loved ones, depression, immediate relatives with dementia). I’m giving of myself every day. What I get back is forming quality relationships with residents, having an active lifestyle, having a social community where I can talk to people and have friends, feel like I’m making a difference in peoples lives, and getting better at talking to girls (haha, I never hung out with people in high school...sometimes I’d hang out with a few guys. I work with a bunch of nice girls...kinda got used to working with them). I’ve also improved on my anxiety and lack of self esteem by seeing how I can do this difficult job and girls will appreciate me for who I am once they get to know me, that I have value.
So I know that there’s a lot I get from this job. But there are several things that make it difficult. I’m sick of working night shift. On the days I’m off, I’m tired, on the days I’m on, I’m either tired or have to plan my day around when I’m going to sleep to get ready for night shift. Then I never get tired enough to sleep and work tired. I’m always tired. I’m sick of it. On the days that I have off, I get back to a normal schedule, feel like I have control of my life, and head to work feeling like I have this together. Then I can’t have total control at work because people want random things at random times...but I have my list of stuff to get done besides what they need. Like showers, and stuff. Idk how many people actually get showers. I mean they don’t do anything, so they aren’t dirty, but still. We’ve also been working short staffed recently. We’re supposed to have four CNAs on the floor at all times. Last week, we had two CNAs for the majority of my shifts, and I worked on other floors other than my own, making it difficult. Staffing has often been an issue there. Being a CNA is just scrambling from one job to the next, taking breaks so you don’t lose your mind even when there are people who need their dirty underwear changed, going going for five hours until you have your single 30 minute break of your 12 hr shift. Thankfully at night, people often sleep for part of the night. But you do have regular callers and people who need to have their underwear changed every two hours.
When I started working there, I was really positive. I was full of God’s love to give to these people. I’m just running low on energy. I don’t want to leave my work family. But I don’t want to lose my mind either. I’ve done that. I might be 25, but I’ve spent a lot of my years with serious depression and hopelessness. Quick summary is...I never felt like the future would be there. I was booksmart, but never imagined being alive in several years time, no matter what age I was. That started in second grade. I was very pessimistic. I stuck to myself as a loner, reading books or playing computer games. Depression started in 9th grade, or at least being overwhelmed. 2013 I graduated, fall of 2014 I quit work and school and sat at home playing games and watching anime. That was my first breaking-ish. My mom got me back to work after six months. Work, college, work, college. 2015 my mom got cancer but I was in the middle of depression and couldn’t feel further down, didn’t have it in me. 2016 I moved to my own apartment in another city. I felt like I needed to do that for personal growth and to get out of the depths of depression. 2018 summer my mom passed. At that time, I had a gf that I honestly wasn’t sure about and had anxiety on that, going to college bc in my community gf = future marriage (I have a personal problem with anxiety that made the relationship bad for me, I didn’t hang out with people much as a kid so I didn’t understand relationships and how they worked) but I wasn’t sure I wanted to go to college for that degree, was working at a place I didn’t feel like I had a future at, my mom was dying, and I myself had depression anyway. My mom died, I broke up with gf (I was mentally numb from everything. Literally, literally numb) but kept college until spring 2019 when I finished a semester and let myself loose. I talked and talked so much out to my brother. I’d talk to him for hours a night. This was serious stuff, I’ve been seriously overloaded in my life. It’s easy to say that I could have avoided it by not having anxiety but I can’t control that lol, or couldn’t at that time.
Anyway, this is probably really a psychology post perhaps.
Thanks for reading. I understand if you don’t read it through.
In ending, I’ve been going out to eat more and more. I’m feeling out of control but my job gives me lots of social benefits. I have friends and I’m not used to having friends, especially female friends. It feels really good. I’ve been missing appointments because I don’t have a normal schedule and I have difficult trying to control my schedule. I’m sure there’s personal things I can do to control myself more. There always are. I can control my schedule and work myself till I lose my mind and give up on life. I already had a nurse my age move to a different shift saying “you want a dead night shift nurse or an alive day shift nurse?” Stress is real.
Thank you for reading. I just had to rant.
My grandpa was a chemist. Maybe I should quit this job, get a part time job, and go to school. I intend to go back to school anyway. Maybe get a part time job somewhere.
How long have you been working this schedule? Personally I would rather work nights than days. Especially 12 hours.
Can you stick it out a while longer? Say till after Christmas? That's not long away and if you still can't make it go for you then sign up for summer classes or maybe talk to the boss about moving to days?
Read your first paragraph again. There is a lot of positive stuff there for you.
If you can give nights a chance a while longer I think you might actually start to like it. I didn't like it either at first but then I realized I was able to miss the mad rush of days going to and coming from work and could do what I pleased when everyone else was slaving away and being jealous of me.
I’ve been working this schedule since February or so. Today we had four aides on the floor and will have four aides the entire shift, which is amazing.
There is definitely a lot of good in the job. I just didn’t want to burn out. At the same time, some of the things I get here (social interactions) would be gotten if I was on a normal schedule and could hang out with friends.
It’s nice to have time off, but I don’t use it well. That is one problem, which is a personal problem. That’s some deep rooted stuff.
Don't go back to school thinking it's a solution, because it isn't.
Take baby steps to approach the problem. First, try looking for a day shift job. Being a CNA is one of the most challenging jobs there is, so don't feel like a failure for struggling with its demands.
Because it's so challenging, though, there are usually job openings. Look for day shifts, and take note of how your outlook changes after working like that for a while.
That’s way too big of a post. I could just quit and go back to school lol. I probably should call my employer pretty soon and tell them.
It would be great to make it work but if I’m losing it, it’s not worth it.
Can you work part time while going back to school? If you take something at community college such as MRI or Ultrasound tech you can be done in a couple years and have a job with regular hours that combines both technical/computer skills and helping people.
Once you have experience and your belt, you can go to any nursing home most of them are shorthanded and always hiring, and possibly get a better shift. However they’re all going to be shorthanded and have the other problems that you’re having there. It’s just one of those jobs that people tend to call out a lot.
It's unbelievable that there continues to be a shortage for any health care position in one area and layoffs in others. The system keeps chewing up and spitting out new jacks like OP instead of repurposing and reskilling those with experience so there is a consistent good layer of mentorship and support guiding the younger generation.
It reflects in the poor quality care usually received. These people are burned out and need support and to be properly staffed.
The only way night shift really works for most people is for that to be your schedule all the time, even on your days off. You can't be a night owl for the 3-4 days a week you work and a normal day person on your 3-4 days off. You never get into a rhythm that way and struggle to get sleep.
I’m looking to be careful about what I do, not leaving this place before I get a different job. Day shift is definitely a possibility, altho they are often understaffed as well and are worked harder because of therapies, meals, and additional toileting needs during the day. What happens is they don’t have time to shower people and often don’t have patience for residents because of the lack of time.
I’ve been raised pretty Dutch, so I store away most money I have. I’ve been investing some of it $RLFTF in a repurposed drug for coronavirus. Shameless plug.
I could go back to school. Online school starts up pretty soon and I have one or a few more classes before I can apply for the nursing program. I know nurses are worked pretty hard but once I have an LPN or especially an RN, I can go anywhere. There are a lot of healthcare certifications I could get. I’ve looked into being a surgical assistant - it’s still an interest. It seems like it mainly takes a good stomach, which I believe I have.
People definitely call off a lot and I’m not sure why. Our facility doesn’t let people go very easily at all, even if they are the type to call in all the time. We typically have about eighteen CNAs when we’re full staffed. Normally we aren’t full staffed...and when seven people call in (happened once), you start getting one or two a floor. Supervisors jump right in and assist, but it still stinks. The nurses on the floor do help with CNA tasks and are often former CNAs themselves. Management does care but there’s not much they can do. There are shortages every day and bonuses for picking up, but the bonuses have lessened and no one wants to come in when they know they will be short staffed and will have to be working with residents they don’t know. It is what it is.
It would work well sleep wise to always be awake at night and asleep during the day. But that just makes you dependent on the hospital to meet your social needs since you’ll never have out with anyone outside of your job. I don’t want to live that life
I’ve always wanted to get myself back on my feet while working a difficult job because then I knew I wasn’t broken (I know it sounds depressing but I’m just saying it, I’m not feeling broken right now, I just really lacked confidence in myself once I did fail, since I saw myself as someone who could do anything). So, I’m not broken, but I do have needs, and with my additional mental needs, I’ll definitely need a day time position. I’ll look into it quickly.
I’m looking to be careful about what I do, not leaving this place before I get a different job. Day shift is definitely a possibility, altho they are often understaffed as well and are worked harder because of therapies, meals, and additional toileting needs during the day. What happens is they don’t have time to shower people and often don’t have patience for residents because of the lack of time.
I’ve been raised pretty Dutch, so I store away most money I have. I’ve been investing some of it $RLFTF in a repurposed drug for coronavirus. Shameless plug.
I could go back to school. Online school starts up pretty soon and I have one or a few more classes before I can apply for the nursing program. I know nurses are worked pretty hard but once I have an LPN or especially an RN, I can go anywhere. There are a lot of healthcare certifications I could get. I’ve looked into being a surgical assistant - it’s still an interest. It seems like it mainly takes a good stomach, which I believe I have.
People definitely call off a lot and I’m not sure why. Our facility doesn’t let people go very easily at all, even if they are the type to call in all the time. We typically have about eighteen CNAs when we’re full staffed. Normally we aren’t full staffed...and when seven people call in (happened once), you start getting one or two a floor. Supervisors jump right in and assist, but it still stinks. The nurses on the floor do help with CNA tasks and are often former CNAs themselves. Management does care but there’s not much they can do. There are shortages every day and bonuses for picking up, but the bonuses have lessened and no one wants to come in when they know they will be short staffed and will have to be working with residents they don’t know. It is what it is.
It would work well sleep wise to always be awake at night and asleep during the day. But that just makes you dependent on the hospital to meet your social needs since you’ll never have out with anyone outside of your job. I don’t want to live that life
I’ve always wanted to get myself back on my feet while working a difficult job because then I knew I wasn’t broken (I know it sounds depressing but I’m just saying it, I’m not feeling broken right now, I just really lacked confidence in myself once I did fail, since I saw myself as someone who could do anything). So, I’m not broken, but I do have needs, and with my additional mental needs, I’ll definitely need a day time position. I’ll look into it quickly.
You really should try to get a job as a CNA at a hospital system in your area. They tend to pay better and have less staff turnover. It’s also easier in many ways as you don’t have to shower or dress people aside from changing the gown and diaper, and you don’t generally have to get people out of bed. Once you’re in, most hospital systems will pay for you to get your LPN or RN license. My niece is an LPN and her hospital is paying for her BSN.
Nursing is hard though and you need to be really confident doing things that could kill or hurt people if done wrong. I’m an occupational therapist and I could not be a nurse because I know I wouldn’t be confident suctioning a trach or putting a catheter in someone. Make sure you really know it’s what you want. I still think your combination of health care with your computer skills means you have a lot of options in health care aside from just nursing.
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