Top 6 Mistakes New CNAs Make
Becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) is the first step in a rewarding career. The next most important step is to find a job! CNAs are critical to patient care. They also help ensure that nursing homes, long-term care facilities, and hospitals function smoothly.
Because of that, there are many CNA jobs available throughout the country. Choosing the right job can be a challenge.
Here are some of the most common mistakes new CNAs make when starting out.
1. Picking a job with old-fashioned scheduling
There are still a lot of jobs where you have to wait for the schedule to be printed to know when you’re working. Or, you have to call or text your supervisor to get your shifts.
On top of that, your schedule is usually up to your supervisor. You may be able to request certain times off, but you don’t get to design your schedule or choose the shifts you want most.
When a company has an online scheduling app, you are in control of your schedule. Being able to book shifts that work best for you allows you to have a better work-life balance.
2. Not considering the importance of a flexible schedule
New CNAs may choose to work a full-time job with a traditional schedule. That usually means they can’t pick their shifts. They’ll have to plan their life around their work.
For CNAs who choose to work with a company that offers flexible scheduling, they get to plan their work around their life. They can keep their Friday evening free to go to a concert. Parents can make it to their kid’s dance recital without using up precious PTO.
3. Choosing a staffing agency that doesn’t provide health insurance benefits
CNAs are healthcare providers – they provide critical services to their patients. It’s important for them to be healthy so that they can continue to help the people they care for.
For CNAs that work for staffing agencies, many don’t get health insurance benefits to take care of themselves. They choose a staffing agency for the flexible schedule, but are missing out on expensive healthcare coverage.
Finding a job that gives you the benefits of customized scheduling plus healthcare benefits helps make work-life balance easy AND removes the stress of not having great benefits.
4. Getting stuck in a place with drama
Taking a full-time position at one place may seem like a good idea. But what if that place is full of drama or is just plain toxic?
CNAs who choose to work for a staffing agency get to experience different environments often. They can make new friends, but aren’t there so long they get caught up in stressful drama.
5. Having to do the same boring tasks every day
Most of the time, when working for one company full-time, new CNAs get stuck doing the same tasks every day. They may only get to clean surgical instruments for hours on end. Or be the person to clean all of the bedpans for the entire hospital floor.
With staffing agencies, CNAs get to spend time at different types of facilities. They get to learn different tasks and their duties will change based on where they are working. This helps keep things fresh and also leads to growth and development.
6. Working for a staffing agency without enough available shifts
CNAs may choose to work at staffing agencies expecting to work full-time hours. But what happens when there aren’t enough shifts available to reach your desired hours? It can become difficult to pay your bills, which is quite stressful.
Choosing a staffing agency that has enough shifts to choose from is an important consideration. Many CNAs prefer to have enough variation in both shifts and facilities that they can design their own schedules and still meet their financial goals.
Don’t make these mistakes as a new (or seasoned!) CNA – contact a recruiter today!
