Pros
I loved my residents and getting to know them. Long-term residents are very much loved by the CNAs, and when they pass it is commonplace to see them at the services.
Cons
Plenty. The disconnect between nurses and CNAs was encouraged. This lead to a lot of resentment by CNAs for nurses who were delegating any jobs requiring hands-on care, and refusing to help CNAs when they need it. Resentment from nurses for CNAs for being "lazy" or simply not as educated as they are. CNAs are not consulted about a resident when a medical issue comes up, and concerns about a resident's change of overall health or mental status is ignored. When my facility received a patient with a disease requiring full protective gear (gown, gloves, mask, eyeshield) nursing and management staff refused to inform CNAs of what the disease was, even the CNAs with small children at home. They were simply told that if they donned their PPE, they had nothing to worry about. It is a vicious cycle that resulted in nurses belittling and infantilizing CNAs, and CNAs not trusting and not communicating concerns to nurses. This is dangerous for patient care. When interviewing for my position at Genesis, I was informed of benefits such as healthcare, tuition reimbursement, paid holidays, etc. I was told that I would be eligible for health coverage at three months of employment. Lo and behold, when I went to management to get my health insurance, I was told that since I did not sign up for it upon hiring, I was no longer eligible for insurance coverage. I was not informed of the open-enrollment period when I could sign up for insurance, only that I was not eligible, so I went without. When I later inquired about tuition reimbursement, I learned the Genesis simply discontinued the program. Staffing is notoriously thin, requiring CNAs to cut corners if they are going to keep up with performance demands. Their fellows are all stretched thin, so they cannot help you. Mandating to 16 hour shifts is commonplace, except for nightshift which was never mandated to an extended shift for some odd reason. Equipment is often broken. Supplies are limited and management does not hesitate to take away some things vital for patient care if it will save them money. At one point they even rationed the distribution of adult incontinence briefs, saying too many were being used. Pay increases are minimal. Holiday pay is only for 8 hours, so if you're mandated, you're out of luck. Vacation requests are often ignored.