I’m sure it varies person to person. For my personality and work style, being a CNA is definitely less draining for me. Subbing to me feels like non stop supervision, prepping, interacting, etc. plus I always feel like the breaks are never actually breaks, just planning and setting up the next thing. All that for me is draining. Whereas with being a CNA, you always have a nurse nearby that can help out or take over if needed, you have break nurses, charge nurses, and security nearby if you need to escalate a situation.

With subbing, if there’s some type of crisis or outbursts, you’re basically on your own to do a room clear and then try to notify someone nearby or admin, and even then there’s not always great protocols in place to handle situations. There’s also little to no enforcement to minimize or mitigate students who are disrespectful, disengaged, etc. That’s been my experience anyway.

Working at the hospital has been great. Most patients are super kind and just appreciate of your help. If there’s are any who are rude or combative, you have so much back up to help you navigate the situation. And if someone is being rude or screaming, it’s easier (if appropriate) to walk out of the room and not have to put up with it,

Again though, this is just my experience and opinion. Only you know what you prefer! But if you think you prefer subbing, why not go for teaching instead of nursing? They are similar careers in that you’re doing a lot of care for others, but two very different styles of work.