CNA questions

Hi Everyone,

My name is Angela Huggins, and will be starting my CNA school tomorrow, it runs until April 27th, 2009, I will be taking the certification test in May 2009. I'm currently in Columbia, South Carolina, but will be moving to Lawton, Ok in August 2009, so my first question was does anyone know how to go about transferring their CNA certification to another state, and how I would go about obtaining a job as a CNA since I won't have any working experience as a CNA. I will be going to school to be a Registered Nurse in August 2009, and would prefer to work as a CNA, Friday, Saturday and Sundays while going to school (I've heard that nursing school is very demanding and doesn't leave a whole lot of free time) Please let me know if anyone knows of any job openings during this time frame in Lawton or Oklahoma City, OK, my email is andra79@hotmail.com, thanks in advance, Angela

Hi Angela,

First of all congrats on starting CNA school! I think it is a great idea to become a CNA prior to going into nursing school. Once you experience the work of a CNA you will learn to appreciate and respect their work later on, when they become part of your team. For information on how to transfer your CNA license from one state to another I would recommend you follow the step-by-step instructions at CNA Certification and Training Information under the "CNA License Transfer" tab on the menu. The short version of what is described there is to contact both state's NAR's (nurse aide registries), fill out an application for reciprocity, and send the paperwork either to your state's CNA Registry or to the one you are moving to. You will find out the specifics over the phone, since every state has different rules. For Registries addresses and phone numbers you can look under CNA Registries tab at the same address.
Concerning your question about finding a job once you complete CNA school..I have read that some new graduates don't find jobs as soon as they would like, but honestly I think that with the right attitude you will secure employment in a relatively short time. Many LTC facilities are in need of hard-working, dedicated CNAs. Your clinical experiences will constitute your experience as a new graduate. The best thing you can do is to find a CNA job at one of the hospitals where you will do clinicals while enrolled in nursing school. If you can find out which hospitals those are (or nursing homes) then you can try and secure a job there. Maybe call the RN program coordinator and ask them which hospitals will be included in the clinical rotations? I hope this helps...good luck to you!