Hi, everyone!
I am thinking about taking an accelerated nursing program and I was looking to gain some patient care experience by becoming a CNA. I have been fortunate enough to be given a chance to shadow a CNA this wknd. and see what they do every day before I actually take the course and spend the big bucks :). The lady I spoke with on the phone didn't feel that the job was worth the amount of money that the nurses get paid. Of course, I am not looking to do this as a career and I was just looking for the experience, so that it would look better on my application to nursing school. It will be a short term thing. I have been researching this somewhat, and I wanted to see how actual CNA's feel about their job. The lady on the phone seemed pessimistic about the job and tried to dissuade me from it, but I think that she thought that this would be a career for me.
Thank you for any response.
Welcome to the site, jocelyn!
Re: being a cna: you have a good idea, folowing one, and then taking the course. to be honest, out in my neck of the woods, nursing students have to be CNA's before they go through clinicals. Thus, you're on to a good idea. Also, you will know from experience what they go through, and that will help with assignments later on.
Hope you drop by often, and keep us posted on what's going on!
Thanks for the reply. I have lurked on this site before, and I had found some very helpful info. I find that being a cna is good for some while it isn't for others. I was looking for some opinions that dealt more with the situation that I was in. I plan on sticking around for support and stuff. I am about to graduate with my 4 year degree in Biology. I just recently decided that I wanted to be a nurse. They have accelerated programs for people who are transitioning to a new career in nursing who already have a degree, so it sounds promising. I thought about being a Medical Technologist, but unfortunately there is no room for advancement in that area unlike there is in nursing. Both have good pay, but nurses can get their MSN and move up the ladder. MT is dead end, and I'd probably get bored with that job anyway.
I am hoping to gain some good advice here.
jocelyn,
Here in NV CNA is required to get into nursing school as well. Being a CNA first gives you pt. care experience as well as picking up on the jargon, watching LPN and RN skills. Here in rural NV we don't always have a CNA so we have to know what they know. So being a Nurse doesn't mean we never do CNA work!! CNA's are vital to our team, and should always be treated as such.
Tracey
I agree TraceR. They are very valuable. I don't know why people think that nurses don't do cna work. I thought that direct patient care was something that all nurses did before I even found out that there were different kinds of nurses. A lot of people seem to think that degreed nurses push all the direct patient care work off on the cna's, but I don't even think that they had cna's at the hospital that I volunteered at. In my opinion, if some nursing students think that they won't have to do what CNA's do after they get their degrees then they are seriously misleading themselves.
Thanks for the input.
Yes they are. Some of them have RNitis. Think they are too good for that kind of work, they forget we are all there to take care of pts. Mind, body and soul. I don't trust a person who makes other people do work that they won't do themselves. That is just me. They give me the feeling that they would leave you hanging when the sh!* hits the fan. CNA's get to spend more time with our pts, so they see a lot of subtle changes that the Nurse may miss. Good luck with school. Nursing is an ever changing, rewarding career.
Tracey
Haha @ the RNitis comment. I don't trust people like that either. I think all nurses, no matter the rank, should have each other's backs.
I am starting nursing school this fall and have been a CNA for about a year. The work is difficult at times, but it has been excellent experience and I feel better prepared for nursing school. I would definitely do it if I were you. After being a CNA you might also decide that nursing is not for you and you will not have wasted the time and money on nursing school. How you like the job will also depend a lot on the facility, your co-workers and your attitude. If you come off as a know-it-all, don't pull your weight or take too many breaks, the other CNAs will turn on you. My advice is to work your butt off in the beginning and be very appreciative when people help you out. Hopefully it will be smooth sailing from there.
Being a CNA is not for everybody, and many concern services have been experiencing great complexity to enlisting and retaining trained staffing in recent years. So, it’s good to attain a CNA classes to come into the field for positive change in your profession.
There are back stabbers in every industry. Everyone for themselves is the mentality of a lot of people these days. Hopefully this wont turn anyone off to the profession.
I have only been a CNA for a year now but it is well worth it! My experience has been an amazing one. This job ,though, can be crazy, disgusting, and often times very dirty and mentally demanding, but in the end its a stable job and the residents or patients make the hard work well worth it. They bring a smile to your face even when you don't want to. Its the best career that I have ever had, even though some of the coworkers can be a little rude and harsh, the people you take care of and can make smile is well worth dealing with that. If you want to be a CNA , I say go for it , and have fun!