I can't imagine going into nursing school clinical without having been a CNA first! Obviously it isn't necessary to be a CNA first but CNA skills really are the foundation of nursing. Its nice to have that step up and have those baseline CNA skills mastered when you go into clinical and start your first job, takes some of the worry away!!
I was a CNA before I went to Nursing School and for me, it really helped. Especially with clinical and patient contact and my comfort level. I loved being a CNA and it helped me become the nurse that I am today.
Nurse Born Products hi, Do you know if any of my CNA lesson can carry into me getting my ASN? Also how did you go into the Nursing program ( CNA 20 years)!!
Yes! As a CNA you will have so much experience with direct patient care that many students who are brand new to the field don't have. You will feel comfortable providing care and with patient interactions. Also, you will feel more comfortable interact with other members of the healthcare team. As well as have a general understanding of medical teriminology. Best of Luck to you in your journey from CNA into Nursing!
If you are a CNA or PCT working in a hospital some hospitals will pay for your Nursing school. you just have to work for them for a certain amount of time after you graduate.
Kayla W, for my hospital it’s 3k a semester but you have to work at least part time for the whole time you’re in school. And if you’re in a normal speed BSN program with clinicals it’s kind of tough to make that time commitment so be aware of that going in as well :)
I'm 18 & I have been a CNA for about a 1 1/2 already, I got my CNA during my junior year of high school. I just recently finished high school June 2017. I'm starting my prerequisites for nursing school this Fall 2017. I sincerely recommend being a CNA before nursing school because you learn so much as a aide in a nursing home! A CNA is definitely different than a PCT tho & I've seen a lot of people getting that wrong. Hospitals don't hire CNAs they PCTs and vise versa with the Nursing homes which only hire CNAs. PCTs are more so going to be doing Vital Signs & EKGs while CNAs are going to be assisting with ADLs like dressing feeding changing briefs etc... Overall, I love your videos & I'm so excited to start school!! 😊😊😊
Cheyenne Savain PCTs also assist with adls and dressong, feeding, and changing. I can't tell you how many people I've changed working in the hospital. Or how many times i assist with Adls a shift. I'm a CNA I have the license the hospital just used the term PCT. But it's literally the same. You just have more lifting work in the Nursing home and eveverything is paper charting.
today is my first week to become a CNA and i already feel the certificate in my hands. i love what i am preparing to do for people and their families im just so grateful for this moment. and you are gorgeous btw. 🙏🏼
Being a CNA before nursing school will give you a big advantage when it comes to clinicals imo. At least for first semester clinicals that is. I dont know if I'm right but from what I've seen from clinicals this semester, nurses don't really have the time to do the CNA type of stuff especially when she has 5-6 patients. I never became a CNA before nursing school but they kind of teach you the CNA skills before you start.
How did you become a CNA? Did you take any special classes? Also no offense at all, but do the people in the hospital world take you serious because you are so young or do they treat you like you are shadowing? Lots of questions I know lol, but I would love to know more about your experience.
Patrecia Bell I took a vocational class that a neighboring school offered to all the schools around the city. My school busses me over every day for three hours to take the class. The class was called medical procedures and the first semester was the CNA course. I think with my age I have more trouble interviewing for CNA jobs because I chose not to work while I was in highschool so I had no work experience and I think that employers are looking for people with work experience. yeah it can be intimidating being young and working in the hospital or nursing home environment because some nurses or even other CNAs don't think you know anything or I'm just too immature for the job but I don't really let that bother me as long as I work hard and prove I'm capable.
I did PCT In my junior year of high school along with LPN courses so after senior year i will be eligible to sit for the NCLEX-PN and i plan on going to college to receive my BSN. So i think it will be really helpful for me going into college.
Just found your channel and I plan on watching all your videos because they look super interesting!! I'm about to finish my first year of pre-requisite courses to apply for nursing school but in the meantime I already signed up for a CNA course this summer! I'm really excited about it and I plan on working while taking the rest of my pre-requisite classes. I also volunteer 4 hours a week at a local hospital and I absolutely love interacting with patients. Thank you for posting this video!
I love working as an PCT. It really has taught me so much. I'm not fearful of turning up O2 or talking to patients. Lol It has also helped me to tap into my "nurse senses" lol You know that feeling when something just isn't right as well as time management and learning that you won't just kill over dead from being overwhelmed lol
So this all basically applies to CNAs who work in hospitals. This doesn't sound like it applies to CNAs in nursing homes, where the majority of CNAs work, because nurses rarely, if ever, do any actual medical work on our residents aside from passing meds and the occasional wound care from pressure sores. Would you say theres any benefits to being a CNA who's only worked in LTC facilities before becoming nurse? Do you get any kind of special credits for your CNA license or become more qualified for the nursing program if you have a CNA license?
Hey Nicole! I can pretty much answer your question. This will be pretty lengthy so bare with me. I've been a CNA for 11 years. I worked at LTC facilities, but I now work at a hospital. Is working at LTC facilities beneficial? I will say yes and no. Yes because you interact with the patient more than anybody else, so with that alone you'll develop great bedside manners. Also you do a lot of patient care there. No because you basically seeing the same stuff every day. They have the same patients and their care is not as critical as hospital patients. If you plan on becoming an RN LTC facilities is ok,but I would advise that you find work at a hospital. At the hospital the techs draw blood, start IVs, do EKGS, and etc. Not only that you will pick up on medical terminology. I sometimes find myself explaining to patients about their medications and what its for😆. Nicole if you chose to work at a LTC facility, it's ok. The reason I'm saying find work at a hospital is because when you go to nursing school, you will already know how to basically do everything and things won't sound like a foreign language to you. And yes schools do give you points for already being a CNA. Good luck! If you have any other questions I'll try my best to answer them.
I've been a cna for about 3 years now, 1 and a half of which has been at the hospital. I'm starting my nursing classes in the fall, and you can definitely tell who has been a cna before becoming a nurse by their patient interaction and how they treat their cnas and lpns
I was just about to ask this question :) awesome btw new sub, really enjoy your videos, super informative 😊 for your next video can you make it about the duties that CNA's have? or how they differ from LVNs and RNs ?
Typically if you've completed fundamentals of nursing, you'll be allowed to work in a position that requires a CNA license, BUT you will still have to take the licensure exam.
This was so helpful! I just finished and passed my first semester of nursing school at Valencia and I'm getting ready to apply to CNA jobs. I'm glad to hear it was beneficial!
I am trying to decide if I want to be a nurse or not yet. I am doing a lot of research to see if this field will be a great fit for me. I live in Seattle, Washington, and all of the colleges that teach nursing require their students to be a CNA first before they apply. I believe that all allied health fields have become extremely competitive that they use a lot of different criteria before they will accept a student into that field of study. Many of the colleges want you to have current patient care by volunteering for more than 50 hours. Moreover, some colleges want their students to have at least a 3.8 GPA and make a video of yourself as to why you want to be a nurse or any other health field of study. A few months ago I got a job as a home health aide with paid training, and I can use that experience for my application. I have a lot of experience in the health field since I was a Hospital Corpsman in the U.S. Navy for about 11 years. I also was a phlebotomist for a long time, and eventually, I worked in a medical laboratory for over 20 years, where I worked in Specimen Processing, Molecular Biology, and Cytogenetics. I am the midst of doing a career change as a 53-year-old man by using the food stamps program after I lost my medical laboratory job by going to the local community college. I am driven to accomplish my goal in the health field, and I believe that I can do it. I just hope that I can get accepted into one of the programs and get a job. I have been watching your videos about nursing, and you have really inspired me to work my hardest ever in my life. I have taken some of my prerequisites such as Anatomy and Physiology I, Biology, Intermediate Algebra, and Medical Terminology. The anatomy was the most difficult class that I have ever had in my life, and thankfully I got a B minus. I am dreading the second part of the Anatomy and Physiology since it's very difficult. Thank you for making these videos. Good luck in your future as an RN. I know you will be a fantastic nurse.
Im looking to become a registered nurse, but there is requirements such as college classes, i was wondering if i become a CNA can i skip the 2 years of general education and go straight into nursing school? Please lmk
My nursing program requires some healthcare experience before you can apply, whether it be volunteer work or CNA/LPN work. I'm about to take my CNA course, I'm pretty excited!
Loved this video! Nothing but the truth ,the patient care experience is what I love the most ,the job itself is hard work ,I apply for the RN program soon & I think it would be very beneficial for others to become an assistant before being an RN .
I passed my cna n 2004 but i never worked as one, i kno a waste, i regret a lil but goin into the nursing school i feel like i have an ounce of knowlegde of it
Ericka Wallace changing the bed sheets and bed pan, range of motion, im not sure how much it changed since it was 13 years ago, also depends on how u absorb information, i was the one that was sleep but if my teacher wakes me up and tell me to do the blood pressure manually ill get it n go back to sleep, if u need more of that paper work study that or the hands on, if u decide to do it, u'll do great ☺
Okay what do you think of this plan: 1. Complete prerequisites for nursing school 2. Take (and pass) the CNA cert course 3. Get a job as a CNA 4. Apply to nursing school and pass 5. Get a job as an RN is this the order I should do things? Thanks.
This gives me a bit of hope. I can be a Registered Nurse because I have my experience as a Nurse assistant. Someday I want to get into surgery and cardiology. Who knows where God will lead me in the medical field.
My school requires a medical background to even apply for the program. It’s based off of points. Half work experience and half GPA. Each school is different
Man I love it! Thank you for this! I feel like you read my last comment el oh el! I felt like you were speaking to me ! ❤️ thank you so much for the advice
did you go right into your bachelor's? is it possible to go into a bachelor program w/ no medical experience prior? i'm getting my nursing pre-reqs right now
Chloe Marie yes it is possible. I'm in a bachelors program now and I had zero medical experience before nursing school. They don't look at whether you have experience in the field or not, they look at GPA and entrance exam scores!
I honestly think it’s best if you get into CNA just for experience just so you’ll know like the feeling of working with nurses, doctors, and other people. You’ll also see if medical field is for you or not and just experiencing to work with patients I honestly think it’s super important so that way when you get into nursing school and graduate as an RN you’ll actually know how it’ll be like since you already had experiences as a CNA it’s really good. However like I understand everyone totally has a different opinion. It’s kinda amazing like dang most nursing to be are freaking gorgeous :)
I have not done cna work, but have been a direct support professional, dealing with clients and yes I cleaned poop, urine, diapers, given medication and topicals under nurse delegation.
i wanna become a CRNA and it will be a long shot for me and i do not care cause i know by the end old or young it will be worth it 💯 i am looking forward to work in the field its a challenge im willing to take, lets go!!!!
question: how did you find your job as a nurse tech? Did you look online/contact the hospital/ hear from someone else? I'm almost done with my 2nd semester, and I'm trying to find a similar job, but I don't know how to go about looking for one!
can anyone give me advice. im getting my cna this year and after that i was going to do my lpn while doing my prereq for nursing. should i just get my cna and do my prereq and go straight into nursing?
High Kitty I would go straight into nursing, if that is your ultimate end goal. I know a couple of people who were LPNs before they went into nursing and they always tell me that they had to kind of "re-learn" things because it's different being a nurse and they weren't taught the correct way.
i thought being an lpn before going into nursing school would give me the experience before entering the lpn to rn bridge program. my end goal would be working in the plastic surgery field or cancer field.
I also have an MOA back ground I was thinking the same thing but it depends on the person I guess I was thinking going in to CNA and moving forward from there.
You can pretty much work at any hospital. Hospitals however want you to have at least 6 months experience with patient care to be considered for a position
All of the benefits she describes in this video are cool but they are things you will learn in nursing school regardless! I'm graduating next year and I literally just got a job as a CNA(without bein certified, I got it by being in nursing school) a few weeks ago. Literally, when I tell you 9/10things CNAs do , will be the things you will not be bothered with as a nurse. My first two semesters in nursing school, I did bed baths, bed pans, changing linens, etc. By the end of my junior year, I had 7 other patients and didn't have the time to do those things and they were delegated to the CNA. And yes the first couple of semesters you aren't going to be comfortable talking to patients or hospital staff, most people don't , I know I didn't. By the time you graduate, you'll be able to talk to them like a BOSS! That's what nursing school is for , to teach you skills and to perfect them. CNA experience is cool and all but it really doesn't focus on what a nurse does. It's not going to teach you how to give a blood transfusion or how to give a med IV push or what to do when your patient is going through DKA and the signs you need to watch for with digoxin or what you need to do when your patient has to be intubated. But this is just my opinion so take it with a grain of salt! The major benefit I strongly believe is the best with being a CNA is whatever hospital you work for, a few months before you graduate if a position opens on the unit you want as a nurse, you can apply and you get first dibs on that position(or any position really) and more than likely they'll hire you.
