Should I Become A Cna While Waiting To Get My Nursing Degree?
I am a 20 year old female taking my prerequisites for Nursing. I currently have 2.5 years left of school. Meanwhile, I am working retail and restaurant jobs, which I do not like at all, and I end up quitting after a few months. I want a job in a hospital setting so that I can gain experience, I have applied for a few jobs in various hospitals around town, such as secretarial positions. I’m starting to think that maybe I should look into getting certified to become a Nurse Aide/Assistant so that I can have a steady job that I actually enjoy, for the time being until I get my degree. The local CNA program is 4-6 weeks. So my question is, should I do it? What exactly does a CNA do in a hospital setting? Thanks
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I was a CNA while in nursing school,so I can tell you you’ll probably be won’t be working at a hospital,probably in a nursing home,assisted living facility or hospice.As a nursing student already,after you’re first semester(clinicals) you learned enough to work as a CNA,you don’t need extra training.Just pass the state exam(or equivalent if you live outside the US) and you’ll be able to work.As a CNA you can expect to be feeding,bathing ,taking vitals,drawing blood etc.You can expect to have between 10-15 patients to care for during your shift.
CNA’s really aren’t used in the hospital setting. Their training is geared towards extended care. There usually aren’t many patients in the hospital that need the kind of care that CNA’s provide; unless the hospital has an extended care unit.
What you may want to do is apply for a Patient Care Tech position. PCT’s are trained in basic patient care (vitals, daily living things a CNA does), plus they draw blood, perform EKG’s, assist with/perform sterile procedures.
In my hospital system, our PCT’s are usually trained first as EMT’s, Medical Assistants, or are nursing students that haven’t reached the clinical phase to be hired as Student Nurse Externs.
I would encourage you to apply for a PCT position and not waste time and money on a CNA course, unless you want to work in an extended care facility…which is great if you do, but if you are looking towards a hospital job, look for Patient Care Tech or Nursing Tech positions.