CNA/LVN decision making time

[la mama 310]

I only one person who is a CNA and she works nights 3 days a week. After

years of trying to make it in my own business I am shifting to health care

because I think it's really rewarding. N/E ways here is my question to some

CNA's and LVN's and RN's in the field. I enrolled in a private college for their

CNA course, it cost more than $500. But I did that while enrolling for pre-reqs to get into the CC RN program. Now, I want a different route to RN-

through LVN. The choice I have to make is make a financial commitment to

an LVN program that would keep me away from my family two nights a week and one weekend day for 16 months (it could pay for it provided I have job that pays at least $10 an hour at 40 hours a week min.) ... OR

try to enter a day program in the Fall that is a shorter time span (about

1 year) but ends 2 months later. (This is from 8-3 mon- Fri and then 3 days per week for the second semester) Not easy to get into, but the

price is $12,000 cheaper. ( I would hope that I could easily get a CNA

night shift on weekends) I can't really make this decision because I hear

that the job market is not good for CNA and that people are hiring more

LVN instead. I am so confused????????? What to do? Again I know only

one CNA she told me positive stuff for CNA so I am confused!!!

LVN CHEAPER ROUTE

Here are my pro's Here are my cons

less expensive acceptance is based on

no financial pressure to pay test results

tuition Have to wait 6 months before

my kid will be in school throughout starting, I am impatient

the entire program...no need to If I can't get in then I have

pay babysitter on sat. to pay for expensive route

If I have to take time off work to N/E ways

study I could afford it Saturdays are gone with my

If I have to go for expensive route preschooler

because of not getting in I would have I won't have days to work a

money saved up for that hopefully shift from 8-3 or 7-3 I could

only work weekend night

shifts and my hubby changes

his schedule often

My list are about the same. WHat is the reality of more widely available

shifts for CNA work. Maybe that would help me with my decision. I live

in a big city and I think there is a high demand. For the new grads, was

it easy to find a job if you were in a big city, could you choose from

shifts? ANy help is appreciated .... I am having trouble sleeping lately cause

the school wants my decision soon.

[yousoldtheworld]

In my experience, places are hiring MORE CNAs than LPNs because it's cheaper to have us there to do the care, and just have enough LPNs to adequately pass their medications and do their tasks. But, I think that varies by area. Some people on here have complained of having trouble finding a CNA position. Where I live, I've never had trouble at all.

I can't really weigh in on which route you should take, but I can tell you there here, CNAs are always needed for weekends and 2nd shift, and sometimes nights. It's generally much harder to get on days. If you are willing to work every weekend, tell the facilities you are considering working at! There are always weekend callins and they LOVE people who are willing to work weekends.

[fuzzywuzzy, CNA]

I had a hard time deciphering your post, but I take it you want to be a nurse? LVNs and RNs are both nurses, but LVNs are a step down from RNs. They generally get paid less and have less opportunities for advancement. What your scope of practice is varies from state to state. In some states an LVN can do pretty much everything an RN does, while in others you're very limited in what you're allowed to do. If I were you I would just apply to an RN program. You'll have to sign your life over to school for at least a couple years either way, so might as well go for the RN.

CNAs are nursing assistants. We feed, bathe, toilet, ambulate, take vital signs, and keep our eyes out for changes to report to the nurse. To be a CNA you take a class (including a clinical portion) that's about 100 hours long (depends on your state). I've heard there's a CNA II in some areas, where you're trained to do more skilled stuff, but aside from that there is no advancement as a CNA like there is for an LVN who wants to be an RN.

I completely understand your concerns about the time and money involved in nursing school. I'm pre-nursing school at this point and I'm freaking out about the same things- I'm 23- a really crappy age for this! It seems like every other nursing student is either younger and getting help from their parents, or a few years older with a husband's income to live on while they're in school (I'm not implying it's easy for anyone though). That said, nursing school is a time/money commitment, and there's no way around it. You either have to do it or not. There are loans (ugggh! thinking about student loans makes me nauseous), and financial aid, and a lot of places will offer some tuition reimbursement, but you'll still have to work less hours while you're in school, so hopefully if you decide to be a CNA your workplace will be flexible. Like someone else said, offer to work every weekend. Ask about per diem hours and also see if they'll let you work 3 12-hour shifts instead of 4 or 5 8-hour ones.