How long will it take to be hired as a CNA?

Nursing Students CNA/MA

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I am a college student, and I will begin a CNA course as of next month, but I am very antsy. I do not have a problem with the job description; I am very comfortable tending to sickly individual, but I am leery of how long it will take for me to be hired. My mom's friend has been a CNA for roughly five years, and he gives me pointers every know and then. If I were to begin the 3-week course mid-September, and be finish by mid-October, on average, how long does it usually take for one to be placed as a CNA? What happens after I've completed the course, isn't there a certification, that I would have to take? Also, the place I am getting my CNA, is also a staffing agency. So, for those who have gone to CNA schools that also staff, how long would it take for me to be given a job, granted I am a skilled, and kind worker? Lastly, what are some really good pointers, as far as hiring, and looking for CNA jobs in general?

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I'm not sure anyone can answer this question for you with any certainty. I'm not in your country and even in mine it varies as to how long it will take to get hired. It took me a month but I was also halfway through my course when I was hired. Our course is also quite a bit longer(10months). I know of some others who were also hired pretty quickly but hadn't started their courses yet. In my health region we will be hired without our course but you have two years to complete your course or lose your job.

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I agree with the pp on this topic.

In my experience, I had a job when I got out of my training. Were I live CNA jobs are a dime a dozen.

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I'm taking a class through a nursing home that offers cna classes every once in awhile. I am required to work for them for 6 months. But in my area it is pretty easy to find cna work. I can begin working as soon as my class is over before my state test but I can only work 120 days without my certificate.

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In my region there is a lack of good CNA's. A few of the top places will come to the class on the second week to talk to the students. They start the hiring process during there week of clinical and can start orientation the week after they get there NA certificate of completion. The make you take the certification test with in 60 days and if you do not pass with in 90 days of being hired you get fired. Where we are at you should be able to get 4 to 5 testing dates in there 90 days.

The better places look for new CNA's so they can mold to there higher standard of care.

It's hard to make change someone habits and to make someone care after they worked for someone else just to get there paycheck.

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Specializes in Med-Surg/urology.

I became a CNA in 2009 and it seemed like a long time before I actually found a job. But in reality, it took two months. I got hired at an assisted living facility. They seem to like new CNAs. It took me about eight months before I was able to get hired at an nursing home.

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Took a month for me to get hired at my job.

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Where I live the market is so oversaturated with CNA school graduates. Most places want a years experience-with so many CNA's they can be picky.

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Specializes in Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner.

I got hired in home health before I took my state test. If you can get an interview and nail it, finding a job shouldn't be too difficult for home health.

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Specializes in CNA, HHA, RNA,.

How long will it take? Well that depends on the employer, now doesn't it? How long will any job search take before they decide to hire you?

You need to factor in things like economy, place of interest, location, employer and if there is a spot available or not. The process to being a CNA isn't long but that's only when you compare it against programs like LVN and RN who have to finish the program and have an active license before they step on the floor.

Seeing as CNA only requires certification it can vary a little differently. These sort of questions should be covered once you start the program because all instructors typically go over job and job security. You haven't even started the program, (I'm assuming) and typically its a few months theory and then you must have clinical hours under your belt. If you want to work in a facility like skilled nursing facility (SNF) or LTC or hospital, you won't be eligible until you've finished the program and are coming up for your test soon.

The place has policies too that exist for a reason: some place have a policy mandated that they cannot have any unlicensed personnel on the floor, but not all. (It varies from state to state, location to location, building to building). Some places will grant you the job upon completion of passing your test, so you can shadow another cna and get all that out of the way.

Ultimately it'll take however long your program is before you can start looking for work, applying and waiting for phone calls. Or the time it take to become certified + looking for work.

No one can answer that for you though with a specific date because generally there is no answer for what you're looking for unless someone here is psychic.

IF you decide to do Home Health though, typically you can start looking for work quicker because you are not required to have a CNA so you start job searching right away.

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Where I live the nursing homes pay for your classes and sign u on a 90 day contract it's easy to get a CNA job in Arkansas

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