Is finding a CNA job hard or easy?

Nursing Students CNA/MA

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Well, I've decided to join #teamawesomenurses, lol. I am finishing up my prerequisites and am applying for a nursing program in Spring 2016. I am also taking a four week CNA course before my semester starts up again. My question is, I'm seeing a lot of CNA/Medical Aide job postings ( I live in the Dallas, Texas area), Is it a pretty easy job to get a hold of once you're certified? Will this help me get accepted into a program? I apologize if I'm asking too many questions at once. I'm just extremely nervous, anxious, and excited all at the same time. I would love any advice from my new to seasoned nurses. Thanks.

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Specializes in orthopedic/trauma, Informatics, diabetes.

I had a very difficult time getting a CNA job in the hospitals here in NC. I ended up working as a home health aide, which I loved. It counted as experience when applying for a nursing job and I got a lot of experience working with the geriatric population, the dying process/hospice care, time management (getting from one assignment to another). You don't get the experience of what it is like to work in the hospital, but you will get that in clinical experience.

Just a thought.

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Thanks for your input mmc. It's kinda funny you mention NC. My brother graduated as a phlebotomist over there and he said it was hard for him too. Took him about 9 months just to get in a hospital. What is the difference from a cna vs home health aide if you don't mind me asking? I was hoping I could start in a hospital or nursing home, but taking into consideration of what you just said, I may have start smaller.

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Hi :) I would say it is relatively easy to get a CNA job. I'm in Ohio where they are called STNAs and there seems to be more jobs then there are people certified to do them. I was accepted into an RN program and I start Fall 2015. I am finishing prerequisites while working. YES I do think that being a nurses aide helped me get into the selective program. I know what the nurse does because I work with them everyday, I live the life, working the long hours, assisting the nurse with what she's doing, along with patient care. I work in a nursing home, the same one that did my nurses aide class. I just got hired at a hospital and start Jan 26 :) Where I live, though I think it is across the board, hospitals pay much more than nursing homes so are harder to get into. I had to build up my work experience and finally got a call back and hired, but definitely try to get into a hospital first, the pay there, in my experience, is about four dollars an hour more for the same work then at the nursing home. Plus you have your foot in the door for when you graduate the nursing program. Just my 2 cents :)

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It was time consuming for me to get a nurse assistant position. It took me 6 months after being eligible to get hired 😤 I applied NONSTOP every single day.

Check postings as often as possible. Some companies use a computer system that only looks at the first 20 applicants!

Good luck!

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I had a very difficult time getting a CNA job in the hospitals here in NC. I ended up working as a home health aide, which I loved. It counted as experience when applying for a nursing job and I got a lot of experience working with the geriatric population, the dying process/hospice care, time management (getting from one assignment to another). You don't get the experience of what it is like to work in the hospital, but you will get that in clinical experience.

Just a thought.

I live in charlotte n.c. as well. i have not yet take the state exam. can some one tell me what questions are on the test
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In my area getting a CNA/HHA job is not as easy as it once was, due to the economy and job market in general. For that matter, it is not so easy to get any type of job. One must be persistent. Good experience for when you have a hard time getting a job as a new grad nurse.

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I believe it is easy to get a CNA job fresh out of school if you apply to a nursing home and some home health staffing agencies, but if you are looking to get into a hospital having at least one year experience will make that an easy process. Still apply to hospitals right off the bat though because being in nursing school may get you the job without any CNA experience. Working in a hospital pays more and you are usually not working as hard as you would in a nursing home. Also dont forget to apply for positions as a transporter in a hospital. Those positions usually require a CNA but you are really not doing much CNA work so having no experience is not much of an issue.

Good luck to you

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Specializes in Pediatric Home Care, Dr Office/Clinic.

I live in Los Angeles & CNA jobs are plentiful in SNF, Rehab & with home health agencies. Hospital jobs for new CNAs are tough to get most hospitals want 1 year experience or more but a few small hospitals will hire new CNAs...just have to look for 1 key important word in a job listing... "Preferred" ie 1 year acute care facility or hospital experience PREFERRED" those you can apply to. I've been a CNA for 3 months & have been working at an assisted living & sub acute facility & I just got hired at a hospital two days ago. It CAN happen before you have that "1 year of experience" you just have to look around and keep applying to those "experience preferred" listings. I plan to do my prereqs this year and apply to RN school next year.

Good luck!

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I got a job at a skilled nursing facility within 1 month of earning my CNA certification, and I worked there for 8 months and started a BSN program before getting hired as a NA in a hospital for the same health care system. The hospitals here usually hire either experienced aides (more than 1 year) or nursing students for hospital positions. I live in western new york..

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Applying for CNA in a nursing home may be a hard position to get if you have no experience. But keep applying because someone just might hire without experience. A home health care agency is probably in higher demand and will give you easier cases if you don't have experience and will usually give you cases with more responsibility if they notice you can do a good job with patient care.

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I disagree with a statement posted that says CNA work easier in a hospital then a nursing home or home health agency. I am the only PCT on shift for a 25 bed mother/baby unit. It is high volume workload with 6 nurses all wanting you to do something for them constantly. I'm exhausted by the end of my 12 hour shift. I say this is the harder job in my healthcare experience. I don't have a desk of my own like the nurses do, I'm on my feet the whole 12 1/2 shift that includes a total of 45 minutes of sit down time for breaks. Sometimes I can sit at front desk for few minutes but it is not long before someone is calling me for a job to do

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