NEW CNA....HELP?!!

Nursing Students CNA/MA

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Specializes in CNA, CCMA, CPT, CET.

Hello!!!! :) i've literally just received my cna license a few days ago. I'm very excited but now that i have it i'm completely lost as to what steps i need to take. I've noticed a lot of jobs state that they want 6 months to a year of experience. I've contacted a few places to volunteer but no response yet. I've held a short job at octapharma plasma but wasn't there long enough to add it to my resume as experience. I've held prior certifications as a medical assistant, ekg tech, as well as phlebotomy but they've all expired without me being able to put them to use (due to an issue with my certs). I've only held jobs in retail and to be honest, that doesn't look pretty good either. Due to a lot of personal situations and lack of stability my jobs were pretty short term and didn't end very well. But on the plus side, i'm waiting on a response for a job with a well known dialysis center and while i'm pretty sure i have the job i'm not exactly sure i want to take it due to the fact that my cna will just go to waste. I was told i would have to get a completely new license there and that the cna won't matter. Sorry for the super long paragraph but any advice would be highly appreciated!

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There are many places that will take new CNAs. LTC, Rehab, Home Care, Do you have hospitals/homes for VETS. Homes for the disabled, Retirment Homes, Some Hospice. Just to name a few places that you could look into and put your hard working CNA certificate to good use. :)

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Specializes in Ambulatory Care.

Hi charmingcarmen,

I completely agree with mvm2, who posted above. Places s/he listed, especially LTC, are usually always hiring, and being a new CNA will not reduce your chances of employment. Unlike you, who actually has healthcare experience, I had zero. I applied to an assisted living facility to start with, to get comfortable with patient care, and they hired me. Nursing home is more demanding, but I can see that many are understaffed and need all the help they can get. So don't give up, if CNA is what you want to do. Regarding that, you said you are waiting to hear from a dialysis center as far as the job...I always think of how the job I'm thinking to pursue aligns with my future goal. If you compare the two positions, which one do you think would benefit you the most?

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Finding a CNA job won't be hard for you. Its the hardest job for companies to hold on to. Check the medical section on craigslist as well; they ALWAYS are looking.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

Just start applying! I just got a job on a Peds unit, with pretty much no experience (3 months of exp 10 years ago, but I didnt even put it on my resume) and I don't even have my CNA...and its at a large magnet hospital. I just applied anyway, and got hired!

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Specializes in CNA, CCMA, CPT, CET.

Thank you all so much! Great advice from each of you. I will definitely put it to use. After completing the job shadowing process at the dialysis center, I feel that it's not something I'd like to do. I love to work on a very personal level with patients and actually get to interact with them more. I also feel that it may be a bit too much for me to take in seeing that I'm just starting out. I will start looking into the facilities that you mentioned. Thanks again!!

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