Thinking about going to Nursing School, should I be a CNA first??

Nursing Students CNA/MA

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Hi everyone, I just needed some advice. I have a bachelor's degree and would like to get my B.S.N. I have a few prerequisites to take first like A&P 1 &2 and Microbio. I just started as an NA and am working at a nursing home. Can anyone tell me if this is a good idea, because the pay is very low, but it's do-able for me, but I just really wanted to get some good experience before I pursue nursing. Can you please kind of provide me with the pros and cons? Thank you so much for your help!!

Specializes in being a Credible Source.

If you really want to be a CNA, go for it. Doing the certification was enough for me.

I like being an ER nurse (generally) but I would've despised being a CNA and, 3.5 years in, I think that any small benefit that it might have conferred has long since been surpassed by my nursing experience.

One of the definate pro's to being a CNA first.

Nursing homes will pay either 100% (mine did this) or give tutition assistance for nursing school after 1 yr working with them, they usually only require you stay with them 2-3 yrs after.

Yes if you enjoy being a CNA and you do it well you will be a great nurse..crappy cna=crappy nurse

I am a big-time advocate of going the CNA route first. My CNA cert has helped me through so many parts of my RN journey. Before school, working as a CNA gave me the experience I needed to get accepted into nursing schools that previously rejected me. During school, my RN coworkers went out of their way to take me under their wing. They always encouraged me to learn and ask questions and involved me in valuable learning experiences. After I graduated, my RN coworkers taught me how to study for NCLEX... And now that I have my license, I have an opportunity to enter a new grad program at my hospital that has been otherwise closed to external applicants. Of my peers, the only new grad nurses that have gotten RN jobs so far have been working as CNAs at their specific hospitals. I have heard more than once from several hospitals that they hire internally first and give their own coworkers priority. I cannot say enough about how appreciative I am of becoming a CNA first. I was one of the stronger clinical students because of it and became an expert in the foundations of nursing.

Specializes in Aesthetics, Med/Surg, Outpatient.
Yes if you enjoy being a CNA and you do it well you will be a great nurse..crappy cna=crappy nurse

I beg to disagree on this issue... CNA is mostly about comfort measures and although is a part of RN, does not define what kind of nurse you will be. If you were horrible at cleaning/preparing 10-15 patients in 8 hrs, I just cant see how that will impact a RN who has half that amount.

If you are incompetent as a CNA because the tasks are simple, maybe you just didnt like it or it wasnt for you. Then again, to properly determine if a CNA is truly bad, you'd have to put them in every setting and judge them based on that.

Also, if crappy means poor lifting, bathing, feeding, do most nurses really do that anyways?

My program required a CNA cert prior to beginning.

My take on it is that CNA experience is not of any particular benefit upon entering nursing. The basic skillset can be acquired quickly and is a very small part of a nurse's role.

I would never want to work with a nurse who didn't think being a CNA first is of any benefit. The nurses I have worked with who never worked as CNAs have beyond ridiculous expectations and think they're overqualified to help wipe someone's behind. On the other hand, nurses who were CNAs previously understand what it's like and have a more practical, collaborative mindset. I really can't stand Nurses who think they're better than CNAs and that's the vibe I get from this post.

I volunteered in an ER and on a Med/Surg floor for experience. It worked.

Specializes in being a Credible Source.
I would never want to work with a nurse who didn't think being a CNA first is of any benefit. The nurses I have worked with who never worked as CNAs have beyond ridiculous expectations and think they're overqualified to help wipe someone's behind. On the other hand, nurses who were CNAs previously understand what it's like and have a more practical, collaborative mindset. I really can't stand Nurses who think they're better than CNAs and that's the vibe I get from this post.
Apparently, your vibration meter needs calibration because no more do I consider RNs better than CNAs than I consider MDs better than RNs... just different jobs, different responsibilities, and different skill sets - each of which can be learned and mastered without having experience in the other.

Your post makes me chuckle because my aids loved me, precisely because I'm a hands-on nurse who never dumps the scut work onto my aids.

I stand by my original statement, however, that I see no particular benefit of being a CNA prior to nursing school.

Yes Yes Yes! If you work as a CNA, you will have alot of experience and will be more prepared for nursing school than non-CNA nursing students, and will be one step ahead of the students who don't have experience as a NA or CNA. Some hospitals train you to start foleys, etc. and you will be such a pro, that you won'nt be nerviouse in clinicals. I am a CNA myself, and can tell what nurses were cna's in the past and who was'nt. The nurses who were cna's before becoming RN's are the ones who understand our job, and are a great at helping us, and do not complain either. Those RN's are always letting me know that being a CNA is the best decision they ever made, and let me know that I made the right choice. I strongly encourage you to get your CNA and work in a hospital. Some hospitals will hire you even if you only fineshed a nursing assistant course and did'nt get your actual CNA yet. But it truly does'nt hurt to take the state test for your CNA..so go for it!

Helpful? Yes. Necessary? No. I was never a CNA and manage just fine.

Hi, and a couple more things I have to say...and this is in response to the negative comments about being a CNA. First of all, you won't hurt your back unless you dont take the steps to keep yourself safe, rude coworkers and staff are everywhere, and I have always recieved respect from everyone at the two nursing homes and two hospitals I worked at, I just ignore and or move on somewhere else.. Pay is excellent for me..you just have to find out which place pays good, and there are places that pay decent.There is always work..I love my job, and have worked most of the different floors in hospitals and nursing homes..so I know what to expect when I go to nursing school and start my career, thanks to my awesome experience as a CNA. I encourage you to only listen to us CNA's and nurses who have very positive comments..like I said before, those who make those negative comments must be working somewhere where they are very unhappy, or maybe need a career change, sorry ladies and gents, but the truth hurts..I have some stressful days, and maybe have shed a tear in the bathroom, but I love what I do, and the patients and those in need of our support and healing make my life so happy! :yes: ... Shift+R improves the quality of this image. CTRL+F5 reloads the whole page.

Thank you everyone for all of your help! I take the state exam at the end of this month! I agree that being a CNA will help a lot, but it is not necessary for everyone. Since I would like to do the accelerated BSN I think it's best to already feel comfortable with the basic skill set, it will give me a leg up for at least a little while. By the way, all of you who are CNAs, I respect you and your hard work. Wow, it is a great thing what CNAs do and at my job a lot of the CNAs are wonderful to the patients and the patients really appreciate their hard work. I do think that sometimes nurses who weren't CNAs still do respect the CNAs and what they do, my sister is a nurse and loves her CNAs and defends them because she appreciates everything they do. It's difficult because there are some nurses who have been CNAs and they feel like, "well I've done it before so tough luck I don't feel bad for you" and won't help you. It all depends on the personality of the nurse and not so much if they have previous CNA experience. I think working towards my CNA in a nursing home has definitely allowed me the chance to acquire the basic nursing skill set and realize that I enjoy being with patients and taking care of them.

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