Working as full time CNA while keeping part time job. Is it possible?

[Tg0514]

Hello everyone! I just received my CNA certification and will begin searching for jobs soon. I'm hoping to secure a full time position at a hospital to accrue patient care hours for PA school. Most hospitals in my area hire full time CNAs with 3 12 hour shifts a week. I currently hold a part time job that pays me quite well, actually better than most CNA positions in my area. Since the pay is so great, I was hoping to keep my part time job while working as a CNA. I was wondering if any CNAs have been able to manage a full time position while still working a part time job. My part time job is quite flexible with scheduling. However, I would need to provide them with my CNA schedule far enough in advance for them to schedule my shifts. I know that most CNA employers in my area do not offer a permanent schedule. How far in advance do you usually receive the schedule for your shifts? Are employers usually flexible when it comes to employees holding other jobs? Has anyone been able to manage working full time as a CNA while also working a part time job? I've been at this job for several years and I would really like to continue working there. Also, I really don't know how I'd be able to get by financially if I was unable to keep it.

[OliveOyl91, BSN, RN]

That sounds absolutely exhausting, but kudos to you! At the hospital I work, you can pretty much create your own schedule, but if that's not what you want to do, staffing will create one for you and it's usually posted well in advanced on the computer. Today is 3-11 and I have had my schedule through 4-15 for the past two weeks. In a 2 week pay period, I may work Sun, Mon, Tues one week and not work again until Thurs, Fri, Sat of the next. Because of this, I stay on-call at the nursing home I used to work full-time at and pick up a couple shifts every now and then.

If your part-time job is the one you're most concerned about keeping, I would look into a part-time or even a per-diem position at the hospital.

[No Limits]

I have no doubt that you'll be able to work full-time as a CNA while keeping your part-time job. I have been working as a full-time CNA while going to school 3 days per week, and I'm thinking of starting EMT classes. (The EMT classes will be a bit of a stretch though.) Then again, I have pretty much no social life. However, it can absolutely be done. At the hospital I work at, we schedule ourselves 6 weeks in advance. A lot of CNAs are in school, so hospitals are usually flexible with scheduling. Hope this helps!