Hi all,

I'm know this has probably been asked 100 times but I'm a bit overwhelmed with information and could really use some advice!

I spent a summer abroad after I graduated high school and am getting ready to apply for schools/start my career path. My ultimate goal is RN, but that is a good few years away for me. In the meantime I'm wondering if I should get my CNA, CMA, or just do Phlebotomy work?

I am highly interested in the more technical side or nursing (shots, medications, blood work, etc.) but at the same time I absolutely love helping people and want to have some real patient care. I need 10-12 hour shifts or a night schedule as well. Ideally I would get my CNA, Phlebotomy, and EKG Tech Cert and be a Patient care technician (seems like a great balance for me) but can't seem to find any jobs in my area for this. I don't want to go through school just to not find a job.. Anything I could get into for a bridge program later on down the road would help too.

Anyone that can help I would really appreciate it! Thanks!

Just get really good grades in pre-reqs and everything else will take care of itself. Flip burgers if you want.

Any job that involves interfacing with the public will be helpful, especially in settings where emotions can run high. Those interpersonal skills take a long time to master, and being good at it will definitely serve you well in nursing school.

Of the choices you laid out, I would go for MA. Some MAs just do blood pressures and room patients all day. But in many places, like in my office, you get to do a lot of fun and interesting things and if you take the initiative you can get trained to do even more cool stuff.

I would never want to be a CNA or a HHA. The work load is heavy and often thankless, the hours are rough, and you are sadly underpaid. But then again, that *is* kind of what it's like to be a nurse haha. Pay is much better, but still is often not commensurate with the level of responsibility and sheer workload. Which is why I am a CNM and not an RN!

Thank you so much! I'm thinking that is the best route to go as well. The only things I'm concerned about are getting a job with no experience, and finding something outside of the normal 8-5. The hospitals in my area are hiring a LOT of MAs, and it says experience is preferred, but I'm just worried I'll end up not being able to use my certification

I graduated 15 plus years ago, from a great school with a strong regional reputation. I worked a retail job during the summers but did not any healthcare experience. I focused on grades and making the most of my college years. I applied to two RN jobs and had offers from both BEFORE graduating. There are many, many paths that can result in a successful RN career.

Many hospitals will train you to be a PCT (Patient Care Tech); if you have your CNA, so your hospitals may not advertise PCTs. So my suggestion would be to get your CNA (which is a requirement anyway for most nursing programs). You will not find any 10-12 night shifts as an MA. You might want to call HR at your hospitals to see if they hire their PCTs from CNAs within.

Thank you! This is what I'll do :-)

At least in my area, nursing schools require that you have your CNA even if you never used it outside of the class. It saves them on teaching you some of the real basics of knowing how to check vital signs and knowing reference ranges for appropriate vital signs and when to inform the nurse that something is wrong. As someone else said, it absolutely can be thankless work....but honestly, so can nursing. I learned so much as a CNA and a Certified Medication Aide (different from a Certified Medical Assistant; less training but more responsibility and only utilized in nursing homes).

In the beginning of nursing school there was definitely a difference in comfort and knowledge base between those that had used their CNA vs those that didn't. Ultimately we all end up in the same place but when I was learning about so many different disease processes, it was really helpful for me to think back to "oh, Mr Smith had Parkinson's and he had a lot of the symptoms I'm learning about, and he took Carbidopa/Levodopa to treat it because blah blah blah...". It just helped it to stick in my brain. Whether you work in a nursing home, a hospital or in home health with your CNA, you're gaining experience with how to interact with patients in potentially emotionally-driven areas. In the hospital and NH you can also see how the nurses interact and it can give you a model for how you do or do not want to treat people and react in various situations.

I don't know much about the training of a Certified Medical Assistant...at least out here it seems to be like the equivalent of an LPN but under the doctor's model. But most Medical Assistant positions (i.e. physician offices) don't require any kind of certification. I can't speak to the quality of the learning you'll get from that kind of job, I think it would depend upon working with a physician (and his/her nurse) that wants to teach. Phlebotomy is totally out of my knowledge base as far as length of training. I think it's great to feel strong in your IV sticks but it's just a small part of being a nurse so, unless the training and/or job prospects were superior in your area, I would definitely recommend getting a CNA.

From 2012-2014 I worked as a Medical Assistant after completing my first semester of nursing school. I had to show proof via transcript that I had passed that semester. I worked in Pediatric urgent care. Our shifts were 6-8 hours in the evening and 11 hours on the weekend. It was good practice and a good resume booster as it helped me land a RN job in urgent care elsewhere. I also was paid more in comparison to my PCT/CNA friends.

I think it depends on what part of the country you live in and what they ask for so YMMV.

1) EKG tech is a useless certification and is a waste of money! It takes maybe a day if not less to learn where the leads go (you are not interpreting them) and most hospitals would just do on the job training!

2) Same thing with phlebotomy!!

3) Look into what your state requires. Some states require you be an LNA to work in that role, other states like the one right next to me allow you to be a patient care assistant or tech without any certification, and all on the job training. Do not waste money on a CNA class if this is the case in your state! Look at hospital websites and find out what they require and what they are willing to do as far as training a candidate.

Annie

Any job that involves interfacing with the public will be helpful, especially in settings where emotions can run high. Those interpersonal skills take a long time to master, and being good at it will definitely serve you well in nursing school.

Of the choices you laid out, I would go for MA. Some MAs just do blood pressures and room patients all day. But in many places, like in my office, you get to do a lot of fun and interesting things and if you take the initiative you can get trained to do even more cool stuff.

I would never want to be a CNA or a HHA. The work load is heavy and often thankless, the hours are rough, and you are sadly underpaid. But then again, that *is* kind of what it's like to be a nurse haha. Pay is much better, but still is often not commensurate with the level of responsibility and sheer workload. Which is why I am a CNM and not an RN!

I don't blame you for choosing to go the MA route. I wish I would of. I have been a CNA for five years, which was the biggest mistake ever. My chest wall pain and back has gotten worse because of the heavy lifting. I can never work in a nursing home again. I wish I would of gone straight to nursing school instead of being a CNA. The doctor told me that I can no longer do any jobs that require heavy lifting. I might not be able to pursue nursing after all.

CNA is very hard work. If you are going to be one, don't be one for too long. It will mess up your back and get you burned out before you can get into nursing school. I have seen people at my old job have their backs permanently ruined. If you can go to nursing school without being a CNA, then don't be a CNA.