Hey I'm a CNA who wants to be a RN. I would like some advice!

mattsmom81 · Oct 12, 2002

Mandi, the answers to your questions will vary from nurse to nurse as we are all different. I've been a nurse for 25 years, a critical care RN for 15 of them. I am now doing community health nursing.

The nice thing about a nuring career are all the options available.

If you feel you want a 'break' before starting college, do so. Perhaps you may want to find a job in healthcare...such as a unit secretary in a hospital, or an admitting clerk, or even as a CNA for real 'hands on' experience. These experiences will help you decide if nursing is for you.

Best wishes!! Oh and PS...my worst area was the OR...I coud not stand the surgeons attitudes in my training hospital...they were jerks, IMO. BUT....some nurses would never do anything BUT OR nursing...they love it so much. So you see, we're all different!

And thank goodness, what a boring world it would be if we all were alike, eh?

Just Angi · Oct 12, 2002

I am in the RN program and applying for a CNA job, so I could use your help, too, Mandi. Thanks!

Vsummer1 · Oct 12, 2002

If you feel you need a break between HS and college, TAKE IT.

College is demanding. If you can't put everything into it, don't do it because your grades will be permanent and will follow you through life. If you screw up right away, you cannot count on getting into some programs d/t your GPA.

It is NOT like HS! Go to a counselor at the college you are considering and find out what the requirements are because it takes time to even get to the level where you can apply for the RN courses due to the pre-reqs.

TexasRN31 · Oct 12, 2002

Mandi,

Good to know you have an interest already in what you want for your future. As others have said, if you need a break from school, take it. If you do go on to nursing school who knows when the next time you'll have a break will be with all the classes and clinicals you'll be doing. While I was in nursing school I worked as a PCA (pt care assistant) on a 23 Hour Observation Unit. It was a med-surg/tele floor where anything from R/O MIs to Sickle Cell Crisis came, very well rounded learning floor. Anyway, after nursing school I was a RN there for 1 year and got most of the basics down: IV starts, charting, delegating, and communicating with others of the health care team. The time I was a PCA there was also a huge learning experience, learning how to deal with pts, family members, how to put and take a pt off a bedpan! how to turn pts, etc etc. Currently, I have started the Critical Care Residency, a 12 month long program to start working in the ER (Level I trauma). It's scary and exciting at the same time. Even though I have some experience I'm green all over again! My point is: You have to start somewhere, so you being a CNA wanting to be a RN is AWESOME! You can go anywhere you want as a RN, whether you like ER, ICU, L&D, med-surg., home health, community nursing~ whatever you want. Good luck to you!