Nurse Assistant BEFORE school

Quickbeam, BSN, RN · Apr 8, 2008

I did many years of nursing assistant work before I got to be an RN. So did many people on this board. For me, it made me comfortable with the rhythm of 24/7 health care...there is a flow, things that need to be done, how to be a part of a 24/7 operation.

nursejohio, ASN, RN · Apr 8, 2008

I would like to hear from people who worked as nursing assistants BEFORE
school (or during)
What is the best advantages? Such as patient contact....bed making..
I am intereested in hearing all the advantages to working as an aide?

That's gonna be a heck of a list... but I'll try

First off, I got A LOT more comfortable with the basics (beds, taking care of another human being-diaper changes and such, hands on stuff.) While some of the other girls were freaking out over "OMG I've gotta do what?" I was totally comfortable with that aspect. The only thing we did in my first quarter that I hadn't already done was dressing changes and wound treatments.

I picked up tons of medical terminology and was always picking my nurses brains for why they were doing things for patients with a certain diagnosis. As we're studying things in class I could always find a patient with whatever we were talking about and be able to put a face with the issue. I'm a 'whole picture' kinda gal, and I learn tons better when I can see all the pictures together. Cardiac quarter ->CHF-> little old lady with fluid & diet restrictions, breathing treatments, lasix etc... :idea: GOT IT!

When we got to 2nd quarter in the hospital, it didn't make a huge difference, but I'm still glad I got the chance. I really feel like it made me a better nurse. There are lots of great RNs who never touched a patient until clinicals for school... but, there are some who didn't have the experience and it shows. I understand all too well what it's like to be an aide, what the responsibilities are, how back-breaking the work can be, how little respect the position receives from some people... the 'oh, you're just an aide' stuff. Just my :twocents:

RenaissancemaN · Apr 8, 2008

I'm in my 1st semester of nursing school and there are a lot of people who work as nursing assistants already. There are definitely a lot of advantages that will allow you to develop your nursing skills. I know there is one disadvantage from talking to them though. You might pick up some "bad" habits. For example, on our 1st test, some nursing assistants had trouble with questions that asked for the correct and proper way of doing something, but they were so used to doing things "their own way" that they answered them wrong.

But other than that, I would love to become a nursing aide to get my feet wet. Once I finish my 1st semester I am allowed to work in my hospital as a nursing aide and I plan on doing so.

Good Luck!

Penelope_Pitstop, BSN, RN · Apr 8, 2008

when i switched to nursing as a major midway through my freshman year of college, i had absolutely no healthcare experience. aside from what i'd witnessed as a patient, visitor (and, yes, er viewer), i had no idea what i was getting into, i just knew that i was fascinated by medicine.

the summer after junior year, i became a student nurse extern in perioperative services. i absolutely loved it. granted, i did all of the grunt work (sooo many vital signs, i swear blood pressure cuffs are terrified at the sight of me and too much patient transport for my liking) but it was interesting. i was always learning, and i was interacting with the patients than were the nurses. part of the fun was that, because i was a nursing student, it gave me an excuse to witness all kinds of cool things the patient care technicians wouldn't have been allowed to (colonoscopies, neat dressing changes, ects, etc.) also, i wasn't supposed to have all of the answers. i wasn't the nurse, after all! anything that went wrong, i went straight to the rn!

my experience is a little different than most who become an unlicensed assistive personnel (there are too many names out there; this one's generic), because i didn't do things like bed baths (maybe twice) and rarely had bed alarms, feeds, that kind of thing. this meant i could observe more and physically do less. of course, looking back, i realize that working on a floor might have been more helpful, as that's where my rn job was! i know it's very hard work but it is rewarding, at least in my experience.

jess

allnurses Guide · Apr 8, 2008

Oh gosh - I think we need a sticky on this subject . . or do we have one? :coollook:

Here I am, the usual only naysayer. :chair:

I had no experience in health care - mine was Social Work. I was advised by my mentor (DON at the local hospital, with a Master's and who taught at university level) NOT to take a CNA class or work as a CNA.

Some of the students were taking a CNA class in the summer prior to school starting. My mentor said - stay home and enjoy your family because the next two years would be packed and stressful. Also, you learn all the CNA stuff in the beginning of nursing school, so why pay twice?

I had no problems with nursing school - except the time away from family and the traveling - school was 70 miles away.

I also have the utmost respect for CNA's and we work as a well-oiled team.

You don't have to be a CNA first to be a good nurse.

It doesn't hurt to be a CNA first.

You have to decide what is best for your life.

I wouldn't change a thing.

steph

Quickbeam, BSN, RN · Apr 8, 2008

I don't think anyone on this thread said it was a must-do. It was just a question as to what people who DID work as a NA before hand got out of it.

allnurses Guide · Apr 8, 2008

I don't think anyone on this thread said it was a must-do. It was just a question as to what people who DID work as a NA before hand got out of it.

You are right. :flowersfo

steph

**All Heart RN** · Apr 8, 2008

I'm a full-time student in a BSN program and have worked as a nursing assistant in a few nursing homes/Alzheimer's facilities and now work full-time as a patient care tech in a hospital.

I would not advise working full-time as a PCT but a shift or two a week would be good experience. One positive aspect of working as a PCT is that I work 12 hours shifts (7p-7a) and so working these long, long exhausting hours will not be a shock to my system when I begin working as a RN. Also, I'm learning to manage my time well. Being a PCT is very physically demanding. I often have 10 patients to care for and so it is necessary to priortize tasks and manage my time well to complete all of my responsibilities.

On top of all of that, I am a float PCT and so I've worked in almost every unit of the hospital. This has been great experience as a nursing student b/c I have the opportunity to see how nurses operate in various units (and am learning which units I like and which units I want to avoid).

Being a full-time BSN student and a full-time PCT has been one of the most challenging experiences of my life (and that's an understatement!) but I know this will all pay off in the end.:wink2:

pagandeva2000, LPN · Apr 8, 2008

I think that being a CNA helped me to deal with difficult and anxious patients, time management and also observing which sort of nurse I preferred to be (I chose LPN, because from what I witnessed, I could not handle the responsibilities of being an RN). It taught me to understand why a great CNA can be the backbone of the nurses and why nurses would get upset if vitals and specimen collection was not done on time.

I also believe, though, that it is not always necessary to be a CNA first in order to be a great nurse. But, it helps to be observant of the medical fiend ahead of time to see how things operate.