Help...need advice!

janleb · Nov 21, 2001

I am currently enrolled in a adn program. We were required to take a CNA course if A) we haven't worked as cna for the last yr, B) weren't currently certified cna. For someone who has never worked as a nursing assistant, or doesn't have any experience in that field I would recommend it highly. Because when you get into nursing school you are going to have information thrown at you left and right. You are not going to have time to stress about how to make a bed with a pt in it. Or stress out on taking vitals. If you have basic skills under you belt it will make the transition so much smoother. Another thing is you might find that nursing isn't for you. I hope this helps, good luck!!

jmspeach · Nov 21, 2001

I am currently in the CNA program. I am required to have this to get into the RN program. I also am starting my pre-reqs in the spring semester. I have found this program VERY helpful. Its only 3-1/2 weeks long and then I can take the state exam. 2-1/2 weeks of classromm and then the other week is in Clinic experience. I would do the CNA. Its not that hard, I don't think.

Good luck to you. :) :)

essarge · Nov 22, 2001

That's a tough one! Our school doesn't require it either, but I do have the experience of being a CNA. The experience was invaluable and has helped me with my courses. Talk to your advisor at school and see what they recommend. Would you be working as a CNA during breaks?

BrandyBSN · Nov 23, 2001

I would definately recommend it! Its not a requirement for my program, but most of us do have the experience :)

The best thing about it though, was that I appreciate CNAs SO MUCH MORE than alot of the students who have never been in their shoes. Its a very hard job, pay is terrible, but it sure makes you appreciate the job that they do!

BrandyBSN

Katnip, RN · Nov 23, 2001

It isn't required at my school, either, but I really wish I'd done it. From CNAs I know and love, they wish all RNs started that way.

live4today, RN · Nov 23, 2001

I graduated from nursing school in March 1987. The community college I attended did not require their nursing students to have CNA training, and LOOKING BACK OVER THOSE YEARS, I still do not feel the need to have had that training as I did excellent in the program with both clinicals and didactic studies. IF you feel you need this training before beginning your RN program, then by all means, go for it, but not everyone needs it. Frankly, I am surprised that some schools are requiring this. I can see the need for BSN schools to have it, but not ADN OR DIPLOMA schools because ADN AND DIPLOMA schools already offer excellent hands on clinical experience during the course of the program they offer LONG BEFORE these nurses graduate.

Nursing is not just about making patient beds, it is far more than that. If you can make a bed at home, you'l lbe able to learn the few extra steps of patient bed making during the program. Students are panicking over nothing, I think.

As a former CNA CLINICAL INSTRUCTOR, I had students who had children, but did not know how to read a thermometer. This is what I found to be sad. Some things we have already learned about in our growing up years that we will expound on when developing nursing skills for inpatient hospital usage. The students who were the best in the CNA clinicals were those who had an "inborn" natural talent for dealing with people as a whole. The more comfortable you are with therapeutically dealing with people, the easier it will come to you to approach the sick patient without the fears that some have exhibited in touching patients when dressing them, changing their beds with or without them in it, ambulating them to the restroom or up and down the hall, etc. If you are afraid of touching that which is not "clean", then you should not enter nursing. :eek:

kennedyj · Nov 23, 2001

It could be helpful especially if you want to work in a hospital setting while going to school. I was not a cna prior to attaining my BSN and although it would help dont think it makes a difference. You will get plenty of experience at the nursing homes during your fundamentals class.

crnasomeday · Nov 24, 2001

The program I'm in does not require it, and actually, I don't think that it is imperitive to have that experience anyway. I mean, so you'll know how to make a bed a little better during your first semester of clinicals. We get enough experience at that to do without taking a CNA class.

By the way, for Renee...I'm not trying to single you out or be rude or anything, but I don't understand the thing you said about how you can understand the need for it for BSN students. I'm a BSN student, and in our program we get just as much clinical time as students in other types of programs. All told, by the time we graduate we have more than 1200 hours spent in the clinical setting (add to this the amount of time that many of us spend outside of school working in the hospital setting as PCAs) & I think that is really enough time to learn how to make an occupied bed, take vitals, give baths, and count I&Os.

live4today, RN · Nov 24, 2001

Hello crnasomeday,

Thank you for enlightening me on your particular BSN school's excellence in the clinical area in preparing their nurses for "hospital work after graduation".

I should have stated the BSNs that I precepted during my first six years of working as a RN did not measure up in the clinical preparedness area compared to ADNs that I precepted. I acknowledge that my experience with precepting BSNs is not everyone's experience with precepting BSNs, nor do I believe every ADN graduate is excellent in the clinical area as I have precepted a few who were not as "nurse ready" as they could have been at graduation when it came to precepting them in the hospital setting.

It's good to know that four year nursing programs have greatly improved in the area of clinically preparing their nurse grads to function at their optimum level once hired post-graduation. I thank you again for sharing this with me. :)