Becoming CNA while in RN program

U.S.A. New York

Published

Specializes in Pediatrics.

I am currently going to WCC and hope to get into to their ADN program for 2013. does anyone know if I can attain or test to become a CNA while in the RN program? I know the LPN program says after one semester you can become a CNA but nothing about the RN program. If anyone knows please let me know. I would like to work as a CNA while in the nursing program.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

I guess no one has any info on this???

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I do know that while you are in the rn program after taking medsurg you can sit for your lpn licensure but ask your school for some info they should be able to tell you.

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I do know that while you are in the rn program after taking medsurg you can sit for your lpn licensure but ask your school for some info they should be able to tell you.

New York State ceased allowing RN students to take the LPN boards decades ago. This was done for several reasons but mainly in response to the feeling RN programs had not covered enough LPN program content for anyone to be safely licensed via this route. IIRC geriatrics was an area of particular concern.

Being as this may there is supposedly one RN program somewhere upstate that manages to skirt around this requirement, but they also run a LPN school as well.

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Decades ago ??? Is NYC in a diff era lol but hey I can't talk for the rest of the country

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I am currently going to WCC and hope to get into to their ADN program for 2013. does anyone know if I can attain or test to become a CNA while in the RN program? I know the LPN program says after one semester you can become a CNA but nothing about the RN program. If anyone knows please let me know. I would like to work as a CNA while in the nursing program.

IIRC WWC does offer a CNA program. Why not ask them what the requirements are and or if an ADN student can either register for the program or challenge the exam.

Other than that you can contact the NYS nursing board and ask them directly.

Not every facility uses "certified" nursing assistants. There are those who still train and use their own. However without a license such a NA might find her/his options limited in terms of employment outside that particular system.

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decades ago ??? is nyc in a diff era lol but hey i can't talk for the rest of the country

just did some quick research and nys changed policy around 2007, so a years or nearly a decade ago would be more accurate. you can read the following thread from which this posting is from elsewhere on the site:

https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-discussion/may-fail-out-457855-page2.html

feb 21, '10 by realnursealso/lpn feb 21, '10 by realnursealso/lpn a member since nov '00 - from 'somewhere over the rainbow'. realnursealso/lpn has '32' year(s) of nursing experience and specializes in 'peds homecare'. posts: 729 likes: 1,053

awards:

the reason an rn student can't take lpn boards in ny, is because they:

several factors resulted in the department’s position to phase out this option. based on a number of patient safety concerns the department re-examined its policy regarding this issue. our investigation found that:

as a result of curricular changes in registered professional nursing programs, the fourth semester of the program may contain all of the didactic and clinical assignments related to certain content areas such as obstetrical or psychiatric nursing, for example. students not taking this last semester and licensed as lpns under the 2-eq option, therefore, might have little or no contact in these areas. we have concluded that the assumption of substantial equivalence can no longer be supported.

persons licensed as lpns under this option have had no content on the differentiated scope of practice of lpns and rns and therefore do not know how to practice as an lpn.

individuals so licensed are not able to be licensed in other jurisdictions as the requirement in other states is for completion of an lpn program.

this option is not available in any of the 47 professions regulated by the department

according to the nys office of professions website there are basically three ways one may sit for the lpn boards in nys: graduation from an accredited state program, completed/graduated from a military program, or finally graduation from an accredited program of "general" nursing.

have no idea what a "general" nursing program is, or where they are offered in nys.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

Thanks for the replies. WCC offers CNA but only in Ossining. That is quite far, but I am thinking about it. I just didn't know how that would work with financial aid already being a student in Valhalla taking other classes.

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Thanks for the replies. WCC offers CNA but only in Ossining. That is quite far, but I am thinking about it. I just didn't know how that would work with financial aid already being a student in Valhalla taking other classes.

Posted a link in another part of the forum regarding becoming a CNA in NYS. IIRC according to the state's website graduate nurses and LPNs and RNs are not required to complete the training portion of the application process, thus simply take the exam (paying fees of course), and apply for certification with the state. Didnt' see anything about nursing students that one could recall.

Anyway once you are formally enrolled in a nursing program I'd go for a student nurse tech job instead of merely a nursing assistant spot.

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