What can I do before I go to a nursing school?

janis9799 · Jun 10, 2008

Get your CNA certification and work as a CNA. It will give you a head start in nursing school and many nursing schools like previous health care experience so you have a better chance of getting accepted. I was a CNA part time for 2 1/2 years while I did pre reqs. The first semester when we learned basic skills in the lab such as bedmaking, bed baths, pt. tranfers etc I already knew how to do efficiently and well, so I could concentrate on learning how to do a foley, NG tubes, vents. Then the second semester I was very well organized and always on top of my pts compared to my friends who had no health care experience, since I learned organization by having many pts as a CNA. I also finished bedbaths and all that stuff faster because I had lots of practice before school. It also helped me in lecture because I had worked with heart failure, MS, cancer, diabetes, COPD, Alzheimer, etc patients. I learned alot on the job because I always asked nurses questions about the diseases. I got a good all around experience by working in a nursing home. The work was HARD but I definitely had a huge leg up.

Hope this helps.

Janis

whowho · Jun 10, 2008

At the risk of sounding like a snob, I'd rather not work as a CNA. I'm still a full-time student and I probably should concentrate on my classes than try to get a certificate for a job that will only be temporary. My mom is also against me being a CNA. She said it'd be a waste of time for me and I wouldn't be able to handle the things that a CNA is required to do anyway.

Thanks, though.

janis9799 · Jun 10, 2008

Just remember there isn't always a CNA to do the gross stuff, so you will have to be able to handle doing what a CNA does.

jjjoy, LPN · Jun 10, 2008

At the risk of sounding like a snob, I'd rather not work as a CNA. I'm still a full-time student and I probably should concentrate on my classes than try to get a certificate for a job that will only be temporary. My mom is also against me being a CNA. She said it'd be a waste of time for me and I wouldn't be able to handle the things that a CNA is required to do anyway.
Thanks, though.

I think it would be a good idea to be a bit more open-minded on this. You may decide it's still not the best choice for you, but to dismiss it out of hand seems a bit hasty. At the very least, I'd suggest phrasing your objections a bit more delicately. You asked for advice and then shot it down with only a "thanks, though" to soften the blow. Sometimes the typed word comes across harsher than intended. I'm afraid mine is right now, too! Anyway...

You said you preferred to work as opposed to volunteering so it seems odd that you then say it's better that you not work. CNA training usually isn't a big time or money commitment and learning of any kind is rarely a total waste. And if you're a CNA for a year or two part-time while in school, that's not a waste at all. Being a part-time CNA would offer you a lot more professionally as a pre-nursing student than being a part-time clerk at a retail store. So if you're going to work anyway, it does make sense to look at something in health care.

In regard to not being able handle things a CNA is required to do, well, if you can't handle those things at all, then I don't see how you're supposed to be able to handle nursing school. You will learn and provide basic care in nursing school such as bathing and toileting... meaning you will have to empty bedpans and change adult diapers more than once. And a majority of hands-on entry-level nursing work will require at least some work of this type. Working as a CNA prior to school can help you get over it and and get fast at it so that you can breeze by that in nursing school and focus on the many other skills you will also be learning and practicing. Plus, your overall patient interaction skills are honed as a CNA and you get familiar with the general hospital routine that you'll be thrown into as a nursing student.

Another good position to look into for pre-nursing students is unit secretary, who usually work at the nursing station to field phone calls, send orders to pharmacy and more. Some community colleges offer coursework for this to get started.

However, since you mentioned the ECE credits, I'm thinking perhaps you wanted to ask what kind of child care jobs might be helpful for nursing? If you eventually want to be a pediatric nurse, any work with kids will help since you'll be that much more familiar with their needs and developmental levels. If there's a pediatric hospital near you where you could volunteer or look for part-time work, that would probably be ideal. If not, there are probably peds units you could look into working or volunteering on. Perhaps you could look into working with special needs children. They often also have medical issues and that kind of exposure might be benefitial to a future peds nurse.

Good luck!

JStyles1 · Jun 10, 2008

ok i may be off on this but if you're pursuing a master's degree in nursing, wouldnt it be better to do your undergrad in nursing?

what kind of master's in nursing are you looking to obtain?