certifications before applying

I will be a CNA and have an Associate of Science degree in Medical Assisting (clinical) when I apply for the nursing program. I think both of these will give me a slight advantage over someone without any experience in a health care setting (or at least I hope so!)

Hello there! I am a new nurse, just graduated in May and took the boards in June. I must say that most of my classmates (me included) had zero background in the medical field when we applied to nursing school. A group of us found it helpful after our first year to work as student nurse techs. A couple of the local hospital offered to pay tuition in exchange for 2 years of service. While I believe that having extra certifications are helpful when applying for nursing jobs, I do not believe they increase your chances of getting into a program. There were quite a few CNA and techs who applied and did not get in. One of my classmates was an EMT and was accepted after her third time applying! Our program did not have a waiting list. In my program, GPA, entrance exam scores (the HESI) and the personal statement were the most important factors. Hope this helps and best of luck to you both.

It actually depends on the school. Several programs offer extra points for people with a CNA or EMT certification and a lot offer extra points for plain paid hospital work. Also, if your school requires a personal essay (like mine did), writing that you have volunteer work and your CNA experience/certification DEFINITELY gives you an edge because it shows them you know what you're getting in to and you're still interested in nursing. If you have 4.0s, don't bother unless you want to, but if you have a lower GPA, the CNA will really REALLY help you out.