Undergrad Nursing Major

[zptl]

I want to major in nursing. So the college I plan to attend makes you do pre-requisites your freshman and sophomore years. Then you can officially start nursing courses once your a junior. However, when it comes time to do clinical, do I still have to clean feces and all? I want to be a PA not a CNA. I respect what CNA'S do I just dont want to what they do. So basically what I am asking is during college will they teach me what a CNA does or will they teach me what a PA does?

[NICU Guy, BSN, RN]

Neither. PAs are not the same as nurses.

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

Yes, nursing students clean feces...so do RNs, esp. if you're working in an ICU and have 1-2 (or 0) CNAs per 20 patients. It is physically impossible (not to mention clinically unsafe) for an ICU RN to say to a CNA, "I need you to do this bed change for his big tubefeeding liquid stool," for every pt who's incontinent of stool. Nursing students start by learning basic nursing skills; RNs and LPNs delegate what are basic nursing skills to CNAs. If you're majoring in nursing, no you won't learn what a PA does. You'll learn what an RN does.

If you want to be a PA, major in biology or chemistry and then go to PA school.

[JustBeachyNurse, LPN]

If you are interested in PA-C skip nursing school (yes nursing students and nurses clean feces (solid or liquid) , urine, emesis, blood, bile, brain tissue, mucus, saliva, sputum, cerebrospinal fluid and any other liquid, solid or semi liquid that may be expelled from a human patient. )

While most PA schools prefer students with some medical related you can accomplish this with EMT (still exposed to various body fluids), CNA or other careers. Many applicants are bio majors not nursing majors

And PA's sometimes get to help clean up feces.

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

If you are interested in PA-C skip nursing school (yes nursing students and nurses clean feces (solid or liquid) , urine, emesis, blood, bile, brain tissue, mucus, saliva, sputum, cerebrospinal fluid and any other liquid, solid or semi liquid that may be expelled from a human patient. )

While most PA schools prefer students with some medical related you can accomplish this with EMT (still exposed to various body fluids), CNA or other careers. Many applicants are bio majors not nursing majors

And PA's sometimes get to help clean up feces.

THIS.

Whatever path you choose, you will encounter poop...just FYI.

[roser13, ASN, RN]

I want to major in nursing. So the college I plan to attend makes you do pre-requisites your freshman and sophomore years. Then you can officially start nursing courses once your a junior. However, when it comes time to do clinical, do I still have to clean feces and all? I want to be a PA not a CNA. I respect what CNA'S do I just dont want to what they do. So basically what I am asking is during college will they teach me what a CNA does or will they teach me what a PA does?

Why on earth do you want to major in Nursing if your long-term goal is PA? What a waste of major.

if you want PA, plan for that from the beginning and organize your courses as required.

BTW, I'm sorry that you are holding yourself above basic patient care before you even set foot in a patient's room. That is very telling to all of us. I sincerely hope that your educational experiences will bring you to a deeper understanding of patient care.