I am 17, still in High School and I am starting to do the Prerequisites for the RN program at my nearby community college.
I am sort of confused as to which way is the best to go about getting my RN. Some people have told me to first get my CNA, then LPN, then RN so I can start working and get experience while also going to school.
I am not wanting to be a Nurse for a "career"or to make a bunch of money. I have had this ambition for a long time, not to move up the perverbial corporate ladder, but to be able to have the skills and know-how to help people in need of medical help. But I also know I can't through Nursing school without working somewhere so maybe doing it the step by step way will help with that...
So my question is: for me as a young girl should I just try and get a random job somewhere and go strait for the RN program and get it overwith, or should I do the CNA, then the LPN, and then RN...or even maybe to CNA to RN.
And, by getting my CNA will I really get alot of good experiance that will help me in my future nursing???
It depends on where you want to work. If you get work as a CNA, you will gain valuable work experience, and get an idea of how bedside nursing is. You will be providing very basic care to people in need. This is cleaning up poop, puke and pee, bathing, dressing, feeding and anything else the patient will need. However, where I live, you cannot get a job as a tech in a hospital without previous CNA experience, and only nursing homes hire new CNAs. CNA may be required for your program. Mine didn't, CNA training was pretty much the first quarter of nursing school. I was already a CNA at the time, and had absolutely no trouble getting through the very difficult first quarter - they try to wash out the less serious and dedicated students during the first quarter. Remember though, "CNA work" is NURSING work, and you will be expected to wipe butts as a nurse, so it's worth learning early.
If you go the LPN bridge route, your job prospects will be limited. LPNs generally do not work in hospitals. Some do in some areas, but not many. LPNs work in skilled nursing facilities, long term care, assisted living, home care and clinics. In clinics and home care, you can work with a wide range of patients, from pediatrics to geriatrics. But most of the other options are pretty much geriatric care. Do not disregard geriatric care. It's necessary, it's thankless (like every other nursing job), but it is very rewarding. Most new nursing students think things along the lines of "Ew, I'm never working in a nursing home. I want to work in labor and delivery or peds!" Those are perfectly fine aspirations, but life may not lead you there, or you may find out you don't like it, and you have such a huge range of populations to care for as a nurse that limiting yourself from the very beginning is a mistake, I think. Keep an open mind, is what I'm saying. There are lots of articles on this site about what it's like to care for people in different settings.
The best way to have the most opportunities open to you is to go for BSN. This may mean getting an ADN and transferring, which may be more affordable than paying for four years at a university. A hospital job will require you to have an RN license in most cases, and as an RN, you can still explore other settings. You asked about hospitals paying for furthering your education. Many do have tuition assistance programs, but some require you to sign a contract to work for the hospital for a certain amount of time as repayment. If you reneg on the contract, you will owe them your tuition they paid for. So be careful with that. If it turns out you hate working in that hospital, you're screwed.
Good luck to you, and welcome to the world of working your butt off!
I'd say go BSN. As a lot of others have already stated a lot of hospitals are moving toward the BSN as a requirement for employment. Academic hospitals in urban areas or hospitals seeking Magnet designation may already have this requirement in place. I am almost done nursing school, but have yet to meet a LPN. I also know that depending on your state you may not have to take the CNA exam if you already have 1 clinical in nursing school completed satisfactorily. PA allows you to work as a CNA without a license once you meet that requirement, but requires you to be enrolled in classes and passing your courses through out the duration of your employment. We had to submit transcript copies every semester to the hospital as proof. But working as a CNA is invaluable experience and may help you get your foot in the door. At the very least consider a nurse externship during the summer breaks. They are competitive, but they are typically paid and they are great experiences.
NurseDirtyBird
425 Posts
It depends on where you want to work. If you get work as a CNA, you will gain valuable work experience, and get an idea of how bedside nursing is. You will be providing very basic care to people in need. This is cleaning up poop, puke and pee, bathing, dressing, feeding and anything else the patient will need. However, where I live, you cannot get a job as a tech in a hospital without previous CNA experience, and only nursing homes hire new CNAs. CNA may be required for your program. Mine didn't, CNA training was pretty much the first quarter of nursing school. I was already a CNA at the time, and had absolutely no trouble getting through the very difficult first quarter - they try to wash out the less serious and dedicated students during the first quarter. Remember though, "CNA work" is NURSING work, and you will be expected to wipe butts as a nurse, so it's worth learning early.
If you go the LPN bridge route, your job prospects will be limited. LPNs generally do not work in hospitals. Some do in some areas, but not many. LPNs work in skilled nursing facilities, long term care, assisted living, home care and clinics. In clinics and home care, you can work with a wide range of patients, from pediatrics to geriatrics. But most of the other options are pretty much geriatric care. Do not disregard geriatric care. It's necessary, it's thankless (like every other nursing job), but it is very rewarding. Most new nursing students think things along the lines of "Ew, I'm never working in a nursing home. I want to work in labor and delivery or peds!" Those are perfectly fine aspirations, but life may not lead you there, or you may find out you don't like it, and you have such a huge range of populations to care for as a nurse that limiting yourself from the very beginning is a mistake, I think. Keep an open mind, is what I'm saying. There are lots of articles on this site about what it's like to care for people in different settings.
The best way to have the most opportunities open to you is to go for BSN. This may mean getting an ADN and transferring, which may be more affordable than paying for four years at a university. A hospital job will require you to have an RN license in most cases, and as an RN, you can still explore other settings. You asked about hospitals paying for furthering your education. Many do have tuition assistance programs, but some require you to sign a contract to work for the hospital for a certain amount of time as repayment. If you reneg on the contract, you will owe them your tuition they paid for. So be careful with that. If it turns out you hate working in that hospital, you're screwed.
Good luck to you, and welcome to the world of working your butt off!