Are 2nd semester nursing students considered CNA's?

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I recently heard online that once you finish Funds, you are eligible to either sit the CNA exam or can use your transcripts which show that you have completed your first semester in order to get a CNA job. Is this true? I'm in Georgia by the way if that helps at all.

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Specializes in Prior military RN/current ICU RN..

Well..who did you "hear" this from? I have never heard of anyone being a CNA after the first semester of nursing school. Same as I have never heard of someone being an RN from completing first year of medical school. Unless you "hear" from an official source then it means nothing. Same as what I am saying..I am not an official source..I am an RN. All I can speak from is my own experience. BTW..Georgia rocks! Although I am a Gamecock.

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In order to be "considered" a CNA, one must obtain a CNA certificate. Whether that occurs after completing a certain amount of nursing school or completing a CNA course, or some other method acceptable to the certifying authority, is up to the person seeking the title. If one does not obtain a CNA certificate, they can obtain employment as a caregiver, sitter, or noncertified nursing assistant, consistent with the rules in their state. In my state you can work as an NA for four months before you are required to have a CNA certificate to continue employment in a CNA position.

If you are in nursing school and want to work as a CNA, see your school administration for assistance in obtaining a CNA certificate.

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Specializes in Telemetry/PCU.

After my first year of nursing school I got a job as an ER Tech due to the fact that I finished my first semester.

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Specializes in MICU, SICU, CICU.

It may vary from state to state but in general the Dean of your nursing program should be able to complete a form stating that you have completed fundamentals, which you send to the state BON along with your application for the CNA certificate.

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Specializes in Neonatal Nurse Practitioner.

While you should have all the skills of a CNA and probably qualify to receive it, you are not a certified nursing assistant unless you are certified by the state. Now, a nursing home won't hire you without the state certification because of Medicare rules, but a hospital might.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Med-Surg, Psych, Geri, LTC, Tele,.
It may vary from state to state but in general the Dean of your nursing program should be able to complete a form stating that you have completed fundamentals, which you send to the state BON along with your application for the CNA certificate.

This is how it is in my state. But you still have to take the skills assessment. The first semester of nsg school just fulfills the classroom instruction and the written portion.]

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Thank you so much!

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Where are you going to school? I know of several school in my area who required you to become a CNA before being accepted into the nursing program. Kennesaw State, and the University of West Georgia, along with several of the tech schools in the area require your CNA to start. My certification ended this month (and I have several friends who's ended last semester) but we did not have to renew it if we were not working as a CNA, because our skills level far exceeded that of a CNA. BUT if we were working as an CNA we had to get renewed.

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Specializes in MICU.

you can work as nurse assistant but not CERTIFIED nurse assistant at least in my state. You can easily get hired at assisted living but not a Nursing home. you don't need certification to work in assisted living but you need certification for a nursing home and hospital. Hope this helps

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Same as in my state. Once you successfully complete a Nursing Fundamentals course in your first semester of RN school you can sit for your CNA boards. Sounds like that is what you are saying. Check it out, you may be able to!

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Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

My school require that we "successfully complete" the CNA course priort to applying to nursing school. I never sat for the proctor exam because I never intended to work as a CNA. It was totally separate from nursing school. We were not taught how to do a bath or make a bed with someone in it in NS, because that was something we all learned in CNA class. I would NOT have been prepared to work as a CNA after one semester of nursing school.

you can work as nurse assistant but not CERTIFIED nurse assistant at least in my state. You can easily get hired at assisted living but not a Nursing home. you don't need certification to work in assisted living but you need certification for a nursing home and hospital. Hope this helps
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