should i become a cna before taking prereq's?

i think that would be a good decision if you wanted to work while doing your prereqs and like you said while you're on the waiting list. it will teach you a lot of essential info that you'll probably learn in your first semester. although i wouldnt spend a lot of money on it because its not a necessity. im taking an EMT class starting tomorrow to help me learn prehospital stuff, and get me one step ahead in nursing school on assessments and what not, and because i want to be an ER tech while in nursing school. so overall i think its a good idea, if you're not going to become broke behind it, because a lot CNA programs are WAYY overpriced.

-prettyladie

I started with academic prereqs but if I could do it over I would have started with a cna course. In my area it's not easy to get a cna or emt course in the summer so I'd have to wait till the fall for availability and by then I may be in nursing school. My point - it's always better to start nursing school with patient care experience if you can get it than without it.

yeah do it

It was a prerequisite for me but I'd say, if you don't need it, don't bother. From what I've seen over the years here on AN, though, my opinion is the minority one.

Here the CNA course is part of the pre-reqs. The advisor told me to do it first so I would find out if nursing was really what I wanted. I was signed up to do it in March, but I got rear ended a week before the class, and had to cancel it...now I am just waiting for my neck and back to feel better before I sign up for it again...

I say go for it. It seems most people say to work in a hospital though, not LTC.

Have a great day!

Natascha

I was a CNA and I think it has helped me a little bit and probably will help me even more once I start the nursing program in the fall. If you have the opportunity, I say go for it! Good luck!

I did the cna course during high school. It's no longer required for the nursing program at my school and not sure it has helped any with the pre-reqs so far. I'd say see how much it costs, getting your cna will give you another job option if nothing else so might be worth it.

What about CNA training at a nursing home or something? I'll be starting my prereqs in August, and this summer I'm planning on getting trained/certified as a CNA at a nursing home here that has paid training. Sweet deal, right?

What about CNA training at a nursing home or something? I'll be starting my prereqs in August, and this summer I'm planning on getting trained/certified as a CNA at a nursing home here that has paid training. Sweet deal, right?

Very sweet deal, I'd say definately do it. A lot of people say to work in a hopsital rather than a nursing home, but when I did my CNA training, we had clinicals at a nursing home and I found that I really liked it, and now I'm considering going into geriatric nursing. It's a great experience. Plus, at least where I live, you can't get a job at most hosiptals as a CNA without having prior experience, so for me LTC is the only way to go. However, if you can do both LTC as well as working in a hospital before you start nursing school, that would be really good, because then you get the experience at a hospital and see how everything works, and you'll learn a lot more because you (most likely) won't be doing the same thing everyday, as you would in a nursing home. I've volunteered at hospitals before, and I really like both. I would do both if I could, but with nursing prereqs and life (dang stressful life!) I don't really have the time. I barely have the time to work now!

Good Luck!

Well for some of us I think it helps alot. The nursing home training can be kind of

shocking. Especially if you don't have experience caring for other people's basic

needs. (like children or elderly parents) Nursing school goes fast from what I

hear and there is alot of information to learn. The CNA training helps me to shift

my mind to a "clinical" aspect. Before leaving your resident, you do an up and down inspection and document it. I'll be a CNA for about 8 months before starting nursing school I am doing my pre reqs too, I feel I will be well prepared.

Starting IV's, shots used to make me queezy.

It helps alot! I am a little scared at the possibility of starting IV's but I think I

will be able to handle it. I used to get queezy looking at someone with a g tube.

Now I can bathe someone with a Gtube, and give bed baths, feed and do denture care. Yeah it's not lovely I know. But it really is helping me transition from the civilian world to the world of nursing. Also now I am in the habit of

checking my resident up and down before leaving and documenting things. I

feel it just gives me an extra year of experience in this field while finishing my

pre reqs.