Becoming a CNA

The classes themselves aren't really hard, cnamom12....you learn the basic biology stuff and alot of terminology, but it is the clinicals that will be the test. I have just completed my first clinical (of five) in an LTC, and let me tell you, it is not like the classroom stuff at all! I just keep in mind that there are alot of people out there in LTC's and in home health care who need our help, and that is why I am doing this....and I am going to be 50, and if I can do this, as well as take other courses, anyone can.

You will enjoy the classes and learn things that you never knew....and get ready for when you actually get to use your new knowledge....and have a pt. thank you for something as simple as assisting them with toileting needs. It will blow you away.

Good luck with your class and welcome to the wonderful world of helping others. For real!

That's fantastic!

I took my CNA coursework and tests when I was in high school. It was fairly simple. I studied medical terminology using flash cards and practiced blood pressures on ... well, everyone I knew. It wasn't difficult.

Clinicals weren't bad either. Stressful the first time but I had a great and supportive instructor and it was great helping people.

I never worked as a CNA but I think even the classes helped me a tad in RN school. Good luck :))

do you guys have your own stethoscope , cuffs etc , or they are giving to you ? I want to take Red cross CNA class , it is a bit expensive but they offer it during the summer. My long term goal is to become FNP , I am currently working on pre reqs

All the best

I turn 49 next month...starting my CNA training in a couple of weeks. Congratulations for your courage and determination...like me!

Smiles!

do you guys have your own stethoscope , cuffs etc , or they are giving to you ? I want to take Red cross CNA class , it is a bit expensive but they offer it during the summer. My long term goal is to become FNP , I am currently working on pre reqs

All the best

Don't buy one unless required by a job. Mine is nicely gathering dust...

Your school will let you know what supplies you need, such as scrubs etc.

Good luck to you!

CNA courses aren't very difficult. I have only 1 clincial day left before I complete them, so I can say it has actually been nice. The nurses there aren't the best, and don't really help at all, but after you get the hang of it it's not so bad. I enjoy it really, actually I enjoy it to the point that I just had my first interview today to get a job working while I finish getting my RN! =)

Congratulations and good luck passing your state exam! As for the nurses, I have encountered some like that. But I have found there are some nurses were more than happy to help if you needed help.

Good luck on your way to RN!

Thank you all for your words! I too had wondered about if I should get my own supplies. I am glad to know that I dont need to get a stethoscope yet. I am encouraged by what I have read here. I found out today that the place where I applied to start classes has taken in 57 applicants and only 7 can be filled. I am to call them on Friday to see if I am one of the lucky ones. If I am not chosen I am thinking that maybe I should go to the Red Cross, however, they want around 700.00 for the class. Not sure where I am going to come up with that. Any suggestions?

Thank you all for your words! I too had wondered about if I should get my own supplies. I am glad to know that I dont need to get a stethoscope yet. I am encouraged by what I have read here. I found out today that the place where I applied to start classes has taken in 57 applicants and only 7 can be filled. I am to call them on Friday to see if I am one of the lucky ones. If I am not chosen I am thinking that maybe I should go to the Red Cross, however, they want around 700.00 for the class. Not sure where I am going to come up with that. Any suggestions?

Two months ago I found out that Pasadena City College is offering CNA classes as well but unfortunately I've checked today and they are not on the schedule , I guess they cancelled. Probably I'll have to take the Red Cross class .

All the best

@nowitzki - Might want to check with Beatrice at the Red Cross office in Commerce (my understanding is that Commerce oversees all the Red Cross chapters in the Greater L.A. area) about that price tag. Phone number for the Commerce office is (323) 859-3259. I took the course in December/January @ the Inland Empire office & it cost $1,900.00 - it covered scrubs, shoes, steth & B.P. cuff, textbooks, CPR/AED instruction, etc. All I brought was a couple of black pens, a notebook & my pudgy self - they covered everything else. Personally, I'd look into area ROP/Adult Ed. classes - they're usually somewhat cheaper & the classes tend to be less intense. Sorry to hear that PCC's dropping their CNA class; seems to be the pattern that the local CC's are either curtailing or plain old getting rid of CNA training in favor of LVN/ADN programs. Not sure I agree with that.

@cnamom - I'd look into WIA-type (state/federal) funding if I were you. If you don't already have a degree, oftentimes they'll fund job training. Check with your state's unemployment office to see what's available. Also, another possible avenue is looking into LTC's that will provide you with training, in exchange for agreeing to work for them for a set period of time (usually 1 year). You still have to take the state exam, but they typically pay for the training, exam fees & certification fees. Usually you'll buy scrubs, shoes, steth & cuff - but, it varies from facility to facility.

Blessings to all,

Dave

Thank you so much for that information. I did get a call today from the health care facility that I am trying to get into for CNA classes. She said that there was 57 applicants and she could only pick seven. I was one of those seven. She wants to meet me Monday for an interview. What exactly will be involved in the interview? Have I gotten in for the classes or is this another waiting trial as she picks only a few of us out of the seven?

Hi, CNAMom!

Congrats on deciding to becoming a CNA! I'm an NA-R myself but I plan on getting my CNA shortly. I'm 37 years old. I have no kids of my own but a long-term live-in boyfriend who've I've been with since 1993 and lots of nieces and nephews! I just finished with all of my main classes; RFOC, Nurse Delegation, CRP/First Aide, Food Handler's, Dementia and Mental Health, etc and for every certificate I think I'm one step closer to my long-term goal of following in my mother's footsteps and becoming an LPN. I learned most of what I know about caregiving from her. She owned and ran an AFH back in 1995 and I went through all of the above classes back then as well and worked for her for six hundred dollars a month salary. I think it was because I was her daughter that she got away with just paying me a set figure every month no matter how much work I put in. Lol! Anyway, I just finished all of my classes, exept for my CE courses which I'm working on, and created a resume using a resume building app online and sent it out to several nursing homes and AFHs. Less than 24 hours of sending them out I got five call-backs and went to interview at all of them. Two of them wanted me me to come back for another interview and one wanted me to start right then but to come and spend the day at the home to see if I wanted to work there or not. Which I think is a wonderful idea! So, needless to say I have been working at this wonderful AFH on weekends overnight (it's a sleeping shift, I don't have to be up all night listening for alarms and if one goes off and I check and the person just wants a glass of water or help to the bathroom, etc than I am to firmly but gently tell them that they are to do it themselves as the alarm buzzer is ONLY to be utilized for life-and-death emergencies ONLY like a fall-and-can't-get-up emergency or heart attack, etc. Which is sure different than how it used to be where I was always sleeping with one-eye and one-ear open and fetching water, briefs, etc, etc for every client who buzzed late at night no matter what their level of care!) I used to work just one-on-one as an individual provider for people's loved ones in their private homes and then I worked for a home care agency that put me with different clients in their homes, still one-on-one and I've worked a few other AFHs after my mother's. I was working full-time for a lot of those places and spending all of my time, 24-7 nearly at work so I had no time with family or friends or for myself so needless to say I got burned out pretty fast and quit caregiving for ten years or so due to health reasons, etc. I have since learned that pacing myself is for the best and so when the place I work for now said that I could take the weekend shift which is two 12 shifts plus overnight from 8pm Friday til 8am Monday and I would get the rest of the week off you can betcha I jumped on that opportunity! I am NOT looking to go full time! I remember well the slippery slope towards burn-out-ville that comes from starting out FT and ending up; "We have an extra room, why not just move in and take care of Mrs. Smith all the the time?" I love my job, I just don't want to LIVE my job! lol! If you want to email me to talk you can! My email address is [email protected] and I have access to the internet from Monday after 9a.m. when I get home from work til Friday around 6pm when I have to get ready for work. I don't have internet access at work. I asked my boss about that cause I noticed that they have a modem/router in their med-room and she said that they used to have access to wifi/internet but that other caregivers were spending all their time on Facebook doing Farmville or staying up all night chatting instead of sleeping when they knew they had to get up and work the next day that the main AFH owner shut it completely down and got rid of the internet for the house. So, they basically ruined it for the rest of us, she said. My boss is a huge Farmville fan. LOL! So, all of my email and messages must wait til after I get home but I will write back to you asap.

Have a nice day!

~Ami