Ca-CHING! Empty wallet for CNA class!!

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OK...bit the bullet today and signed up for the Community College's vocational CNA training...but now I am poor after shelling out the $550 (no books, scrubs, or supplies included) :bugeyes: for the course!

At least I won't be "beholding" to any institution after I'm done...I guess that's the "plus" side of paying it all yourself...

Anyhow...enough griping! I am stoked to be starting in February, and the class is online (with in-person clinical days) so it fits with my full-time work schedule.

Cheers!

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That is certainly a lot of money. I don't know if they have this in your area, but I just thought I would post this. I took a six hour course on becoming a CNA, and now I am signed up to take the test in two weeks. It only cost me 175.00. The instructor even offers one on one tutoring to go over skills personally.

It's such a shame, because all I keep hearing about the test is that it is NOTHING like real life. The class I went to reviews test questions as well goes over all of the skills. Because all you really need to know for the test is how to do the skills according to your state's exam facility.

Once you get a job, you have a training period anyway, and there you will learn that specific facilitie's procedures and policies. Having the full course will be a benefit, though, because you get hands on experience, but I must say that I was very happy to have taken the one day course and I am on my way.

Lots of luck!

Ellen

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Hey, another old IT geek representing!

Welcome.

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Thanks for all the input, but this was the best choice (at least for me).

The cost is high, BUT it is for 120 hours of instruction total. I had the choice to take traditional class instruction, but those were Mon, Tues, Thurs, and I still am trying to fulfill pre-reqs for the LPN program in Fall of 2009. I will need to take Chem this Spring to "qualify" to enter the program, and I needed to reserve my nights for that class. The CNA is online during the week, and clinicals on Sat.

We get 40+ hours of clinicals, and they're all on a Saturdays, so it fits my schedule. Plus I didn't want to "owe" service to a LTC or some other institution.

Hey Sue...what were you in your "previous life"?:typing

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Specializes in CNA.
Hey, another old IT geek representing!

Welcome.

You too? I was a computer programmer for 30+ years. Didn't get a CNA until about age 53 (the industry dried up after Y2K).

Anyway, class at our community college, in district, is also about $550, plus fees and book. Total about $750. Many people, including myself, consider that a bargain. One course and you're virtually guaranteed a job, full time with benes. Around here, you'll start out at $9-$11 hourly, so even at the lowest rate, you'll make enough to cover the class within a month.

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Online with weekend clinicals? What state do you live in??

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Online with weekend clinicals? What state do you live in??

I am in Northern Idaho. This class is the first they've offered in this format. Usually they have day or night classes, 3x per week for 4 hours each.

This is new for me, and new for them I guess.

We'll see how it works out.

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The cna course at my local community college is 750 bucks. But it's two nights/week plus weekend clinicals and takes a semester complete. They don't seem to have quickie cna programs in my area and it sounds like they put you through your paces for the cna. Too bad none of it is transferable to a lpn or rn program. I looked into cna because it would be nice to be able to get some in field work experience now but I have a full semester of rn prereqs coming up that I have to fit in with my day job. Most hospitals here will hire for patient care tech with cna or one semester of nursing school clinicals so I'll just wait until I have one semester of clinicals to look for a job.

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Specializes in Obstetrics.

Wow .. $550 that is CHEAP. My school costs $875 and textbooks are NOT included, I don't know about anything else that we may need, but those are not.

However.. on my schools website it says this, I'm in PA by the way:

"If you are not employed with a long-term care facility at the time you are accepted into a nurse aide training and competency evaluation program, when you become employed or receive an offer of employment within twelve (12) months of completing the program, you will be reimbursed by the long-term care facility that employs you. Reimbursement will be made on a prorated basis."

Anyone else have that?

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Wow. Reading all of these, I feel lucky - my class was free and provided the reading material and the test. All I had to buy were scrubs and shoes.

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my class here with the american red cross was around $850.00 .

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Hey Sue...what were you in your "previous life"?:typing

COBOL and VB programmer, lots of relational database. Job went overseas in 2002.

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