Welcome! I am the Moderator of the new CNA - Nursing Assistant Forum. I am also an RN who works in various health care settings. I have experience in Long Term Care, Home Health, and Hospital settings. I have been a Nurse since 1998 starting out as an ADN; I received my BSN in 2001.
I wish I had been a CNA prior to Nursing School; I know it would have helped tremendously. The jitters I encountered make me blush now. I remember not wanting to look at a wound for a new patient because I was "uncomfortable" lifting the covers and envading someones privacy! It is safe to say, "those days are over ;)"!
Please take a moment to introduce yourself. If you have time, grab your cup and tell us about yourself. Feel free to PM me if there are any concerns that are of a personal nature. Oherwise, post your conversations and questions here so we can all learn.
I've been a CNA/CMA for 13+ years, a phlebotomist for two years. I am currently struggling to stay in nursing school while working 40hrs per week because my loan limits have been reached and I am no longer eligible for financial aide!
Thanks for starting a CNA forum. No offense to anyone, but I have always thought seeing new nurses that they would have been much better off and the transition much easier if they would have been CNA's first, especially D.O.N's & Admin. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I've been a CNA/CMA for 13+ years, a phlebotomist for two years. I am currently struggling to stay in nursing school while working 40hrs per week because my loan limits have been reached and I am no longer eligible for financial aide!
Will your hospital pay for you to do a nursing program? I know some won't offer that until you're accepted into a program. I just got a CNA job to do while in nursing school because I really wanted to get experience.
Hey girl! I'm from Tennesse but now live in Macon,Georgia. We lived in Brandon,Florida 10 min. east of Tampa and I just HAD to get outta there bcuz' I nneded to b closer 2 family in Tennessee. My parents are getting to the age where I don't need to have it all go on my sis' sholuders and they r just as much my responsibility as my sis'.Keep in touch.
I have worked as a nurse aide before in the hospital. I am just now, after a few years, deciding to take the certification test. I have been working as a dialysis PCT for going on two years. I hope to find some parttime CNA work as soon as I pay for and past the certification. I also look forward to going back to school ASAP. I figure by time I get settled, I recently moved to Jacksonville, FL, I will have been on my job long enough to receive tuition reimbursement or an RN scholarship. My plans change often or I should say my route to achieving my goals. My ultimate goal is to be a Nurse Practioner. I just can't decide if I want to go for my LPN first or my RN. I'm leaning towards LPN because I would love to take a year off after achieving it and do some missionary work. So all you praying folks keep Vanetta(that's me;) ) up in your prayers that God will increase my wisdom, knowledge, and understanding; also, that the Holy Spirit would lead me.
I am an accountant who was terminated from my job for poor work performance. Truthfully, I was burned out and couldn't take sitting at a desk calculating numbers, pushing paper all day, dealing with corporate bull, typing on a computer and performing the same duties with the same people, day after day, month after month. I was always told that I shouldn't be in business.
I am very caring and compassionate and love to work with people. So I decided to become an RN. I took all of the prerequisites that I need to get into just about any nursing program but I was not accepted to a university I applied to last year. My unemployment from my previous job will end in December so I have to find employment by this time. I decided to become a CNA for now so that I can not only get a little experience working with people but so that I can also support my family while going to school.
I am very grateful for this forum because I am going to need you all for support and for help getting through training and things. I've never seen another naked person other than my spouse so it's going to be a new experience for me. The training program I'm getting ready to go through starts out at 7.40/hr and after training it starts at 9. I don't know if I'll be able to support my family on this but I guess I'm going to have to learn to live very frugal for a few years until I finished Nursing School. I'm not going to worry though because I know that God will provide for me and my family.
Well, that's my story. Hope to hear from all of you on this forum.
Hi my name is Rhonda from Shillington, PA.
Trust me God will see you through this period.
For the past three years i've been living on blind faith. Like you I was let go from the corporate world after spending 17 years in marketing a field i didn't like (it just so happened the company i worked for paid for my schooling, but i had to do something job related and i chose marketing). So after i was let go i did some re-evaluation and decided to go into nursing. I immediately got my CNA license and faith took over from there.
If anyone told me when i left my husband three years ago, i would work two days a week to support myself and two children, i would've told them they were lying. Guess what I did it, with God's grace, I started the RN program initially and because of some adjustment issues at home i had to quit. Last August i began the LPN program and am proud to say I'll be part of the graduating class this September 7th.
The two days i worked were 14 hours each day (6 pm to 8am). In January of this year i had to give up the position, because the hours conflicted with my clinical hours, but thanks once again, i have made it through.
I wont lie to you, classes are tough, but stay focused, be strong, have faith and God will see you through.
I am so glad to hear that a nurse really appreciates the work that CNA's do. I have been a CNA for over a year and I think that the best part of that is when I see a smile on the residents faces when all you have done is to ask them how they are doing (with a smile on my face also). I work in the annex area of a hospital and it has its ups and downs (it only has it's downs because most of the other workers do not want to work together). You know that is a shame because it is the residents that suffer because the CNAs and nurses refuse to work as a team. Of course, that is why I am looking for a job somewhere else (another department or hospital) where the patients come first. I don't want a slap on the back or anything like that just a smile and a thank you would be great sometimes. I am also working on my prerequistes to get into nursing school. I love people, people are great!
Will your hospital pay for you to do a nursing program? I know some won't offer that until you're accepted into a program. I just got a CNA job to do while in nursing school because I really wanted to get experience.
Nope - I work as a CMA passing meds at a prison, and I have asked about the state program where employer pays half and the state (Kansas) pays the other half, my employer said no, but I really like my job and don't want to change jobs at the moment.
Woo hoo for the CNA'S! I'm so glad there is finally a board for us! I have been a CNA since January. I am working in PACU and taking pre reqs for nursing school. Any other CNA's working in peri-op?
For the past three years i've been living on blind faith. Like you I was let go from the corporate world after spending 17 years in marketing a field i didn't like (it just so happened the company i worked for paid for my schooling, but i had to do something job related and i chose marketing). So after i was let go i did some re-evaluation and decided to go into nursing. I immediately got my CNA license and faith took over from there.
If anyone told me when i left my husband three years ago, i would work two days a week to support myself and two children, i would've told them they were lying. Guess what I did it, with God's grace, I started the RN program initially and because of some adjustment issues at home i had to quit. Last August i began the LPN program and am proud to say I'll be part of the graduating class this September 7th.
The two days i worked were 14 hours each day (6 pm to 8am). In January of this year i had to give up the position, because the hours conflicted with my clinical hours, but thanks once again, i have made it through.
I wont lie to you, classes are tough, but stay focused, be strong, have faith and God will see you through.
MK
Wow, i am totally inspired (and very impressed) God Bless and Good Luck to you~ I love your attitude!
Hi, Wow seven years, that is great and takes commitment! I, myself have many years of education and experience, yet I learn everyday!! I have been reading this forum for years and just got around to posting..
:balloons:
peacesmiley1974
4 Posts
Hi!
I've been a CNA/CMA for 13+ years, a phlebotomist for two years. I am currently struggling to stay in nursing school while working 40hrs per week because my loan limits have been reached and I am no longer eligible for financial aide!
Thanks for starting a CNA forum. No offense to anyone, but I have always thought seeing new nurses that they would have been much better off and the transition much easier if they would have been CNA's first, especially D.O.N's & Admin. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!