Career Move Advice

[NatureLoverx3]

Hi Everyone!

Currently I am a nursing student who has gotten her CNA license.

I did not take a CNA class but rather was able to challenge the exam.

I was supposed to have practice/learn my "CNA" type skills in my geri clinical, but for certain reasons the clinical experience did not happen as such..

I currently work as a dietary aide at a local hospital. I like the fact that if I stay there,

I kind of have a foot in door which would help with networking when I am looking for a student internship or nursing job.

However, I wonder if it would be better if I left that job and got a CNA job at a LTC facility. This way, I would practice CNA type skills, make money, and lots of internship jobs seem to want this type of experience.

So: should I stay at my dietary job and hope med-surg clinical will help me practice my CNA type skills or should I leave and get job as CNA? I know hospital's hire CNAs as PCTs, but because I did not get the needed experience during clinical, I feel that I would not be comfortable there because I still need to truly be competent at my skills.

Thanks for all your answers --> sending good karma your way!

[random13]

I wouldn't leave the current job. Nursing school is stressful, and adding a new stressor to that isn't going to help you. Although I had been a CNA for almost 10 years before going into nursing school they assessed our CNA abilities and we used them regularly when in the clinical setting. It might have benefitted you to have CNA experience before entering, but now that you are there I would roll with it, learn all that you can!