CNA after first semester nursing school?

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I start the RN program at my community college later this month. I have been told I can be a CNA after one semester. Is this true? If so, do I need to test for it then? I am hoping to work PRN in a hospital as a CNA during the remainder of my RN program. I am not sure if hospitals hire PRN aids who are nursing students without CNA experience. I plan to work in a hospital and feel this would be great experience and help with the financial crunch. Thanks for any info.

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Specializes in Telemetry & Obs.

Hi :) I'm sure most programs are different so don't take MY word for anything, but my program sent in the paperwork for us and we were automatically given CNAI certification after 2nd semester. At the end of our next to last semester we had the option of applying and paying for CNAII certification. I did apply and receive my certification because at that time I had no idea how long it would take to pass NCLEX. I wanted the option of working as a CNAII left open :)

I never used it, but I still think it was money well spent. You just never know.

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Specializes in ICU, ER, Hemodialysis.

at my school, you can work as a cna after first semester and you don't have to take the certification test. well, actually they work as patient care assistants/student nurses, but they do the same exact thing.

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

it depends on the rules for the cna registry for the state in which you live. since you did not give your state of residence i am not able to get that information for you. you can find it yourself, however, by doing a search of the internet this way "(your state) nurse aide registry". usually, the first or second hits that come up are the links to your state cna registry information. sometimes you can get the answer to the question you have online. other times you'll just have to get a contact phone number and call the state registry office to get your answer. here is a link to a list of contact addresses and phone numbers for all the state nurse aide registries.

http://nursingassistantcentral.homestead.com/nurseaideregistries.html

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:trout:

At the hospital where I work, you do not need to be a "c"na to be a "NA". In otherwords you do not need to be certified at all, which urked me a little since I was required to be certified to work at a nursing home.

Now however I work at a hospital and after your 1st med-surg rotation you can be a nurse tech (pca, pct).

I justgot the results from my nursing entrance test and Passed. So, I applied to the LPN program (waitlist fall 09).

Wish me luck

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Specializes in ICU, ER, Hemodialysis.

Good Luck and Hang in There.

jay

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Hello All

Just need a little help with writing a resume for a CNA position. I am going into my second year of a nursing program and need help with writing a resume to apply for a position as a CNA. I think this will help me schooling since I don't feel I am getting enough clinical time.

Thanks

TNS4

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.
hello all

just need a little help with writing a resume for a cna position. i am going into my second year of a nursing program and need help with writing a resume to apply for a position as a cna. i think this will help me schooling since i don't feel i am getting enough clinical time.

thanks

tns4

here are three links i have on help with writing a resume. you can get free information on writing a resume as well as view sample resumes from any of the large job search sites (monster, career builder, and others).

http://www.collegeboard.com/student/plan/high-school/36957.html - "resume-writing 101". includes a set of links at the bottom of the article to the resume information at the major job seeker sites.

http://www.nurseweek.com/features/99-8/resume.html - "looking good on paper: professional advice for building powerful resumes" from nurseweek. a short article on the critical basics to incorporate into your resume.

http://www.wetfeet.com/article%20types/resumes.aspx - a listing of links to articles on writing up a resume as well as some information on cover letters from wetfeet.com

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Specializes in Nursing assistant.
I start the RN program at my community college later this month. I have been told I can be a CNA after one semester. Is this true? If so, do I need to test for it then? I am hoping to work PRN in a hospital as a CNA during the remainder of my RN program. I am not sure if hospitals hire PRN aids who are nursing students without CNA experience. I plan to work in a hospital and feel this would be great experience and help with the financial crunch. Thanks for any info.

It would be great for you to work prn during school, if you have the stamina (don't think I would :) ) You will find you are more at ease during your clinicals, know your way around and feel comfortable with your patients. God's speed!

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Specializes in ER, CCU.

I'm in a BSN program and the hospitals in my area, will hire nursing students after they've had there first clinical rotation, which is med-surg. They hire you as a nurse tech, or a senior tech. Nurse tech's are strickly nursing students and senior techs are majority nursing students and a few CNA's or STNA's who are trained by the hospital to do extra things. We are aloud to do, gluccometer testing, foley's, blood draw's, EKG's (in the ED), assist with trauma's, along with many other things. If you couldn't tell i work in the ED, and it has really been a great expearience. I've only been there for a little over a month, and i'm already ahead of my classmates in certain area's. Many of them don't have a clue how to do a blood draw and i've done a bunch of them, so i'm not really nervous about doing IV's this semester.

if you can get a job doing it, take it!! The learning expearience will be priceless!!

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