Cna Help!

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I am wondering if anyone has taken the cna training course through the American Red Cross and has been able to get a job at a hospital? I am trying to decide if I want to spend another $900 to be a cna while I am waiting to get into a nursing program. I am thinking it is still going to be hard to get a job at the hospital even with the cna because when I go on their ( st. john, henry ford, beaumont, mount clemens general ) job postings there is not that many for cna's. If anyone can offer any advise it would help me with my decision.:nuke:

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Specializes in Ortho and Transplant.

You can take a cna course at a community college and it shouldnt cost $900.00, also hospitals dont require you to have your state certification its just nursing homes that are required by law, just ask where you are interviewing and let them know of you interest in nursing school!

Good luck!

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Specializes in Cardiology.

I took the CNA class through the Red Cross, and got certified within a week of finishing the class and got hired into a hospital right away. It just depends on the hospital where you want to apply some require you to be certified and some don't or you have to be in the nursing program. Usually the hospitals qualifications will say what they require.

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Thank you for your reply. I know that I can take it thru a cc but it will take longer and I can take the one with the red cross before I start my classes for the fall semester. I don't want to have to much on my plate. I need to keep my 4.0 and I have two small children.

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Thanks for your reply. All the hospitals I have looked into say they prefer certification. I know it will only help me to get certified I just didn't want to have to spend another $900. If you don't mind me asking what was your starting pay? I am only looking to work part-time maybe a few days a week just to get some experience while I am waiting to get into a program. Thanks again!

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If you look through the previous posts in this Michigan thread, there's some information. A lot of senior citizen homes offer CNA training as well.

I found a place through these forums that costs $575, but that's the cheapest I've found. I'm taking classes starting in September until October

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Specializes in Med-Surg/Trauma.
If you don't mind me asking what was your starting pay? I am only looking to work part-time maybe a few days a week just to get some experience while I am waiting to get into a program. Thanks again!

You're probably going to make about $10 or $11 as a CNA. Pay can range depending on facility, length of employment, and a variety of other factors. You could make considerably more per hour if you pick up a lot of overtime (though it doesn't sound like you're wanting to work even full time let alone full time and overtime) or some extra with a shift differential.

Hope that helped.

(For what it's worth you can work as a CNA after your first semester of nursing school-- the state BON waives the course so you could save yourself $900 if you wait. Also, after a clinical rotation or two you can get hired into a hospital as a tech or in a student nurse position. These will pay you about $4 more an hour than CNA pay and you don't have to shell out any outside money for courses (aside from nursing school tuition of course))

I just put that out there as something to consider. I'm a big fan of volunteering (I can do that for free without paying out for a course) and I'm going to look for a paid position in the hospital after I complete my first semester in the nursing program this fall and will continue working my non hospital job until then. If you really want a paying hospital job go for the CNA course now, but be aware that free opportunities await you if you can stand to wait a little longer...

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

I would recommend that you save the $900. You will learn the basic nursing duties during your first semester of nursing school.

The pay as a CNA is not worth the 900 bucks especially if it is just to get "experience".

Find some other sort of job if money is why you want the job. Retail, fast food, who cares because after your first semester you can get a job doing CNA work, or being a nurse extern and actually doing more nursing duties, for way more money than a CNA ($15-16/hour)

That 900 could be your first couple of pay checks as a part time CNA!!!

Just my opinion! Focus on school, and then after your first semester go for the job!

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