CNA to LPN...

Thank you. I definitely have my options open at the moment. I'd ultimately like to become an RN, because like you said, it'd give me more opportunities, and also the opportunity to really specialize in a certain field.

The community college offers a LPN to RN program, so that may just be my best bet, because I'd be taking care of things financialy, on my own.

Thanks again for the advice.

Being a CNA will not make time shorter on becoming an LPN. However,any background experience you have in the medical field will help you out. Also, if the school you are enrolling into goes by points to get accepted, then being a CNA will give you extra points you might need. And too, once your an LPN, you'll be a better nurse toward CNA's your supervising because you have been in their shoes and know what its like.I feel everyone should work their way up in life. If they do then they are more apt to stay with the profession and not as likely to wake up one day burned out or stressed out on a daily basis.

I like the comment Jamie Dale made, I am a CNA and currently in LPN school. Because I am a CNA, as a LPN I will trully appreciate them when I am supervising them. I want to be a CRNA but to tell you the truth because of my experience as a CNA I will never think that some tasks are beneath me (i.e. toileting, bathing, passing trays) no matter how many letters I have behind my name! (Trust me, there are nurses out there that think that) Half of my classmates are CNAs and the half that are not were terrified when we got around to doing our clinical rotation, I mean some girls were actually in tears. I would say being a CNA first is probabaly the way to go because you will get to see how patients are cared for, from CNAs to RNs to MDs, you will really see the difference in the roles of the people in the healthcare team.

In my school, it doesn't make the course shorter but it certainly makes it easier. CNA's can test out of one of the classes & that class meets 8-3, 3 days a week for the first month or so, followed by 6 hours of clinicals & 2 hours of class for the rest of the term. As a matter of fact, at the end of the class, we will receive certification to be CNAs.

Dixie

:monkeydance: I am a CNA, and have been for about 20 yrs now. I recently got accepted into the LPN program and started in August. I think the best thing that anyone can do is do their CNA's before they even attempt to go into a nursing program.

I agree with Tara04. You will be amazed at the people you will meet in LPN school/RN school who have never stepped foot out in the halls of a healthcare facility, and are scared to death. That is no way to be if you are going to be caring for various people in your career.

Being a CNA, is a challenging but wonderful experience. You will be surprised at what you will learn just from being a CNA. :wink2:

Also, as Tara has put it. With all that is in me, I promise that when I become a nurse, I will not let CNA's be beneath me. I will treat them with the upmost respect, the same way I want to be treated.

I work at a hospital, as a CNA, and I am amazed at the nurses, that used to be CNA's that I worked along side off, who say "I didn't go to nursing school to wipe "it", "give baths" or anything like that, that is the reason I went to nursing school to get out of it". I hate that, and I hate that they say things like that. It is unfair.

CNA's are the BACKBONE of the healthcare care field, although they/we don't get the recognition that we deserve.

You can tell the difference after all the schooling/graduation/licensing of various nurses. You can tell who use to be a CNA, and who has never stepped foot in the door. Previous CNA's make better nurses, and are not afraid of the challenges they face. There really is a difference between CNA-nurse, then it is to "non-health related-nurses".

Sandra

Becoming a CNA first will be EXTREMELY beneficial! Especially if you plan to stay in LTC. I speak from experience. I had scratch-the-surface knowledge prior to nursing school and talk about a culture shock. :sofahider

If you aren’t in a hurry, or you have a family, I say baby steps are the way to go. You will end a well rounded nurse with a greater overall understanding of what is going on!

:studyowl:

At my school it does make it easier and shorter. The program is actually set up where you can declare that you are going for a PCT/CNA certificate if you didnt have enough prereqs to get into the actual LPN or RN programs, which are extremely weighted here. Your CNA/PCT licensing actually cuts the entire first 5 NUR classes out and you get 4 points toward the weighted criteria list. Thats less classes, less clinicals,and closer to your overall goal in a shorter span of time. Most of the students have completed their PCT/CNA training and have found that it gives you quite a bit of a head start in grasping the basic concepts of "real world" nursing. It's also awesome PT/FT work on the side as well! I guess it all depends on where you live and what your NUR program looks like altogether wether or not it'll be beneficial to you to do that first but I say go for it.

at my nursing school, those that weren't already cnas were offered certificates once we completed the first part of clinicals. i was already a cna though.

My program did not offer CNA certification, either, but I think it can be an advantage in terms of how to interact with patients. Also, many people opt for LPN simply because the waiting lists for RN programs are so long. Consider your advantages...you did say that your school offers PN to RN so, in that case, it may be okay. You can also take the LPN NCLEX midway through the RN program. Some do that to experience NCLEX, others do it to earn better money while finishing their RN courses.

Back in Colorado, I became a CNA after I completed the first ten weeks during my LPN school which included Nursing Fundamentals. I only had to pay fee for the license and passed the CNA exam and start working as a CNA to help me with my life expense while in nursing school. Now I'm working as an LVN, while taking classes for BSN program. I need to work to support my self, though I wish I could've just go straight all the way finishing school. Life is good, take one step at a time!