Wearing scrubs to CNA exam in Florida?

Cyn2school · Sep 30, 2009

I teach CNA's so here is my California 2C worth: Show up in scrubs, pull long hair back, minimal jewelry, keep a smile on your face, spend plenty of time washing your hands, humble attitude...and engage your "pt" in conversation. For example; Hello Mrs. Smith, I am Jane and I am going to...whatever skill you wind up with... "I am going to give you an manicure." Water warm enough?... Beautiful day isnt it?, makes you glad to live in Florida etc... Make sure your examiner knows you are engaging with your "pt" providing comfort measures, safety, privacy, don't forget to pull curtain for privacy etc.

If you do forget something do tell examiner right off and say, for example "I should have locked the wheels of wheel chair", or I should have remembered a bath sheet, etc.

If you have time to have someone listen to the steps of the skills or flash cards with the steps, even better. No matter how well prepared, you may draw a momentary blank, knowing all the skills step by step is really helpful. Best of luck

LRyder · Sep 30, 2009

Such a quick response, I appreciate your advice a ton! I've been preparing for two months now on my own almost non-stop, I think I've got about everything down, I just have to keep my focus. I'm taking the CNA exam so I can hopefully get experience while going to school and taking my pre-requisites for an ASN.

I'm glad to have an answer about wearing a uniform or not though, thank you VERY much. It didn't make sense to me to not wear scrubs, but I thought I'd ask just in case. Again, thanks so much!! :)

LRyder · Sep 30, 2009

Oh, oh! I have another question to add on to this. I've read the consensus of schools want white shoes for nursing. I assumed the CNA exam would be no different, which is fine. My question is, will Crocs be acceptable? I like them, and I'd like to get a pair; Specialist or Bistros I think. But will these be okay for the exam do you think? :up:

CNAmonica65 · Oct 1, 2009

I'm from fl and wore my scrubs. You don't have to though. Yes crocs is fine with socks and white sneakers. Who wears nursing shoes anymore??

lorelei1973 · Oct 3, 2009

I don't care where you live, wear scrubs, lose the jewelry, get the hair up, and wear minimal makeup and good shoes. No, you don't have to get the $100 nursing clogs, most nurses wear athletic shoes anyway. Why lose impression points? I tested with a young woman who kept her facial piercings in, wore street clothes, and who knows how she did on the skills exam? Well I do, she failed.

The evaluators may have passed her if she was excellent. The point is she didn't look like she took nursing seriously. I never plan to wear scrubs again (in my facility we aren't encouraged to, it's a psych hospital), but I wore pink scrubs and even took off my wedding ring for the test just to make sure I passed the handwashing skill without the instructor having to focus on one more thing... If you look like you came off the street, you have to expect that the evaluators aren't going to believe you're serious about the job, let alone passing the test.

LRyder · Oct 3, 2009

Thanks very much for the straight forward reply. I plan on wearing a proper uniform without jewelry and whatnot. I just bought a pair of crocs today, not white unfortunately, but good lord they're amazingly comfy. I'm going out later this week for scrubs, there's a second hand medical uniform store near the VA hospital that I'm going to visit when I take my father for labs. I'm still sharpening my skills, I want to make sure I'm 110% prepared for the exam! *Actually I think while I'm at the VA I'm going to chat up the nurses some more!

Again, thanks very much!! :up:

NP Sam · Oct 5, 2009

I live in FL too. The first time I took the exam (and failed) I did not wear scrubs. The second I took the exam (and passed) I wore scrubs. Oh and I had only earrings and a watch on, but my hair was down.

LRyder · Oct 5, 2009

Well, at least you passed! I'm excited and anxious to take the exam, but I can't really do it for a while; after my fathers surgery at least. Hopefully by then I'll find some nice scrubs to wear.

Trillcat · Oct 5, 2009

I am in WI, and just took my test 10/3. (I passed, first try, yay!) Out of 12 people testing only 2 were in street clothes, all the rest of us were in scrubs. The women had hair pulled back if necessary, and no excessive jewlery, or long nails. (I cut my natural very long nails off the day before, they had grown back since my clinicals :crying2: ) I don't think its particular to any state to wear scrubs to the exam, its just good sense! You wear scrubs in your labs, and of course during clinicals, (if you have taken classes, I see you are challenging) it stands to reason it would be a good idea to wear them to the exam.

Good luck to you!

LRyder · Oct 5, 2009

Thanks very much! Agreed, it only makes sense to wear scrubs to the exam. To any job interview, regardless of the type, I always dress to impress, so the same should go for any medical job. Hopefully I can find some scrubs that fit well, stupid hormones and only being 5'1"! I just don't want to have to hem anything anymore! :no:

But thanks again! Scrubs, good shoes, no jewelry, hair pulled back, trimmed clean nails, no perfumes, no excessive makeup, and a big smile! Gotcha! :up:

Trillcat · Oct 5, 2009

Thanks very much! Agreed, it only makes sense to wear scrubs to the exam. To any job interview, regardless of the type, I always dress to impress, so the same should go for any medical job. Hopefully I can find some scrubs that fit well, stupid hormones and only being 5'1"! I just don't want to have to hem anything anymore!
But thanks again! Scrubs, good shoes, no jewelry, hair pulled back, trimmed clean nails, no perfumes, no excessive makeup, and a big smile! Gotcha!

lol, I feel your pain, I'm 5'2" (And yep, had to hem the scrubs!) They are extremly easy to hem though! I used the excess I chopped of the bottom to make a hair band, everyone at clinicals asked me how in the world I found one that perfectly matched my scrubs!