CNA or Med Tech better experience?

[PepeSilvia]

I am a Pennsylvania nursing student working towards by BSN and am currently volunteering at an assisted living facility for the summer (I'll be a junior next semester). I've recently found out that the head nurse at the facility is looking for a CNA to work every other weekend, and since I already have gone through a year of nursing school and have been approved to take my CNA exam, I could fill the position. I've been trying to find a CNA job for weeks, so it seems like a miracle! But now, the person I volunteer for said that I could also work as a med tech and the training would be on site at the facility and only be two days. I am now wondering which option would give me the most experience and help me with my clinicals next semester the best. Since I've already had clinical in a nursing home, I've done most CNA duties and would be comfortable with that job. But on the other hand, I don't have much experience with medications and think that getting a head start on passing meds would be good so next semester isn't such a shock when I will be handling medication on a regular basis. Any opinions?

[swayman2202]

PERSONALLY i think a med tech gets better expirence, because they get to work side by side the nurses (at least where i use to work) they get to do quite a few of the things that nurses get to do (there again may just be where i work i dont know) while an aide gets to do well strictly aide work.

[CoffeemateCNA]

I've done both and I think each position brings something invaluable to the table.

As a CNA, you will get much more comfortable and solidify your foundation of basic nursing skills. You have to have very good time management to get everything done. You don't really get to see the different aspects of patient care, though; all you do is the dirty work.

As med tech, you really learn how the residents' care works. You get to see several different aspects and have more advanced "nurse-like" tasks to do. Depending on the state, you may even get to talk to the doctor and take telephone orders, transcribe those orders onto the medication administration record, etc. It also helps you to learn the medications for school better. Instead of reading about them in textbooks, you'll get to see them in real life, which helps the material to "stick." Many new nurses have told me that one of the most stressful aspects of learning their new job is knowing all about the meds you give and giving them in a timely manner.

[PepeSilvia]

Sounds like med tech is winning. Thank you so much for your input!