CNA New Grad $8 an hour please help!!!!

Nursing Students CNA/MA

Published

Hello, I'm new to this site and I was just wondering if anyone had any tips or advice on getting hired as a cna. I'm a new grad, and every place I apply to is offering only $8. If not that they want 6 months to a year experience. I live in NEW York and I'm willing to travel. Please help!!!!

You just have to apply at other places. If you shop around enough you will find someplace that pays better. And if not, just take the job and use that for experience. I volunteered at a hospital and was able to use that to get in the door at places and gain interviews. I might not have gotten paid for it, but interviewers love it. I actually just got hired in at an upscale assisted living facility at $11.50 an hour, I applied at one other place that offered me $10 an hour. It's all about building skills and experience. But sooner or later, you will find something.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Help with what? if you got no experience the smart thing to do is take the bloody job. People are just too picky. You got nothing to bargain with and there are lots of CNA's on the market so employers can shop around. It really makes no sense spending thousands of dollars to move just to earn 2 dollars more. As with any job field starting out if you can be hired by 1 employer and stick it out 3-6 months you just keep applying to other places while you work chances are you will be offered more. Earn your 1 year experience then you can start yelling for help.

Being an EMT-B is not the same thing as being a CNA in terms of patient volume. Please don't judge this poster on something you know nothing about. When you have had 20-30 residents you are in charge of including meals, adl's, and vital signs and no help from the one nurse in the facility then feel free to tell us you would work for $8 an hour. I agree that it makes no sense to move to make $2 more an hour but there is nothing wrong with wanting more. You are rude and insensitive and I truly hope you show more compassion to your future patients than you did this poster.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Well, a small license will not give you a lot of pay. A small license though does give you many places to work in. We should not always follow the footsteps of our friends and community (I don't of my own), look for some other more formal type of job. Work in office or in school. That is more feminine :) But if you are not feminine type, you might like tough experiences and smart work;try forensic studies, or laboratory, crime scene, etc...

Up Vote Up Vote ×

The starting base pay is the same in this area. We have to run/pass the CNA 1 course as a program requirement, and I'm enjoying the clinical experience. Strong interviewing skills can help increase that base pay as well. Now, would I perform that work for $8.00/hr? No way...it makes no sense if you can make better than that waiting tables for 2 hours on a Fri eve. Sorry, that's just truth. The "average" CNA 1 in the settings I have been to are transitional, and unhappy, but there are a few amazing ones though. Asking me to work for my emotions sake, or using patients needs as a leverage tool however is ludicrous. If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys 99% of the time.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in mental health / psychiatic nursing.

It seems a little low, but what is the min wage in your state? Min wage where I live is $9.50/hour and most CNA jobs start at $10/hour unless you are working in a hospital (which usually won't hire with out 6mths-year experience). I was lucky that my first job pays $11/hour but they counted my prior volunteer work towards experience.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC, Memory loss, PDN.
Being an EMT-B is not the same thing as being a CNA in terms of patient volume. Please don't judge this poster on something you know nothing about. When you have had 20-30 residents you are in charge of including meals, adl's, and vital signs and no help from the one nurse in the facility then feel free to tell us you would work for $8 an hour. I agree that it makes no sense to move to make $2 more an hour but there is nothing wrong with wanting more. You are rude and insensitive and I truly hope you show more compassion to your future patients than you did this poster.

man-nurse2b gave realistic advice

the alternative is to continue and harp on how underpaid

CNAs are (which no one denies) or take that cashiers job

and if you can find a brand new CNA who can take care of

20-30 residents including meals adl's and vitals, please send her

my way - we're hiring and i can guarantee $ 12.00 for a CNA

of that caliber

but we're really not dealing with such a CNA, rather a new one

so let's not be insensitive to the needs of the op

and keep it real

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I'm actually still in CNA courses...NO EXPERIENCES WHAT SO EVER! I've been offered two jobs at two different LTC facilities. One starting out 8hrs only paying 8. The other is 12hr paying 9. There are other places about 15-20 mins out paying $10+. I've even known fresh CNA's to get jobs at local hospitals around here. All you really have to do is fill out a application, turn it in, and most likely as soon as you hand it in the DON will give you an interview and you will know that day if you have the job or not.

(My experience)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med Surg, PCU, Travel.
Being an EMT-B is not the same thing as being a CNA in terms of patient volume. Please don't judge this poster on something you know nothing about. When you have had 20-30 residents you are in charge of including meals, adl's, and vital signs and no help from the one nurse in the facility then feel free to tell us you would work for $8 an hour. I agree that it makes no sense to move to make $2 more an hour but there is nothing wrong with wanting more. You are rude and insensitive and I truly hope you show more compassion to your future patients than you did this poster.

My wife is a CNA so I think I have a VERY good idea what I'm talking about. Fact is all CNA's are underpaid. But this has nothing to do with being a CNA or EMT (which I no longer am). It has to do with common sense. I've got lots of experience finding jobs and I know what it takes to climb the ladder. Take it from an immigrant who moved here to USA with literally nothing, started working at a fast food outlet even though I had my degree in engineering, worked my way into the largest telecommunications company in USA and now about to graduate from nursing school in a few months.

Call me rude but I'm just being candid and that's the harsh reality of this job market. Being successful has to do with making a solid plan and having realistic goals. I've done lots of apprentice jobs for way below minimum wage just for the sake of getting experience when I was in the electrical field. Each experience lead to a higher paying job. When you follow those steps and you got some experience under your belt then you can tell the employer hey I can't take X dollars I want this $$...I've done that before and the employers caved in and gave me what I asked for..why? because I proved myself valuable.

I've got family in New York, I know making $8/hr is ridiculous in any field but if you got nothing to bargain with ( zero experience) and no other offers on the table what is one to do? Wait and hope someone pays you what you want or take the job? . Too many people have a sense of entitlement rather than wanting to get off this tails and do something about it.

You gotta get that experience, now that could mean either taking a lower pay or volunteering and working for free so you don't have a huge gap in your resume. Over the last 18 years of working, I've only had 1 gap in my resume and that was waiting for my legal work permit to Work in USA, as soon as I got that I was out job hunting...while I see other guys sitting on the street corner smoking and fooling around.

I've been on allnurses for over 6 years, feel free to back track my journey but I am very compassionate but also very candid. However, there is a time for compassion and there is a time when people need a bit of a reality check. It's a hostile job market out there for health care workers.

EDIT: But the way, I just got my CNA license and will be working as soon as someone calls me back. And yes I'll take any offer I get because I got no experience. What is shocking is in my little county, there are over 900 currently registered CNA's according to the nursing board website and over 4000 past CNA's. There's maybe 10-20 nursing homes and 1 hospital. I know what I'm up against. I could just imagine what the numbers are like elsewhere.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
My wife is a CNA so I think I have a VERY good idea what I'm talking about. Fact is all CNA's are underpaid. But this has nothing to do with being a CNA or EMT (which I no longer am). It has to do with common sense. I've got lots of experience finding jobs and I know what it takes to climb the ladder. Take it from an immigrant who moved here to USA with literally nothing started working at a fast food outlet even though I had my degree in engineering, worked my way into the largest telecommunications company in USA and now about to graduate from nursing school in a few months. Call me rude but I'm just being candid and that's the harsh reality of this job market. Being successful has to do with making a solid plan and having realistic goals. I've done lots of apprentice jobs for way below minimum wage just for the sake of getting experience when I was in the electrical field. Each experience lead to a higher paying job. When you follow those steps and you got some experience under your belt then you can tell the employer hey I can't take X dollars I want this $$...I've done that before and the employers caved in and gave me what I asked for..why? because I proved myself valuable. I've got family in New York, I know making $8/hr is ridiculous in any field but if you got nothing to bargain with ( zero experience) and no other offers on the table what is one to do? Wait and hope someone pays you what you want or take the job? . Too many people have a sense of entitlement rather than wanting to get off this tails and do something about it. You gotta get that experience, now that could mean either taking a lower pay or volunteering and working for free so you don't have a huge gap in your resume. Over the last 18 years of working, I've only had 1 gap in my resume and that was waiting for my legal work permit to Work in USA, as soon as I got that I was out job hunting...while I see other guys sitting on the street corner smoking and fooling around. I've been on allnurses for over 6 years, feel free to back track my journey but I am very compassionate but also very candid. However, there is a time for compassion and there is a time when people need a bit of a reality check. It's a hostile job market out there for health care workers. EDIT: But the way, I just got my CNA license and will be working as soon as someone calls me back. And yes I'll take any offer I get because I got no experience. What is shocking is in my little county, there are over 900 currently registered CNA's according to the nursing board website and over 4000 past CNA's. There's maybe 10-20 nursing homes and 1 hospital. I know what I'm up against. I could just imagine what the numbers are like elsewhere.[/quote']

I'm happy for you! Congratulations! Why switch from engineering to a CNA position? Just curious.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC, Memory loss, PDN.
My wife is a CNA so I think I have a VERY good idea what I'm talking about. Fact is all CNA's are underpaid. But this has nothing to do with being a CNA or EMT (which I no longer am). It has to do with common sense. I've got lots of experience finding jobs and I know what it takes to climb the ladder. Take it from an immigrant who moved here to USA with literally nothing, started working at a fast food outlet even though I had my degree in engineering, worked my way into the largest telecommunications company in USA and now about to graduate from nursing school in a few months.

Call me rude but I'm just being candid and that's the harsh reality of this job market. Being successful has to do with making a solid plan and having realistic goals. I've done lots of apprentice jobs for way below minimum wage just for the sake of getting experience when I was in the electrical field. Each experience lead to a higher paying job. When you follow those steps and you got some experience under your belt then you can tell the employer hey I can't take X dollars I want this $$...I've done that before and the employers caved in and gave me what I asked for..why? because I proved myself valuable.

I've got family in New York, I know making $8/hr is ridiculous in any field but if you got nothing to bargain with ( zero experience) and no other offers on the table what is one to do? Wait and hope someone pays you what you want or take the job? . Too many people have a sense of entitlement rather than wanting to get off this tails and do something about it.

You gotta get that experience, now that could mean either taking a lower pay or volunteering and working for free so you don't have a huge gap in your resume. Over the last 18 years of working, I've only had 1 gap in my resume and that was waiting for my legal work permit to Work in USA, as soon as I got that I was out job hunting...while I see other guys sitting on the street corner smoking and fooling around.

I've been on allnurses for over 6 years, feel free to back track my journey but I am very compassionate but also very candid. However, there is a time for compassion and there is a time when people need a bit of a reality check. It's a hostile job market out there for health care workers.

EDIT: But the way, I just got my CNA license and will be working as soon as someone calls me back. And yes I'll take any offer I get because I got no experience. What is shocking is in my little county, there are over 900 currently registered CNA's according to the nursing board website and over 4000 past CNA's. There's maybe 10-20 nursing homes and 1 hospital. I know what I'm up against. I could just imagine what the numbers are like elsewhere.

I'm beginning to think i have a twin.

I'm an immigrant who came to the US with nothing but the shirt on my back.

My wife is a CMA, but was a CNA for many years.

I have swept and mopped floors, washed dishes and just about any other odd

job i could get my hands on and i have no regrets whatsoever.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.

$8/hr is REALLY low. I started off at 11.10/hr at one job and $9.68/hr at another (now making 10.12/hr) and I live in the mid-west. And that isn't even factoring weekend and shift differentials, OT and holiday pay.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

8$ a hour in NY sounds crazy! CNA's where I live in NC get 11$ a hour and our cost of living is much lower than yours.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment