CNA to RN

remotefuse · Mar 13, 2019

It wouldnt make it quicked, probably slower since you would have to dedicate the time to attend cna training. Overall, its a great idea though. A lot of the great nurses I know started off as cnas first

CampyCamp, RN · Mar 13, 2019

I was a CNA and then HHA first- for the simple fact that my HS guidance counselor told me I wasn't smart enough for nursing. After about 2 years of being an aide, I started thinking I might have what it takes to be a nurse. Turns out, I just had better focus in nursing than in HS (undiagnosed ADHD) and better motivation with bills of my own! In the end, I considered being a CRNA and could have pulled off that academically but I could never manage those hours of school, nor could my high needs daughter. Point being, my counselor was very wrong. Although, my HS grades wouldn't have gotten me traditional college entry. I took a couple core classes at community college and aced them to prove my merit as a non-traditional student to admissions.

Anyway, no time was saved for sure but nursing 1 clinicals were super easy and I gained some reputation early on because I could help other students with baths and was confident with transfers.

I worked primarily in home health while in school, on weekends or overnights. For me, it worked well because I had some night cases which were mostly sitting around and being available to help my client if they woke up which was once every couple hours. So I got lots of homework done and had living examples of pathophys and meds available! If I was short money, I called the agency and they could place me in a nursing home shift which pays well when you're agency.

Redhead,RN, BSN · Mar 14, 2019

Good idea to do this then you get to see how sucky nursing is before you commit big bucks to a student loan. Wish I'd have been a CNA first. Had I, I would have NEVER got into this terrible field of healthcare. I would have been a doctor instead considering we practically do that job also...

NurseTrishBSN, CNA, RN · Mar 14, 2019

I was a CNA before ever thinking of becoming an RN. Would I recommend do it prior to nursing school? Probably if you can get a position with the facility you would like to work in as a new grad. It won’t make things faster while in school but will give you a better appreciation for the hospital culture.

alleeRN · Mar 14, 2019

It is not quicker becoming a CNA first. BUT it is extremely helpful as you are exposed to patient care. I was a CNA for 4 years before becoming an RN. I have learned so much, how to take vital signs, blood sugars, EKG's, collecting specimens, turning patients, transferring patients, documenting everything, bladder irrigation, bladder scanning, emptying drains and catheters. Not to mention watching nurses do their tasks which showed me what they really do before getting into it. I worked in a level 1 trauma center in the float pool so I was sent all over the place, from the start I knew which specialty I didnt have much of a liking for, like orthopedics. I never liked working with CPM machines, they were so heavy and most of the patients were non-compliant with them! So while I was in nursing school, my professors said I had excelled in certain areas. In clinical I would be given my own patients, as opposed to other students being paired up for one patient. I was also exempt from performing bed baths, bed to chair transfers, etc, since that was my job already. I was given actual nursing related roles while in clinical which certainly helped me. So if you can, actually if anyone can, certainly, definitely be a CNA before becoming an RN. As an RN I know the role the CNA has and it is really a tough job, so I help out whenever I can, and they are truly grateful for it.

dbabz · Mar 14, 2019

A million and a half times....yes! I went into nursing school with no medical experience and saw the huge advantage that the CMAs and EMTs had, especially in clinicals. I really wish I had gone that route and it's the one piece of advice I give to anyone considering nursing school.

Oldmahubbard · Mar 14, 2019

Way back in the day, the hospitals here would hire you as a nurse's aide after a year of nursing school. And yes, it was very educational. Truly cemented my belief that inpatient floor nursing was not my thing.

But it wouldn't speed the process in any way.

0.5GPA, ADN, CNA · Mar 14, 2019

I don’t know about quicker but I feel it should be mandatory for aspiring RNs to do CNA work for a year or two.

reasions are I feel it helps building an understanding of what CNAs go through every day. It is hard, back breaking and sometimes a thankless job.

My experience (I worked on a busy med-surg floor for 3-1/2 years) has been most (not all) the nurses who never did the CNA thing where not as helpful or kind to CNAs as the Nurses who had worked as one. It seemed the nurses who had done that kind of work would be more willing to get their hand dirty when it was needed. (When they weren’t busy with their own stuff)

The CNAs I worked with knew who we could ask for help and if we were falling behind who wouldn’t chew us out over things outside our control.

It is not needed that you do CNA first but it would help spread your wings. That is always a good thing IMO.

Edit: Also I like to add the stuff you see as a CNA help with school. I knew a lot about colonostomies and bladder stuff going in. Also “ok” social skills lol

Sour Lemon · Mar 14, 2019

2 minutes ago, 0.5GPA said:
I don’t know about quicker but I feel it should be mandatory for aspiring RNs to do CNA work for a year or two.
reasions are I feel it helps building an understanding of what CNAs go through every day. It is hard, back breaking and sometimes a thankless job.

I wish CNAs could also work as RNs for a few years ...for similar reasons.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Mar 14, 2019

On 3/11/2019 at 10:26 AM, SaltineQueen said:
I was not a CNA before I went to nursing school. I think it would have been very beneficial, but obviously not necessary.
It's not a quicker path to being an RN but it will expose you to a lot of what nursing is about, you'll get a lot of good experience working with different types of people, you may get tuition reimbursement, and it may help you to have your "foot in the door" for when you do graduate nursing school.

I never worked in a hospital before starting my first nursing job. I really had NO idea what RNS did, or what Was did, either. I think my first year of nursing would have been a LOT smoother had I already known how to take vital signs, keep up with I & O, turn, reposition, clean up and ambulate patients.

Being a CNA won't give you a real idea of what RNs do. But it will give you lots of practice in the basics, so you'll probably do better in clinical, and when you do get your first RN job you won't be totally inept like I was.

vampiregirl, BSN, RN · Mar 16, 2019

On 3/10/2019 at 9:52 PM, Mary3010 said:
Vampire girl:
What made you decide to become a CNA before an RN? Is it quick to become one?

I opted to become a CNA to learn more about how to care for patients.

I took a 3 week course at a nursing home. From what I understand these days the course typically lasts a month. Some local nursing home offer the course for free with the opportunity for a paid position upon successful completion.