CNA Schedule and Hours

Hi all,

I am a former teacher looking to become a CNA or nurse's assistant. I have a Bachelor's degree in Spanish and a Master's in teaching. I taught for a couple of years and my boss liked me and wanted to renew my contract, but teaching took a toll on my mental health. Without getting too personal, I just couldn't handle having second graders tell me that they were going to kill themselves. I know I would be confronted with distraught adults as a nurse's assistant, but hearing these things from little children was too much for me to bear.

Since leaving teaching this spring, I have been working as a retail cashier in a drug store. I like this job but I want to move on to a career and I read that becoming a nurse's assistant doesn't require extensive training, so I would like to know more about it. First, will my having left teaching disqualify me from finding work since employers will think that I didn't stick with my last career, so why would I stick with this one? I really do want my next career to be permanent!

Also, I have some scheduling complications. I can't work the overnight shift (about 11pm-6am) and I can't work Tuesdays. Would that make it impossible for me to get hired?

I live in eastern MA and am bound to the area.

Thanks so much for your honest opinions!

Helen