CNA wanting to gain experience in cardiac-vascular nursing

[friedjalapeno, ADN, RN]

I'm a new CNA and will be going to nursing school to earn my BSN and become a RN. I have an interest in cardiac-vascular nursing and in order to earn the certification I need to have worked 2 years FT as a RN and have a minimum of 2,000 hours of clinical practice in cardiac-vascular nursing within the last 3 years.

If I'm reading the requirements for certification, I need to be a RN whIle gaining the experience hours? Is there any way I could work in the cardiac field as a CNA to start gaining experience and to apply towards the certification (if possible)? It isn't so much that it is a must to have the hours applied to the certification, but I really want to indulge myself is cardiology and want the experience more than anything. I have googled to see if anyone has asked this same question and did not find what I was looking for. I may be asking this question too ahead of my time or even in the wrong thread, but I'm curious for those who have become cardiac-vascular nurses or are knowledgeable on the subject.

[loriangel14, RN]

No. Any hours towards the certification will have to be after you are an RN and working as one. CNA experience does not count as nursing experience.