This thread is for those of us who are enrolled in a CNA course right now, and/OR will be certified between March and April. Here is where we rant, network, and/or brag about the way our course (s) are going, our experiences finding a job after our course/internship is completed, and what our plans are for the future (Nursing school, etc.).
We started this topic in another thread, lets keep this going! :heartbeat
Here is a little YouTube humor for all of us potential CNA's. A typical day in the life of a Certified Nursing Assistant:
Specializes in 6 yrs LTC, 1 yr MedSurg, Wound Care.
I've been reading the forums and I've heard a couple of times that you can get into working for a hospital if you let them know that you are going to be continuing your education. My plan is to eventually become an RN so I'm hoping that will help me out.
I wanted to post the YouTube videos I have been watching. They've been helpful for me. Click here.
Yea that's what I think I'll do. I saw a job at an area hospital for a companion/sitter. The pay is sorta bad (8.75/hr) but if I could get that job it could open doors for me b/c if there is a job opening within the hospital for a PCT they'll be more likely to give it to an in-house candidate.
I'm in the same boat as you!! I'm the youngest in my class& without kids too. Also I wanted to see if I like the healthcare field so I took a semester off to take this class. So far I'm doing great but I haven't started clinicals yet. Hopefully they'll go smoothly too :) Don't worry, just hang in there & you'll be fine !
Glad to know I'm not the only "baby" of their class, heh. Like you I am doing well in the class so far but I haven't started clinicals yet. This upcoming week is my last week of theory then it's all clinicals from there! I'm nervous! Best of luck to you. :)
Comfortably Numb - My confidence level is down low too. I haven't had a real job since I was in high school waiting tables and that was 6 or 7 years ago! Makes me sound old doesn't it! I'm only 25.
I don't want to work in LTC so if I can avoid it I will. Actually, I don't plan on applying at any nursing homes at all unless I absolutely have to. Hospitals will be my first choice, there are 4 here I think. Option 2 is home health. That is what my grandma does and she said a lot of her patients get around just fine-not all, but most. I will really have to give some bad impressions to make it to my C list. I'm pretty likable though (even though that sounds vain, it's true! :) ) so hopefully I'll do well.
Anyway, Im sure everything will turn out fine. If your heart has been telling you all this time that nursing is what you are supposed to do, then other people will see that. Just study hard and do the best you can, I know you will, and the things that are supposed to happen WILLl. I've learned from experience that just because something didn't go the way you planned it, doesn't mean it's bad. That just isn't how it's supposed to happen for you.
Good luck!
I, too, am hesitant about working in LTC. I think I might give it a try, but to be honest I think I would prefer hospital work. I heard that LTC is *very* stressful; they say if you can handle LTC you can handle anything. (I'm really nervous about the Alzheimer's patients!) There is a nursing home that's right by my house though.. it's within walking distance and it might be a good start for me until I can afford a car so I can commute to a hospital. I live in Northeastern Pennsylvania and public transportation isn't as flexible as I would like it to be. I'd be limited with what shifts I could work if I had to take a bus to a hospital.
Thing is about nursing is I am not sure anymore if it's what I want to spend the rest of my life doing. I hear so many horror stories and it's daunting.. Over the past 6 months I've been having a lot of second thoughts about finishing my nursing degree. I'm not sure if I will be happy in a career that will leave me stressed out and burned out.. but hey, if I work as a CNA for a while and fall in love with this type of work I'll go for my RN. :) Sometimes the benefits can outweigh the stress.
I'm a little confused and nervous though because the only thing that's truly appealed to me my entire life is health care.. and if I end up not being good at it or if it ends up being too much stress on me I don't know what I will fall back on. There's other areas of health care other than nursing (I was interested in sonography for a lil while) but they're subject to stresses of their own. Not sure what I will do with my life if this doesn't work out for me.
You do come off as a likeable person, though. Good luck with your job search!
Hope all is well and everyone had a GREAT Valentine's day! :redbeathe:redbeathe
I sat down and realized that I wont feel like I've completed my Nursing Education until I'm 30!
1. CNA Certification
2. VEEB [LPN]
3. Molloy College or Helen Fuld [RN or BSN]
4. Stony Brook Univ. NYU, or Columbia Univ. [MSN]
Seems like I'd be able to finish sooner, but I'm engaging in a year of "Practice" in between each Degree/Certification before continuing on. It's REQUIRED in most cases. SO I'll be 30 years old + not to mention RUSHING to get Prego/Married before my biological clock runs out, LOL jp. I know with medical improvements etc. there are women having babies later than this. Then it seems for the next 20 years i'll be raising my child then retire at 50ish after 20 years of service. Left to attend my childrens graduation and figuring out what to do with the rest of my life .
When am I going to have time to live out my goal of running a Marathon
How far are you all planning on going with your Nursing careers?
Hope all is well and everyone had a GREAT Valentine's day! :redbeathe:redbeathe
I sat down and realized that I wont feel like I've completed my Nursing Education until I'm 30!
1. CNA Certification
2. VEEB [LPN]
3. Molloy College or Helen Fuld [RN or BSN]
4. Stony Brook Univ. NYU, or Columbia Univ. [MSN]
Seems like I'd be able to finish sooner, but I'm engaging in a year of "Practice" in between each Degree/Certification before continuing on. It's REQUIRED in most cases. SO I'll be 30 years old + not to mention RUSHING to get Prego/Married before my biological clock runs out, LOL jp. I know with medical improvements etc. there are women having babies later than this. Then it seems for the next 20 years i'll be raising my child then retire at 50ish after 20 years of service. Left to attend my childrens graduation and figuring out what to do with the rest of my life .
When am I going to have time to live out my goal of running a Marathon
How far are you all planning on going with your Nursing careers?
Havent you heard girl? 30 is the new 20!!! LOL.. Im 47 and Im just starting out.. Dont let age stop you from what you want to do or who you want to be!!!! Ive seen women just starting out in their 50s..Relax and get your education. Everything else will fall into place :)
Hope all is well and everyone had a GREAT Valentine's day! :redbeathe:redbeathe
I sat down and realized that I wont feel like I've completed my Nursing Education until I'm 30!
1. CNA Certification
2. VEEB [LPN]
3. Molloy College or Helen Fuld [RN or BSN]
4. Stony Brook Univ. NYU, or Columbia Univ. [MSN]
Seems like I'd be able to finish sooner, but I'm engaging in a year of "Practice" in between each Degree/Certification before continuing on. It's REQUIRED in most cases. SO I'll be 30 years old + not to mention RUSHING to get Prego/Married before my biological clock runs out, LOL jp. I know with medical improvements etc. there are women having babies later than this. Then it seems for the next 20 years i'll be raising my child then retire at 50ish after 20 years of service. Left to attend my childrens graduation and figuring out what to do with the rest of my life .
When am I going to have time to live out my goal of running a Marathon
How far are you all planning on going with your Nursing careers?
I plan on getting my RN. I haven't figured out where I'm gonna go to finish my degree, but I'm thinking I'll look into the programs at my community college.
I'm hoping to get into the Feb 23 CNA class and it will wrap up April 17 or so, it's mostly online and then 1 week of training and 1 week of clinicals in the nursing home.
Specializes in 6 yrs LTC, 1 yr MedSurg, Wound Care.
I sat down and realized that I wont feel like I've completed my Nursing Education until I'm 30!
1. CNA Certification
2. VEEB [LPN]
3. Molloy College or Helen Fuld [RN or BSN]
4. Stony Brook Univ. NYU, or Columbia Univ. [MSN]
Seems like I'd be able to finish sooner, but I'm engaging in a year of "Practice" in between each Degree/Certification before continuing on. It's REQUIRED in most cases. SO I'll be 30 years old + not to mention RUSHING to get Prego/Married before my biological clock runs out, LOL jp. I know with medical improvements etc. there are women having babies later than this. Then it seems for the next 20 years i'll be raising my child then retire at 50ish after 20 years of service. Left to attend my childrens graduation and figuring out what to do with the rest of my life .
When am I going to have time to live out my goal of running a Marathon
Allow yourself a break! Don't plan every teeny detail because when something goes wrong you are going to feel like you failed. I'm not saying don't go for it or anything, just focus on what you DID accomplish rather than what you didn't. Its good that you have a plan though. Lots of people don't even make it that far!
If you want to run a marathon, you go for it girl! Just try to get around to doing it BEFORE you have kids. It'll be a lot easier!
I'm a little confused and nervous though because the only thing that's truly appealed to me my entire life is health care.. and if I end up not being good at it or if it ends up being too much stress on me I don't know what I will fall back on. There's other areas of health care other than nursing (I was interested in sonography for a lil while) but they're subject to stresses of their own. Not sure what I will do with my life if this doesn't work out for me.
I'm worried about this too. Sonography sounds kinda fun! I took a medical transcription class a while back, but that didn't work out for me because of my own choices. I may take that back up again if this doesn't work out. I'm trying not to think about the downside of things and focus mostly on the good things I will be doing. I'm sure there are less stressful working environments for nurses. Like RNs at schools. That can't be TOO bad.
Well my class for the day was sent home...well most of us. Our instructor was sick on Friday and left early. Apparently 9 out of 13 were sick all weekend and still hacking this morning. So he sent us all home except those 4, said it wouldn't count against us. We start clinicals on Thursday and have to be well.
The instructor and program director said that they've never had a class to get sick like this. But then the instructor said HE'S never gotten it like this either.
*Chuckle* Don't feel bad- I'm just *starting* my Nursing Education at 30 (well- 31 actually ) (Was home with the kiddos until they were 4 and 5, so just gettin started now LOL). 30 is still very young- no worries
Hope all is well and everyone had a GREAT Valentine's day! :redbeathe:redbeathe
I sat down and realized that I wont feel like I've completed my Nursing Education until I'm 30!
1. CNA Certification
2. VEEB [LPN]
3. Molloy College or Helen Fuld [RN or BSN]
4. Stony Brook Univ. NYU, or Columbia Univ. [MSN]
Seems like I'd be able to finish sooner, but I'm engaging in a year of "Practice" in between each Degree/Certification before continuing on. It's REQUIRED in most cases. SO I'll be 30 years old + not to mention RUSHING to get Prego/Married before my biological clock runs out, LOL jp. I know with medical improvements etc. there are women having babies later than this. Then it seems for the next 20 years i'll be raising my child then retire at 50ish after 20 years of service. Left to attend my childrens graduation and figuring out what to do with the rest of my life .
When am I going to have time to live out my goal of running a Marathon
How far are you all planning on going with your Nursing careers?
Hi group! How's everyone doing so far? I took my final today!!!!! I'm not too worried about it though because I got A's on all four tests so I'm sure I got an A on this one too :) Tomorrow we start clinicals at a local LTC..I might try and see if they're looking for CNA's while I'm there since its close to my house & its a really nice facility. Anyone starting clinicals soon?
We were supposed to start clinicals tomorrow but since our class has been so sick they've rearranged things. They don't want us to cause an epidemic in the nursing home. So we are going to go to clinicals Mon-Wed next week, it was supposed to be Thur,Fri, and Mon. They are giving us Friday off so we have a 3 day weekend to rest and recover from this crud that most of us have had and hopefully we'll all start well and fresh on Monday.
We've been in the lab this week. I'm getting the hang of it but things have to be "just so". None of it is complicated, it's just alot of steps to remember. We have 27 skills but only 5 will be chosen for us to do at state exams. Handwashing is one, so the other 4 could be anything. My instructor said that he has an almost 100% pass rate so that's reassuring. I think it would be easier if we weren't simulating alot of it. We have to pretend to do so much, I think it would be easier if we were actually DOING it instead of verbalizing that we SHOULD be doing it. But we have tomorrow morning in the lab to tie up the loose ends and then our BP test in the afternoon. OH YEAH!!
This is so cool. They got it approved for us to use Mr Sims. He's our programmable dummy. They can program his BP and his pulse rate so we can do those two things on the dummy instead of a real person for the state exam. That eliminates the risk of the observer making an error.
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+ not to mention RUSHING to get Prego/Married before my biological clock runs out, LOL jp. I know with medical improvements etc. there are women having babies later than this. Then it seems for the next 20 years i'll be raising my child then retire at 50ish after 20 years of service. Left to attend my childrens graduation and figuring out what to do with the rest of my life .
) (Was home with the kiddos until they were 4 and 5, so just gettin started now LOL). 30 is still very young- no worries 
Dorali, BSN, LPN, RN
471 Posts
I've been reading the forums and I've heard a couple of times that you can get into working for a hospital if you let them know that you are going to be continuing your education. My plan is to eventually become an RN so I'm hoping that will help me out.
I wanted to post the YouTube videos I have been watching. They've been helpful for me. Click here.
Dondie