Considering cna or phlebotomy

[starlight26]

Hi I am new and live in Oklahoma. This site looks to have a wealth of information and am happy to have found it. Since I am new I am not sure where to post this question, so I thought I might as well post it here. If you think it has a better place elsewhere, let me know and I will post it there.

Do cna's and/or phlebotomist get to work third shift?

The deal is I have 2 kids, both not in school. I am currently working as a preschool teacher 2 days a week and it is not paying the bills at all. My husband and I discussed that maybe I could do phlebotomy or cna and work overnight from 11 p.m.-7 a.m., but I didn't know if that was offered. I am not sure when I would get to sleep with two kids awake during the day. Daycare is so high and I would have to make $12 an hour just to make a little profit on the day shift. I have read that phlebotomist make around $25,000 a year here, but don't know how "for real" that is. Anyway, if anyone knows or has experience working graveyard with 2 small kids please let me know. I am still heavily considering this. Thanks in advance!

[txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN]

Thank you!!!

National Phlebotomy Association~Education & Certification in Landover, Maryland

Here's the URL. I didn't read the page though. Hope this is what you wanted.

[Jo Dirt]

Yes, I have but I am not sure if I can go to college right now, at least not full time. It is an option later. I kind of need something I can do soon to help us financially.

Be forewarned: CNA work is back breaking and the amount of money you make will not make it seem worth the effort. Hospitals are generally easier than nursing homes but it is harder to find a hospital job.

The easiest thing you can do is private duty CNA but I'm not sure how the private duty market is in your area.

I would advise against becoming a CNA because at this point in your life it doesn't seem practical with two small children who need you during the day. When you stay up all night then try to come home and care for the little ones. I know you said you need to make money quick but you won't be making much as a CNA.

If your immediate need now is simply money there are more effecient ways to do this than CNA or phlebotomist.

You would be better off finding a couple of houses to clean on the weekends or evenings for $25/hr. I know someone who went to a wealthy neighborhood and knocked on some doors and left cards and it only took one call back. She now has regular customers and most of them came to her through word of mouth. Of course, housecleaning is hard work but for me it is more rewarding (I have done housecleaning before).

Or, sometimes the hospitals and nursing homes will have a list of people wanting to hire "sitters" for their family member. This doesn't pay much but compared to CNA there won't be an incredible amount of difference.

Thank heavens for CNAs. They work so hard for so little, which is why I would not advise anyone who was not a masochist to do it. I have never been a phlebotomist but I heard phlebotomists (in general) make more like $18,000 yearly.

Thing is, if it is just money you need, there are better ways to get it than as a CNA, for sure.