Considering CNA program

Hello all,

I'm giving serious consideration to going to a jc (CSN Las Vegas, NV) in the fall. I have a few questions:

Finding a job: did you start job hunting before your program ended or did you wait until you were certified? Did the school help in placement?

Where would I most likely get a first job? Hospital? LTC?

How taxing is the coursework? I have kids at home, so I need to be able to balance school and family.

Hi there,

I'm not sure how long the program is that you're beginning in the fall, the one I completed was just under 2 months, including clinical rotation.

There was one hospital opening about midway through my program, however, it required one year experience ( I guess it wouldn't hurt to try if you find yourself in a similar position).

I began the job hunt before my program ended. I researched every LTC in the region and read their hiring requirements. Not many would hire non-certified but there were a few and there are some facilities that may hire you contingent upon receiving your certification within a certain amount of time. The location of my clinical was too far for me to justify working there after completing the program, but many students were interviewed and hired before completion.

Registering for the NNAAP took some time. My application and payment were received and by Red Cross (Pearson Vue or another organization may cover your state), three days after mailing and it still took a month before I was able to test. So keep that in mind.

The course work is manageable. Take good notes, use the workbook (if provided with one) and spend some time rereading chapters, notes and quizzing yourself. Perhaps break up your studying between your kids activities, meals, etc. Maybe they will provide a nice study break.

The course work wasn't very hard at all, but I had some direct care experience beforehand, still, I don't think it would be very difficult.

I waited until I finished the class before looking for a job. I found out that no place would hire me without being certified. Assisted living facilities will hire non-certified, but they don't pay well.

I found a job within 2 months in a LTC facility after becoming certified.

It is likely that your first job will be LTC or home care. Most hospitals require at least 6 months LTC experience.

Where I did my training offered "job placement assistance" which ended up consisting of job postings on a bulletin board outside the classroom and the instructor being willing to be a reference.

My program is a semester in length (Aug to Dec), ugh. There are some 6-week private training schools, but those are too costly compared to a jc. Good idea to research the LTCs prior to graducation. I'm also considering taking an EMT class at the same time. A lot of studying, but I'm hoping the coursework will be similiar.

The CNA orientation is the last week of July, so I'll post back my impressions after that.