Did you work as a CNA before RN?

Nurses General Nursing

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I'm just wondering how many people worked as an aid while in school before you graduated as an RN. The instructors in the program I am in really suggest working as an aid during the last year. However, I find it hard to juggle family and school the way it is and really can't see adding on an additional responsibility. Does working as an aid make it a lot easier to get a job once you graduate? Do you feel much more prepared to work as an RN if you work as an aid first?

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I'm just wondering how many people worked as an aid while in school before you graduated as an RN. The instructors in the program I am in really suggest working as an aid during the last year. However, I find it hard to juggle family and school the way it is and really can't see adding on an additional responsibility. Does working as an aid make it a lot easier to get a job once you graduate? Do you feel much more prepared to work as an RN if you work as an aid first?

Hello. I ABSOLUTELY recommend working as an aide. While taking my prereq's I worked as a cashier at wal-mart. As soon as I was far enough in the rn program to be eligible to work as an aide I did so. The best thing I ever did. I had no choice though, I have two small children, and neither my husband nor I had a degree. So he did not make enough to support the family on his own. Even if he did, I still would, I can't stand not being a productive member of society. When I started as an RN, I did not have to go to a lot of the orientations, and I was also familiar with the facility and charting using their computer system. Working as a tech was invaluable to me personally. I managed to balance working as a tech for the last 15 months of nursing school. I only had one day a week off, but it can be done(living proof right here). Go for it, take the challenge, life is all about bettering yourself. Plus, in the end, you end appreciating the techs you work with. And believe me, THEY WORK HARD.

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Specializes in I have been an ED Nurse since graduation.

Hi, I did work as an aid prior to nursing school and other students in my class who had no medical experience thought it helped them immensly. Learning and doing are two totally different things and clinical just doesn't give you enough hands on as much as they try to! I was an aid for for 10yrs when I graduated nsg school. hope this helps.

I'm just wondering how many people worked as an aid while in school before you graduated as an RN. The instructors in the program I am in really suggest working as an aid during the last year. However, I find it hard to juggle family and school the way it is and really can't see adding on an additional responsibility. Does working as an aid make it a lot easier to get a job once you graduate? Do you feel much more prepared to work as an RN if you work as an aid first?
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Specializes in ER/ medical telemetry.

i too was an aide before i became an rn (17 yrs worth), 2 years of that time i was a tech in the er. it has given me an edge in becoming an rn. many rn's do not know how to perform a transfer, assist a patient to use a walker properly, splint a hand finger ect.

the patient care thing is no problem for me: feces,urine, vomit and blood.

i love wounds because i have dressed many...

so, the only challenge left is to give use critical thinking,prioritizing, and med. adminstration (quite a bit).

but basic nursing is all familiar.

yes, i also went to work full time as well as school.

i only had one day off a week, and that was dedicated to studying. it takes a lot of dedication,but is well worth the time.

i did it too, and so can you!!!!

good luck.

hi, i did work as an aid prior to nursing school and other students in my class who had no medical experience thought it helped them immensly. learning and doing are two totally different things and clinical just doesn't give you enough hands on as much as they try to! i was an aid for for 10yrs when i graduated nsg school. hope this helps.
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I externed for two years while I was in nursing school, so I was basically an aide. I feel like it really helped me. I'm still a brand new RN so I feel like I don't know what I'm doing half the time but I think if I hadn't externed the feeling would be even worse. It was a good experience overall and I think it increased my comfort level with working in the hospital.

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Specializes in Occ health, Med/surg, ER.

I worked as an aide several years before I even went to nursing school. It did help me during nursing school since I already knew all the aide work. It was one less thing to stress about in the clinical aspect of nursing school.

However, I know many nurses that did not work as aides before/during nursing school and they are great nurses. Its up to you and your situation. If you want to get some aide experience, great, but if not, dont worry about it. You'll learn!

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Specializes in Geri,Med/Surge,Pedi,Oncol,Corrections.

Yes, I was a volunteer in my teen years at a hospital before becoming a CNA then I married, having two children before I moved onto LVN. The area LVN program I was in at that time did not transition into RN, so now 10 years later I have returned to school for my RN BSN. I believe the volunteer work I performed then transitioned into the CNA which prepared me to be a better LVN. I learned how to deal with a variety of task, situations, and medical equipment. It tought me how to multi-task as well as excellent communications and gave insight on how to deal with unruly-belligerent/uncaring patients and/or families in an effective manner. :idea: Also working as a CNA/tech maybe beneficial in another manner. As a nurse with that background I can sympathize with my CNA's and tech's and appreciate their work in a much greater way and have a greater knowledge of the difficulties they are challenged with. Good Luck.

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Yeah, I did it and I'm glad. RNs manage NAs, and they have to understand how NAs are utilized, their routines, how long tasks actually take, and how NAs must budget their time and cluster care in order to get everything done by end of shift. Otherwise, the new RN risks not understanding how to get results (bad for the pt and RN), or rupturing the NA's routine and otherwise wasting their time (bad for establishing a productive relationship of mutual respect). Staffing being what it is, NAs usually work for more than one RN, which is managerially speaking a problem waiting to happen every night. Every RN can easily make the NA's situation better or worse in an instant. Main thing is to know what can be reasonably asked for and when, and when to offer help to a NA. There are some RNs that all NAs will avoid and there are some that most NAs will approach to see if there's anything that needs doing. This isn't a matter of arbitrary taste or luck.

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Specializes in Acute Care Cardiac, Education, Prof Practice.

Seven years of waitressing and I never regretted it and was often told by seasoned RN's (including the boss of my first job who was a waitress too before nursing) that it is one of the most practical experiences you can get for nursing outside of being an aide.

Nurse intern/externships are great too for experience :)

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However, I know many nurses that did not work as aides before/during nursing school and they are great nurses. Its up to you and your situation. If you want to get some aide experience, great, but if not, dont worry about it. You'll learn!

Thank you. I do appreciate all the work CNA's do. I do help out. I believe in teamwork. And it has to do with inner character - not necessarily being a CNA first.

I've told the story before about the laziest RN I ever knew was a CNA for years, then an LVN and finally got her RN. She never helped.

Does that mean all nurses who were CNA's first were lazy? No.

It all boils down to what kind of person are you?

steph

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I'm doing it! I will start my CNA class this fall. I can't wait for clinical. The only thing is getting up early enough to get be there fifteen till 6:30 lol but I must do it! I'm excited! But my goal is to be a CRNA or MD, I'll decide that after BSN. Even with CRNA i plan to go doctorate, but im glad ill have tons of people to talk to before i get there about all of it before I get there!

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There are two active threads on this question . . .maybe a mod could put them together?

steph

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