Do CNAs make for better nursing students?

ZippyGBR, BSN, RN · Mar 23, 2011

as long as they can get their head into 'RN' mode then yes having direct care experience can and does help especially in the early placements because you are not grossed out by a bed full of poop that a demented patient has been finger painting with ...

AKA_Glamour_Pearl · Mar 23, 2011

I agree with VickyRN. In my first year of nursing school so many of my classmates were CNA's or in the medical profession already. The first 2 semesters they had it ALL together and were EXTREMELY confident. I fared well but was NOT confident at all. While I was panicked about having to enter a patient's room, they entered, did what needed to be done and were finished. That was the FIRST 2 semesters. After that it leveled off. Working in the hospital is great experience, but later on when we get to down to the bones of things, they were just like me. I eventually began to see where we were equal, and then by the grace of GOD I surpassed them and I'm pretty much in the top 10% of my nursing class. It's all about determination though. I wished that I had CNA experience before hand because it would have made my first 2 semesters less scary. But honestly, by the end of 2nd or start of 3rd semester the CNA advantage wears off completely. You have to remember though, the first semester or two is just the basics: knowing what the equipment is and how to assess vitals, how to make a bed, intake and output, Maslow, etc.

I'm in my final semester now. :) Several of the CNA's that were in my class have dropped or failed. At the end of the day, I would say that there is an advantage "skills" wise and being comfortable in the hospital setting. Critical thinking, not so much. Again, it's all about determination and being able to think critically. Some CNA's will make the cut and others won't. Being a CNA doesn't mean that the person can definitely be an LPN or RN. Their road to LPN or RN licensure won't be any easier, in my opinion.

Just look at being a CNA as having "some" experience and being able to know what the professor is lecturing on, as well as not being freaked by the site of a naked patient, or not fidgeting with the vital signs machine for 10 minutes because you don't really know how to use it, or knowing how to lock the wheels on the bed. A student with CNA experience can give a bed bath and be out of the room in a jiffy. The student with no hospital training, and that's new to it all, will probably STILL be in the patient's room.....sweating bullets. lol

Just my opinion. Good luck though.

anon695 · Mar 23, 2011

Honestly, from what I've observed in my program being a CNA doesn't give you any real advantage. A CNA may have a slight advantage at the beginning because they have experience taking vital signs, putting patients on bedpans, communication, etc. but the other students quickly catch on with those skills and are just as good. In my experience with classmates the slight beginning advantage soon turned into a liability (more or less) when a few of the CNA nursing students seemed to have trouble transitioning out of the CNA role and into an RN role (especially if they were doing clinicals at the same hospital where they worked as a CNA). Also, being a CNA won't help you learn meds, how to interpret ABG's, how to hang a piggyback, etc. and if I had a dime every time I heard a student say "I don't understand XYZ concept/skill, I'm a CNA!" I'd be rich. If you want a flexible part-time job during nursing school where you can get your foot in the door, being a CNA is a great idea. But if you're looking for a leg up in school, chances are you'll be disappointed.

canigraduate · Mar 23, 2011

I'm a student nurse/CNA. I worked in long-term care before school started and now I'm on a Med-Surg unit.

For me, it has helped tremendously. Being a CNA helped me transition through Fundamentals with ease. Being able to relate what I see on the floor and what I see in class really helps, too.

At work, I am around experienced nurses who can explain tough concepts to me, sometimes in a way that makes more sense than what my instructor teaches. I also get to see a lot of specialty nurses come through and they are usually happy to teach me about what they are doing and why. My favorites are the wound team and IV team nurses.

So, if you are a CNA and you aren't doing better (especially in clinicals) than the other students in your class, you may be missing out on some important resources around you at work.

I'm not saying CNA students are better than non-CNA students in some kind of weird social class way. CNAs usually have more resources and more experience in the medical field, which makes school easier for them.

kool-aide, RN · Mar 29, 2011

Thanks for the replies, everyone! By the time I am (hopefully) accepted to clinicals, I will have been a CNA in my hospital's nursing resource float pool for 3 years and I've already learned SO much! As a poster already said, I would be silly not to use my co-workers as resources for learning as much as I can while I'm at work, and I do! Any time I have a pt with a unique Dx, I ask questions or if the MD or RN is performing a procedure, I alway observe if I can, etc. Many of my RN friends teach me how to do various nursing tasks and give me insight into their assessments or critical thinking about different situations with our pts and I LOVE IT! :redbeathe

I'm still finishing up my pre-reqs and to be honest, they really bore me, but I'm super excited for RN school! I know it will probably be one of the most difficult things I have ever done, but I think RN school classes will hold my attention and be much more interesting than most of my pre-reqs! lol

Can't wait for clinicals! Thanks for all the posts!

Kool-Aide.