Do I automatically get a CNA after first year in nursing school?

Schmoo1022 · Jun 17, 2010

After the first year of nursing school, I was able to work as a Student Nurse Intern. I was basically doing CNA duties, but I was able to do some extra under the supervision of a RN.

I was not required to test.

juliaann · Jun 18, 2010

Since nursing school is still at least 6 months out for you, why not take a CNA class now and start getting some experience? CNA classes are usually very short 2-4 weeks, and relatively cheap (many long-term care facilities and even some hospitals will provide your CNA training or reimburse you for your class and state testing expenses in exchange for 6 or so months of employment). My CNA class cost $350 and took 3 weeks, meeting 3 times a week. The state certification was an additional $60 and I got an appointment to test within a week of passing my course.

The experience you could be getting working as a CNA now would likely be helpful to you in your first year of nursing school - so why not do it now? Waiting until after your first year, even if it does make getting certified easier/cheaper, may not be as much of a benefit to you as working now as a CNA. Plus, if your state or school requires you to take a CNA course anyway, why not get it done now, before the stress and work of nursing school begins.

For your specific questions, your best bet would be to contact the nursing advisor of the program you hope to attend and ask them.

Emergency RN · Jun 18, 2010

Not totally true. Although RNs are licensed professionals and can obviously do a lot more with their licensure then a NA, both RNs and NAs do NURSING. There are obviously differences in the complexity of care-handling capabilities, but we both work in the same field.
As far as getting work as a NA -- some nursing schools these days are requesting that you go through a NA course as a prerequisite to admission. Of the ones that don't do that, most RN programs state that you have enough skills to get registered as a NA either after the first semester or the first year of nursing school. You might want to contact the school that you want to go to and find out which is the case.
Even if you decide not to apply for the NA registry (NA/R is then your title) , many, many hospitals fill their NA positions with nursing students. The registry essentially just keeps a record of those individuals that have gone through a NA training course. There is no licensure involved, so likely if you go to nursing school you'll be able to get a job either as an SN (who often times do a lot of the same types of work as a CNA) or a PCT, NA, etc.
Best of luck to you!

Thank you for your response.

While I agree with the crux and thrust of what you said, the problem here is, legally you're not a CERTIFIED NURSING ASSISTANT just because you've attended nursing school. Again, while some localities may allow you to challenge the state to gain certification to be a nursing assistant, going to nursing school does not automatically confer certification. Hence, the question "do I automatically get a CNA after first year in nursing school..." has to be answered with a "NO," because the state is the governing body that grants the certification, not the nursing school.

Or let's put it this way, even as full fledged RNs, we are not legally able to call ourselves LPNs or CNA's too, unless we were certified or licensed by our state as such. Like I had stated earlier, while the work we do is similar, IMHO, it's a completely distinct scope of practice and legal title insofar as the state is concerned.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Jun 18, 2010

In my state, you need to complete a CNA program before you can sit for the CNA test. However you can apply for (for lack of a better word) unlicensed care positions at any time.

mollyj91 · Jun 19, 2010

At the university I attend for nursing (in Wisconsin), it is required that you have your CNA license BEFORE you begin classes. I had to take a class on the weekends at a different facility (not affiliated with my school).

As with what everyone else had said, being enrolled in a nursing program doesn't automatically give you your CNA license considering it's a much different scope of practice. I must add, taking my CNA course helped me a lot in my introduction to nursing, physical assessment, and health promotion & maintenance classes because I learned abbreviations that were used in those classes.

SingDanceRunLife · Jun 21, 2010

My school allows students to become SNAs after the first semester. It's a great opportunity because there are lots of positions available since the only NAs in the hospital are nursing students!

Wishinonastar, BSN · Jun 23, 2010

I worked in the nursing skills lab teaching at a community college. We also had a CNA program that used the lab. I will say that the skills are not all the same. Some things such as foot care and hair care are not taught to the nursing students. If the nursing students had to take the CNA skills test they would fail most of it because the skills are taught differently. The aides have to perform the skills using all the steps in order. There is more flexibility in the nursing program. There are a number of skills that are moved through very quickly for the nursing students so that they can move on to things like injections. The CNAs spend a lot more time on hygeine and learn it much more thoroughly. Book knowledge is one thing but in my state you have to pass the hands on skills test too that is managed by the state. Nursing students would have to learn some more skills first to pass.

JackiRN, BSN, RN · Jun 23, 2010

I live in Pennsylvania that allows you to bypass the CNA certification classes by filling out what's called a PDE 294 found on the pa.gov website. I don't know what state you live in, but its a simple form that you fill in stating you have received instruction on how to care for a patient.

d2k2ross · Jun 23, 2010

In the state of NC where I work, you are eligible for your CNA 2 at the end of your second semester. You don't have to challenge the test...just mail in your application and your $24. Our Dean of Nursing had to sign our apps. CNA 2's perform all the duties of a CNA plus trach and ostomy care, urinary catheterizations, and digital removal of fecal impactions (as well as a few other things that aren't coming to mind). We were required to have our CNA 1 BEFORE starting nursing school. And to whomever said RN students don't perform the same duties as CNA's, well, come to our school...CNA tasks were almost ALL we did during the first semester! :clown:

freeflowchi · Jun 24, 2010

In California, you can challenge the CNA exam after one semester in an ADN program. But it does cost money for the application, fingerprinting and certification fees. About $150.

Good luck!

guiltysins · Jun 24, 2010

In New York you can't become a CNA without going through a specific CNA program, they don't count the one year of RN school anymore. CNA's in our area are also required to have phlebotomy and EKG certifications as well.

However, you can get jobs as a Student Nurse Extern or Intern after a year of nursing school but you're not officially a CNA and these jobs are usually only offered at hospitals who have specific programs for nurse externs. I would have loved to do a CNA course this summer unfortunately I don't have CNA course money (here they are like 600 bucks so no thanks).

Wishinonastar, BSN · Jun 24, 2010

I live in Pennsylvania that allows you to bypass the CNA certification classes by filling out what's called a PDE 294 found on the pa.gov website. I don't know what state you live in, but its a simple form that you fill in stating you have received instruction on how to care for a patient.

Yes but you still have to take the test.

"

All graduate and student nurses must take both the written and clinical skills portion

of the nurse aide competency examination." PDE 294