Do you think to much experience as a tech or CNA hurts or helps in Nursing school.

SaoirseRN · Mar 26, 2013

My biggest fear starting nursing school clinicals was having to actually go and talk to the patient and then wash them up! So having worked as a CNA would be beneficial in that respect.

ejdelong · Mar 26, 2013

it has played a major role for me, I feel more confidence when talking and dealing with pts

llg, PhD, RN · Mar 26, 2013

A lot of experience could hurt the person who can't switch the way of thinking about tasks they have done for years as a tech/CNA.

It's not the experience that is the problem -- it is their lack of flexibility in their thinking. They mistakenly believe that because they have performed the task before, they know all about it. That attitude can block their ability to enrich their knowledge about those tasks and develop higher level, more sophisticated ways of thinking about them. But with the right attitude, the experience can be beneficial.

kkennedy0419 · Mar 26, 2013

In my opinion it does both, it can help you as far as the med terms, some patient care issue but in other ways it can hinder you because you think like a CNA or tech instead of thinking as a nurse...

Mschwab316 · Mar 26, 2013

I agree you must empower yourself to start over and stay teachable. Not being afraid to look at Pt. care from a diffrent point of view. Not afraid to ask questions.

soxgirl2008 · Mar 27, 2013

A lot of experience could hurt the person who can't switch the way of thinking about tasks they have done for years as a tech/CNA.
It's not the experience that is the problem -- it is their lack of flexibility in their thinking. They mistakenly believe that because they have performed the task before, they know all about it. That attitude can block their ability to enrich their knowledge about those tasks and develop higher level, more sophisticated ways of thinking about them. But with the right attitude, the experience can be beneficial.

This. I don't think the actual experience hurts you at all, it has helped me a lot so far. You have to remember though to go by the book and what the instructor is teaching you, not what you do while you're at work. The only way I've seen tech/cna experience hurt someone is when they can't accept that the way they're doing something might be wrong. Or you have the people who think "well I take blood pressures all the time so I already know all about this" or something like that.