Does your state require you to have your CNA to get your LPN

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i'm a student from ar we are graduating in june our classes are through in 6 more day but we have clinical to finish up. i'm doing a research paper i choice the topic of i believe it would be beneficial to get cna training before starting lpn school. for several reason one to just get a taste of the medical field before enrolling and deciding it's not for you after 2yrs in school and the other for the experience and knowledge and maybe ever to instill some appreciation for cna's. ar does not require you to first have your cna if i had it all to do over i would most defiantly have taken the class first. i do understand that some schools my be more take more time in teaching these techniques, but my clinical checks were one night each and all several months before we attended a clinical setting most of us would have sunk if it had not be fellow class mate that were cna before. so my question is does your state require you to have a cna before you attend lpn school.

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State does not require it. However, there are some schools that require it, as there are some schools that require CNA for entry to the RN program. Strictly an individual school requirement.

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Specializes in Psych/LTC.

I am a Practical Nursing student as well and I know that the school I goto in Georgia didn't require us to be CNA's to get into the progam but it sure helps to know what you get into.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Geriatrics, LTC.

Not sure if NY requires it, but my school does. I think it's a great idea. As LPN's we are going to be supervising CNA's so doesn't it make sense to know their job? This way we understand their frustrations and also we get more respect from them because they know that we "get it". Empathy is everything.

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What school did you attend in Georgia?

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It's not required in my state. Some community college programs give you points in the application process if you have a cna or other health care license. Some four year colleges/universities in my state like to see some patient care experience (some actually require it) but they don't care whether it's through volunteering or by working as a cna or other health care function.

I agree that starting as a cna is a good idea if you can do it, but some people are busy with prereqs and may also work ft jobs. Also cna courses can be hard to find and fill up fast in some areas. This was my situation. I waited too long to sign up for a cna course and ended up waitlisted. Meanwhile I got accepted to PN school for the fall but I am still waitlisted for cna training. So basically I found a nursing school faster than I could find a cna course, and my summer will be spent doing coreqs instead.

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Specializes in Psych/LTC.
What school did you attend in Georgia?

I attend Stc hooray

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Specializes in ER, ICU, Medsurg.

My school requires that you take the CNA class. Whether or not you pay to get your CNA license is up to you. Rumor has it however, that starting in 2010 the school is changing and will require you to get your license AND work a year as a CNA.

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The Community College that I will apply to requires that you have a CNA lincense.

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My state (NY) doesn't require the CNA to get into an LPN program. Since I was once a CNA, am currently an LPN, and having just graduated from an RN program I think I can give my opinion on this matter.

What I gained from being a CNA was confidence in dealing with residents and patients during my early clinical experiences during LPN school. I also did really well in skills lab when I first started the LPN program, the first 4 weeks were a breeze. However after that the playing field was leveled and my classmates with no prior experience were doing just as well as I was.

If a prospective nursing student wants to become a CNA to get their foot in the door at a hospital or LTC more power to them. It's a good job and if the nurses know you are in a nursing program they may be willing to show you some things that will be helpful to you. The thing is that I don't agree with forcing a person to pay for a CNA course if they have no interest in working as a CNA during nursing school. These courses can cost anywhere from $400 to over $1,000 depending on the school you go to. If you don't intend to use the certificate then that money is wasted because you will learn the CNA skills during the first few weeks of nursing school and you will not need the certificate once you are done with the LPN program. Some states will even allow you to do the state exam for CNA with no further training after you complete your LPN or RN program.

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Does anyone know which schools do require it? I am investigating for the school where I teach to see which schools, if any do. We are considering it as we go forward with our curriculum revision.

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