Don't know if I'm prepared enough to be a PCNA

[Clucey]

I am currently a freshman just allaying to my schools nursing program. I want to become a PCNA to gain experience but don't know if I am prepared. I have had zero clinical experience yet so I don't know anything. I was wondering will they teach you everything you need to know during orientation and how long is orientation usually.

[brownbook]

I am assuming PCNA means patient care nursing assistant?

So you are in school just starting the prerequisites to become a RN? And you want to work as a PCNA now to get experience?

I assume you will have to go to some school or program that will prepare you to become a PCNA.

CNA's I work with have graduated from a school, are certified by the state, have to complete CEU's every two years, etc.

[adventure_rn, MSN, NP]

I'm sure it varies by state, but I believe in most states you need to pass a program and/or exam and become certified by the state to work as an NA. A handful of hospitals and facilities will train you so that you can become certified, but most will expect you to have completed the training on your own dime before applying. Courses are often offered by community colleges, or you can see if your state will allow you to study on your own and take the exam without completing a course. You can investigate to see if local facilities will provide training, but I'd also look into the cost and logistics of completing a course on your own. In my state, the exam included both a written text and a hands-on practical test to ensure that you could complete basic NA tasks safely. In the area where I went to school, nursing homes were more likely to train new NAs from the ground up as they earned their certification during orientation, whereas the hospitals required that you already had your NA certification at the time you applied.