Finding a CNA job that trains...

[lvmama]

Hey all!

I'm new here. A bit about me.. I have been a SAHM for about 4 years now. Previously I worked with a county-level Aging office, and dealt with HHA in the community. I've been leaning towards becoming a nurse "when I grow up" and the time has come where financially I need to get back out into the work force. I realize I won't be making mad money as a CNA, but I really don't need to be rolling in it.. and I just thought this would be a good experience on my way to going for my LPN when my youngest is in school.

I know, I talk a lot.

Anyway.. I'm kind of curious as to how to go about getting a position as a CNA with on the job training when I have absolutely NO nursing experience to speak of. All my work experience has been administrative. Should I just be applying anywhere that will train on the job and go from there? Unfortunately the private training course for this is out of the question because it's an hour away 2 nights a week and the cost is prohibitive.

Any advice would be well appreciated.

[jb2u, ASN, RN]

Hello and welcome to allnurses.

I trained at a nursing home. They trained me for free and paid for the certification test. They would have also helped me pay for nursing school if I would work for them for every year of school that they paid for, but I did not want to work as a nurse for a nursing home (just not what I wanted).

I guess I am saying to just check out nursing homes in your area. The one I worked for even paid for some applicants to go to night school at a tech school if they could not train during the day at their facility.

Your cna training will be very valuable to you as an RN. I wish you all the best and encourage you to keep sight of your dream!!!! The journey will be hard, but oh so worth it!!!

Sincerely,

Jay

[Billsgirl, CNA]

hi!

is a community college out of the question for you? i took my cna class last summer, and our certification test was one month after the class ended. my class took 8 weeks, but it was condensed because it was a summer course. check into a community college, i have also heard there are agencies that do classes as well.

best of luck!:balloons:

[lvmama]

Thanks for the replies!

Unfortunately, that hour-away option IS the community college. The community college has 3 "local" campuses, and the one they hold the CNA classes at is a little over an hour away. They run them every Saturday from 7am-5pm, or every Tues&Thurs from 5:30-9:30PM March-May. It would be no big deal to drive the hour for the Saturdays, but due to my husband's military commitments, I have some Saturdays were I just wouldn't be able to make it.

There's also another option, but I don't see how it's possible -- our local hospital does CNA training right on campus. It's 4 weeks daily 8am-4pm. I would love love LOVE to do that route, but I have no idea what I'd do with my kids for those 4 weeks. My oldest is in school, my middle son will start kindergarten in the fall, and my youngest just turned 2. We're pinching pennies as it is, so sending the younger ones off to daycare for 4 weeks is out of the question.

I guess I need to give this some more thought and see if I can pull some favors for childcare. The more I think about it, the more I really don't want to be indebted to a nursing home for a year or whatever they ask of you.