Finish Strong or Experience?

I would get the experience. You can get a PRN job and decide how many days, if any, you work. You are in control of your schedule. Good luck.

I just finished my first semester of the RN program, and actually started working as a nursing assistant at a LTC/rehab facility the summer before classes began. I had never worked in healthcare before then, and wanted to get some experience before clinicals started. I am SO glad I did. I only work Fridays and Saturdays, 2p-10p, so it doesn't interfere too much with studying. I have learned so much from my coworkers, both aides and nurses alike. And I feel much more confident that I will be able to get a job after I graduate. If you check with nursing homes in your area, I'm sure you could find a facility that would let you work weekends only, since aides are needed so badly (especially ones in nursing school), and weekends are usually the toughest to schedule.

I work every other weekend in a hospital as a clerk, and 4 days a month as a home care aide for another organization. The hospital I work for will only hire new grads if they already work there. You will have so much more confidence in your ability to get a job after graduation - and so much more comfort in patient care - if you find a way to work. It takes discipline but it's totally doable, especially since you can work PRN.

if you are able to study and work prn that would be nice. If your job interferes with school, then quit. Your goal right now is to get that license!

I'm starting my RN classes in January (will graduate Dec 2014!) and started working a couple of months ago as a PRN CNA/HCT at one of the local children's hospitals. I only have to work two 12-hr shifts every 6 weeks but I always have the choice to work more if I want to/can (we do self-scheduling). It's part of a huge healthcare system; my school is also part of the system. Everyone I've spoken with (HR recruiters, my nurse manager, RNs on my floor) has said this is my best chance of getting hired within the system when I graduate. I've been told over and over again that if I prove myself as a CNA, I'll be guaranteed an RN position. I treat every shift as a job interview. I know it will pay off in the end!

I see it both ways. Ultimately, I would lean toward getting the experience as long as your grades have been good so far. If you've built a good foundation, know what works for you with studying, etc., you probably have room to pick up a shift or two every week. In addition to what others have suggested (working PRN, working weekends), another idea may be to interview at a staffing agency as a CNA. They would send you to a different place every time, which is stressful, but you would see a lot of different things and YOU can tell them when you are able to work. "Only call me for weekends." "I can do every Monday and Thursday after 3 PM." "I want one shift per week during the semester and three per week during breaks." Something else to consider.

Unless you're looking to be a CNA/tech at the facility where you want to work, I woulnd't bother. Hospitals don't seem to care so much about CNA experience as they do about whether you are already working for them when they hire you.