Lost- which direction to take? CNA/Psych Nursing

KimberlyRN89, BSN, RN · Jan 18, 2010

Is it possible to see if you could visit a psych. hospital ? I think its best if you see what a CNA does in that type of facility (I'm not too sure b/c I havent been to one myself) before you pay for the class. Best of luck to you.

aura_of_laura · Jan 18, 2010

If you are having these questions now, do NOT get your bach in psych! Huge waste of money. I work for a peds psych hospital, and all of our direct care staff have a bachelor's in psych - they make $9.00 an hour. With an average of $45,000 in student loans, you do the math. Add a masters program on there, and you're sunk. Most Masters-prepared therapists still only make 35,000 a year!

When I came out of nursing school with my ADN, I immediately went into psych nursing for my hospital, supervising the direct care staff - within a few months I was a nurse supervisor. Whether it's fair or not, nursing offers a much faster career ladder with many, many more job opportunities than a psych degree!

CNA work is also nothing like nursing - you will make more money as a CNA than you will with a bachelors in psych, but it has nothing to do with psych nursing.

CASTLEGATES · Jan 18, 2010

nursing rotations would kill you if you've got issues since all rotations including code brown need to be done in school

Shanimal · Jan 18, 2010

I am currently a Sophomore majoring in Psychology. However, I am not sure what I want to do after graduation- whether that is a B.S.N in Nursing, or a Masters in Clinical Psychology or Social Work.
I have NEVER been good with hospitals- they creep me out! My anxiety gets so bad I will pass out and wake up, usually vomitting.
But, I am considering doing Psychiatric Nursing, if I decide to go into nursing... and with that being said, I am wondering if I should take a CNA course this Spring to become certificed and be a CNA in one of the local Psychiatric hospitals this summer to see if that is something I COULD do... not sure if I am cut out to be a CNA or a nurse... not sure how I react to bodily fluids and excretions, if you know what I mean.
Should I try the CNA route first? Would that help me decide one way or the other? If nothing else- it would let me know if I could work in that kind of environment, you know?
HELP, please!

Definitely consider shadowing an RN and CNA before you invest in either educational program. Try out different specialties and health care settings--you may find that you like some, but not others. Similarly, you may like being an RN, but not a CNA (or vice versa). As one of the previous posters mentioned, RNs and CNAs are quite different in their scope of practice.

Oh, and I can definitely relate to that hospital anxiety you just described. There's a big difference between being a patient and being an employee, so I guess that's why it doesn't bother me now. But don't think that hospitals are the only place you can work--both RNs and CNAs can work in other settings, including clinics, private offices, home health, holistic treatment centers, medical spas, etc.