Going into nursing school without any experience?

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So I'm planning on attending a state university nursing program this fall, and I'm a bit nervous because I have no prior healthcare experience! I'm worried that when I graduate this will make it difficult to get a job considering my most relevant work experience is childcare experience, and I want to be as prepared as possible for nursing school. I was planning on possibly getting my CNA license after I'm done with classes this quarter since I'll have ~6 months of nothing to do but work. However, it's about $600, and I should be saving money for school. I'm not sure I'd be able to get a job in this area before I go off to nursing school anyways. Does anyone have any advice? Should I volunteer? Get my CNA license? Or will it not make much of a difference?

Specializes in Pedi.
When I was a nursing student, in Boston, no one would consider me for a CNA position without a CNA certificate.

Everyone I went to nursing school with in Boston did it and every per diem aide I ever worked with while working in the hospital (also in Boston) was a nursing student with no CNA certificate.

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I would definitely consider becoming a CNA especially since you want to pursue a career in nursing. I work as a CNA myself and am not currently in nursing school yet but I feel like I have learned so much about the field in just the 5 short months I have been working as one. Working as a CNA not only gets your foot into the door of a hospital/nursing home/other facility and benefits you when you are searching for a job as an RN, but you learn and see so many things that can definitely be a huge advantage in nursing school. Working side by side with multiple nurses every shift really gives you a feel of how it will be once you are a nurse. This one nurse and I were talking and she told me that I'm lucky to gain this experience now because once she became a new nurse, she felt completely unprepared and didn't know what to expect; as she never had any prior experience in healthcare. One of my co-workers who is also a CNA wanted to go into nursing, but once she got the job as a nursing assistant, it completely changed her plans as she shortly found out that it wasn't for her-- and now dreads coming into work. So yes, I would shell out the money now to get your certification as a nursing assistant, as it will be worth it in the end and benefit you greatly for your future career.

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My class has the most students with no experience. Only 20% of the class has any medical experience. I could tell from the beginning who didn't have experience. But now that we are in our last semester you can see how much they have grown. After you have been in your program you can eventually look for nursing student programs to work as CNAs in your local hospitals. They usually are per diem, but any vacation you are supposed to work full time. If this is something you really want then you will do great. You might have a harder time getting lets say a hospital job, but that doesn't eliminate that you wont. Those nurse resident programs have 800 or more people apply for 10 or less slots. If you can get your foot in the door before you graduate you will have a better chance at getting one of those 10 slots. Good luck and you will eventually get a job somewhere.

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Yes. Really after fundamentals of nursing, you can be ready to apply to work in an area as a PCT or CNA. These are some really good feedbacks and advice:yes:

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My school after first semester you are eligible to sit for CNA exam. Its highly encouraged...... Maybe you should ask the school you are going to

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Thanks everyone, the feedback has been so helpful! Since I'm starting nursing school in Fall, if I got my CNA license beforehand, it would only give me a few months of experience. Plus, I wouldn't be working at a hospital anywhere near where I'll be graduating (and presumably working in), so it wouldn't help me get my foot in the door of any hospitals I'll be working at. So I may just try working over summers instead, since 600 dollars is an awful lot to spend. Would getting smaller, less expensive certs help in terms of getting a job afterwards? Maybe BLS or another?

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Specializes in Emergency Department.
Thanks everyone, the feedback has been so helpful! Since I'm starting nursing school in Fall, if I got my CNA license beforehand, it would only give me a few months of experience. Plus, I wouldn't be working at a hospital anywhere near where I'll be graduating (and presumably working in), so it wouldn't help me get my foot in the door of any hospitals I'll be working at. So I may just try working over summers instead, since 600 dollars is an awful lot to spend. Would getting smaller, less expensive certs help in terms of getting a job afterwards? Maybe BLS or another?

You'll need to have a "healthcare provider" CPR certification. The other certifications won't mean much to you until you're licensed or darned near licensed. In addition to being an RN, I'm also a Paramedic. I renewed my ACLS and PALS certificates a few months ago and I had a pretty decent time of it. I was also able to use that toward my Paramedic Renewal, so it wasn't a waste of money in my case. I've also taken PHTLS in the past as well. Good course but it's not great for working in a hospital. TNCC similarly would be a good class for me to take at some point, but it won't do me much good for the field as it's designed for nurses in a clinical environment. So while I could have made use of those courses during school because I had a license through which I could use them, most nursing students that don't have a similar background that I do won't do well in those courses nor would they be able to truly benefit from them until very late in the program.

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Well, volunteering is free...or, it usually is (I don't know of anywhere where it "costs" to be a volunteer). You probably wouldn't be allowed to do the same things as a CNA, but you'd still be able to familiarize yourself with the healthcare environment. And as akulahawkRN mentioned, you're going to need the CPR certification either way, so yea, that might be worth looking into in the meantime (I was able to get mine for free through the hospital as a volunteer). Another nice little benefit is that you can make valuable networking connections for when the time comes to be looking for your first nursing position.

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i would volunteer for exposure... make sure you know what you're getting yourself into. i wouldn't worry about the job prospect.

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Specializes in ICU.

I'm in nursing school and don't have any CNA experience. I wouldn't pay the $600 because in most states you can qualify to take the CNA test after your first semester of nursing school. So if you feel you want to do that, save your money.

I think in my program like 4 out of 20 are CNAs. It is really not a big deal.

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Specializes in Cardio-Pulmonary; Med-Surg; Private Duty.

You do realize that BLS is just CPR for the healthcare provider, right? It was required to even get into my nursing program, so it's not going to be something that's going to help you get a job as an RN in the future, b/c it will be a given that ANY applicant will already have it. So yes, you'll need it, but no, it's not going to help you get a job.

As far as other certifications, you're really not going to be in a position to take any of the classes for them until you're a licensed nurse... plus, they're not "smaller" than a CNA license/certificate by any means, financially or educationally.

If you want/need to work during nursing school, a part-time "tech" or "aide" position can typically be obtained for free after the first semester, and even if you're going to school and working in a different city than you will live in down the road, you will still be racking up the all-important "experience in a healthcare setting" that will get you a job after nursing school. If you go home for the summer and want to work there, too, you'll find it easier to get a job if you've already got experience as a tech/aide in your school's city.

Healthcare is a very small world, too -- you'll find that lots of facilities have the same parent company, so experience in one facility can count as seniority/experience in another facility in the same "family".

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