Help! Advice on achieving my goal to become an RN.

[Savie]

Hello! My name is Savanna and I'm 18 years old. My goal in life is to become an RN and I have no clue where to begin.

There is a program in my area where I can either get my CNA or my CMA. I really want to get into the medical field before starting college to get my BSN. However, I'm not sure if I should start out as a CNA or an CMA! My are does not have much need for CNA's, and is more in need of CMA's. However, the CMA program is about a thousand dollars more expensive. I'm fine with paying it if it means that I can get further ahead in my medical career.

So please give me your advice and input on where I should start!

Thank you!

[mrsboots87]

There are a couple ways you can go with this that tie into each other. I would def suggest the CMA over the CNA. You get less grunt work and higher pay and the program is relatively short. Heres the slightly tricky part that you would need to decide on as far as your pathway into nursing. Going for your BSN is smart because nursing is getting saturated and less and less ADN nurses are getting hired in AZ as well as many other states. If you want direct entrance into a BSN program, you will need to do your pre reqs and get mostly, if not all A's to be competitive. If you go this route, it will probably take you about 1-2 years to complete your pre reqs, so if you get your CMA first, you can be working during this time. Also some employers have affiliations with the various nursing program schools and can give weight to your application. This is the same for the ADN programs. Some facilities in the ADN program even hold spot for students currently working at certain place. If you decide to get your ADN first then you BSN, then the info will be different depending on your area. In phoenix area and surrounding, you can get on the CC waitlist, or go to a private school, but they are more money. The waitlist however is about 3-4 years currently unless you do a CEP cohort. They are competitive, but if you do well in your pre reqs, it will give you an advantage. With CEP, you get accepted into the waitlist, then apply for CEP when your pre reqs are done to get in the following semester. Another path is if you wait out to gain acceptance from the pool into the regular cohorts (either by choice or if your pre req GPA is competitive) you can sign on for the MCC RN-BSN pathway program. There are a few qualifiers that are relatively easy to manage, and you are guaranteed acceptance into ASU BSN nursing program after graduation and passing your NCLEX.

SOrry if this is kind of jumbled or a lot of info. Just trying to give you options so you can decide what path works best for you.

As for me, Im waiting it out on the waitlist, and will sign the pathway agreement when I start block 1 and get my BSN that route.

[mrsboots87]

That's nice. I guess I clicked Arkansas instead of Arizona. Similar info, but a lot of this wont apply to your states programs as it will have its own requirements. I would still go for your CMA though.

[iTyrizzle87]

I strongly recommend getting a CNA license. There are always positions open for CNAs. As for CMAs, I never see openings anywhere. Becoming a CNA would also give you the hands-on experience from the bottom of the chain. I once read a quote by a RN graduate from a technical college program, I think Ozarka, and she recommended becoming a CNA first, and that you'll like being a nurse if you can handle the work of a CNA. Which college are you thinking about attending? I am a former science teacher who is changing careers to become a nurse, so I can help steer you in the right direction. I am familiar with many of the technical, private and public college nursing programs.