Home Health CNA experience prior to RN?

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I am considering going back to do an accelerated BSN program. I did 2 yrs of prereqs and changed majors. I want to make sure this is something I REALLY want to do (there are a few other choices I am considering in healthcare). I have been told/read that working as a CNA is good because you get your feet wet, get to see what nursing is like, and also ends up being good prep for your clinicals once in school.

I have 3 kids that next year will be in 1st grade, K3, and 2 years old. If I work it would be part time more than likely during school hours and sometimes weekend shifts if dh were around (he is in the military and is gone 7-8 mos per year). I hear that home health scheduling can tend to be more flexible than inpatient or LTC where even prn you are usually on standard shifts or 12s.

Is it true that the scheduling is more flexible?

Is there a whole lot of use for CNAs in home health?

I know there are lots of homemaker/sitter positions, and visiting nurses are needed to do independent things, but what do the CNAs do in home care?

Thanks!

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Most home health agencies wont hire you until you have at least one year of experience (in some cases 3-5 years) because you have to work so autonomously. Your best bet is to work as a CNA in the hospital.....now there you'll learn the skills you need as you progress on to the RN program.

Good luck!

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Thanks for your input. What you are saying makes perfect sense to me. I kept thinking about it, wondering how a new CNA would be able to do it without supervision. The hospital is a much better setting if I can find shifts that fit in my schedule. CNAs make diddly around here ($7/hr at the nursing homes, not sure how much the hospital pays) so childcare would cost more than I would be making. And I know the 40 hours of nursing skills clinical coursework I did in the LTC home 7 years ago would not qualify as any sort of experience! LOL.

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I am a PCA at a hospital and I only work weekends, 12 hour shifts. That is what fits our schedule and hubby can watch our 3 year old when I am at work for those 2 12's. I started out at $10.75 and all you have to have at our hospital is a CNA certificate which I did or you can even be a Phlebotomist which I have that training too.

Trish :balloons:

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I am a PCA at a hospital and I only work weekends, 12 hour shifts. That is what fits our schedule and hubby can watch our 3 year old when I am at work for those 2 12's. I started out at $10.75 and all you have to have at our hospital is a CNA certificate which I did or you can even be a Phlebotomist which I have that training too.

Trish :balloons:

Thanks for the information!

That could be a schedule that could work out if I could convince them to keep me on PRN status but inactive when dh is deployed. Hmmmm Maybe I will take that CNA course. Thanks

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You are very welcome, GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!

Trish :balloons:

Thanks for the information!

That could be a schedule that could work out if I could convince them to keep me on PRN status but inactive when dh is deployed. Hmmmm Maybe I will take that CNA course. Thanks

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