How much homework for CNA class?

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How many hours of homework are typical in a CNA class? The class I'm starting tonight is 120 hours/5 weeks long. I work part-time 20 to 25 hours a week and the school is 25 hours a week too. I'm concerned that I might be taking on too much if they assign several hours of homework a day. The textbook is a thousand pages long but I can't imagine we would have to read every page?! I've read other posts that a lot of the CNA class is common sense, but this is a totally new field for me. Any answers greatly appreciated :confused:

Try to absorb as much as you can in class because it's pretty much bang, bang, bang! There was really not time for homework. In class you studied, reviewed and tested and so on and so on until it was over.

I recently graduated from CNA training. The program I went to was 120 hours 80 hours of class time and 40 of skills. We had 1 chapter of homework per night and coming twords graduation we had two chapters of homework per night before we started clinicals. Its a bit much at first just focus on the page at hand eat trailmix or something the chewing helps keep your stress level down. You can do it!!!! I did it and graduated 2nd highest scores in my class now Im going on to state test and eventually nursing school. YOU CAN DO IT DONT GIVE UP!! its worth it! :)

I think it depends on your teacher. I took a 4 week class m-f, 8 hours a day and felt it was a breeze. We went over the reading before the quizzes and had to do our workbook every night. It was definitely common sense however don't rely on that making it easy. There are certain skills, like making a bed, that have to be done a certain way to pass the state test. I think with your workload you will be fine. It might be challenging if you have kids, but I still think you can do it.

Specializes in Med-Surg/urology.
She's a native English speaker. I didn't know her situation that well but from overhearing some of her conversations she really seemed to study hard and do her homework. During tests she always asked to go into a room by herself and she was always the last one finished which is why I assume she just had some kind of a learning disability or maybe ADD. I just felt really bad for her because you could tell the class was important to her and she was devastated when she wasn't allowed to go to clinicals with the rest of us.

That's really sad :( Maybe she can take the class again..or she could work as a non-medical caregiver for a home health agency or work @ an assisted living facility (some don't require you to be a CNA).

Specializes in n/a.

CNA classes are not that hard the most work is done in class. Where you will be learning material out of the book and also doing hands on training as well. The most you will have to do at home is to study for a quiz. But the weeks will come and go quickly and doing clinicals are very informative and you get a chance to use what you learned.:nurse:

Specializes in family medicine.

had no homework at all. passed the exam on the first attempt!

Specializes in Neuroscience.

If you are pressed for time and working and just can't fit it all in, try reading the "review" that shows up sporatically throughout the chapter (short version of all the reading before ~ it highlights the important parts, the rest is "fluff"), do the test questions at the end to see how much you comprehend and pay attention to the diagrams (ie: ROM, pictures, etc.) and clinicals / lecture. You'll do fine (I'm an ex-instructor).

I was worried too when I started my CNA program about not having enough time to balance work and school work...well that all went to ease because we didn't have any homework. It just depends on your instructor. Don't get me wrong there is a lot of work and important things to know, but I did most of my assignments in class while the instructor lectured. You just have to learn how to manage your time properly. The only real homework I had was studying my skills and studying for the written test which are the two most important things needed to become certified anyway..good luck!

Thanks to all who replied to my question.

It turned out there was a lot of reading, seven hundred pages or so for 14 days of class, but I made it through the classroom with a B+. Now I just have to make it to through the clinicals, which will be interesting because I don't feel ready.

I think after finishing the classroom I am now qualified to give a answer to my own question about how much homework there is for a CNA class: it really depends on the state you take the course in (some states have stricter guidelines than the bare minimums required by OBRA), and it depends on the length of the course. If the course is several weeks longer the course content will be more spread out, but if you have a quicker-paced course with fewer hours of classroom you will be expected to do homework and reading outside of the course. Last, the amount of work you do outside of class depends on what kind of grade you want to get too.

Plus, if you have no experience in health care and little common sense (like myself) then you will need to do your homework :jester:

I went for 5 days a week 8- 930 for 10 weeks and the 2 weeks clinical from 7-3. We had a test very two weeks, we then had to turn in 2 chapters in our study guide. The test we did a review before and test the next day. Very easy. Must student have jobs

In my Cna class we didnt have homework we just had to study for tests and quizzes.We had 2-3 chapters per day the class lasted a month in a half.The class was from 9-2 3 times a week.

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