Instructor qualifications for CNA course; important?

[kim_ina]

Hello!

I am looking at a CNA course in California at an adult school but there is little information on the course content and the instructor, besides their name. From what I can tell, this person is not an RN or medically experienced. Or, that person may just be the course organizer and there are others who actually run the course.

Should I be concerned about who teaches the course, or is it just a means to an end (CNA exam)?

I would ideally like to work as a PCT in a pediatric ward/hospital, but a medical assisting course is too long for my current timeline towards an accelerated MSN. Any extra advice on how I can build on the CNA certification and experience would be great to hear. I plan to learn as much as I can on the job (providing I get one!) and become a keen student and aide to the nurses I work with. As far as I can tell, as long as I have experience with EKGs, catheters, etc. on the job I can list that as skills towards a PCT position, correct?

Thank you all!

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

If it is a state approved CNA course, it will be taught by qualified instructors. From your post, I think you may not have a realistic picture of CNA curriculum. It is focused on LTC - providing daily care needs, it does NOT include EKG training. Interaction with catheters will be only maintenance of insertion site/cleaning & measurement of output.

The reason that MA training is longer is that it does include those 'extras' you were referring to.

Wishing you the best of luck on your education.

[mvm2]

HouTx is right that as long as it is a state approved class it does not matter who is teaching the class. Though I understand and think you are wise to be a little cautious seeing that the instructor was not an RN because they usually are.

Some hospitals will take you as a CNA and train you themselves the extra skills you need to know to be a PCT. But I think that you have to know that PCT jobs are not always easy to get. MAny hospitals want you to have a year of experiance as a CNA to be a PCT and with the pediatric ward it will even be harder to get those jobs.