Is becoming a CNA (and getting hired) hard?

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I have a friend who is in a crummy financial situation.

I was thinking of pointing them in the CNA direction. Im not saying its easy but the pay/benefits would be much better than theyre doing now.

Is it that hard to get hired as a CNA with no experience ? I literally know nothing about it (And I dont work with any CNA on my unit, so I cant ask there )

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They would take a CNA class which includes clinicals and then after passing the class take their states test.

Usually it is not too hard to find CNA jobs. Sometimes it takes time to get comfortable with the job. You learn many things in class and get a little taste of the work in clinicals, but the experiace while being on the job is when you will understand and get use to the job itself

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They would take a CNA class which includes clinicals and then after passing the class take their states test.

Usually it is not too hard to find CNA jobs. Sometimes it takes time to get comfortable with the job. You learn many things in class and get a little taste of the work in clinicals, but the experiace while being on the job is when you will understand and get use to the job itself

Basically my concern was getting a CNA job isnt anything like getting an RN job fresh out of school without any experience right?

Because I remember how much it sucked doing that, over a year to get my first job

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No CNA jobs are much more readily available

As long as you have your certificate many places will give you an opportunity. Some places might pick someone with experience over someone who does not but it is not at the same scale as the nurses have to struggle with.

Also there are many places to look for too. LTCs home care rehab retirement homes VA homes and hospitals homes for the disabled.

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Specializes in Med surg.

My personal experience was taking 4 days of cramming CNA classes in a rinky-dink trailer, challenging the exam and passing, and getting hired at a home health agency 1 week later. They employed me full time, 40 hrs a week with no experience in patient care. Now, I am working as a health assistant at a high school and applying for my BSN, so I say they should go for it! Even if the job description says experience is preferred, you never know how desperate they might be for warm bodies and you just might get selected. It is always a learning experience when you start a new job.

Best of luck to your friend!

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Specializes in DD, Mental Health, Geriatric.

I know everyone's experience is different but it seems like mine was a mixture of good planning and luck. After being an unemployed NAR who'd let her NAR lapse for ten years I finally came into a little money and used it to take the CNA course and complete all the other required classes and then I found a resume building program online, filled it out and began sending it in to small facilities in my town cia craigslist. In about three days I had two interviews. I was wanted for the first one and took it. I was there for about two years until the owners decided they wanted to close down and change careers. Then, the mother of that person heard I was looking for work again and hired me to work at her own adult foster home, I was there for about five months before the resident manager of the first place called me up and said, "Hey, you should come work here with me it's a lot better that the other place and where you're at right now!" So, I did and worked with my old resident manager/coworker at another place for about two and a half years until that owner decided to close her place to focus more in her special needs son. Then, I get a call from the nurse who goes around delegating all the caregivers for adult foster homes in certain areas of my town and she tells me that her best friend has been running a home for over 25 years and is looking for a weekend caregiver and that she told her she needs to hire me. So, now I'm working at a well-established adult foster home and I really like it there. The people are nice and not too hard and the family that owns the business do a lot to help out the staff like they'll have everyone up and dressed and breakfast done and meds passed for the morning before I even get there in the mornings and my boss is always giving me cash bonuses for doing a good job. She bought me a bunch of cute new scrubs and a brand new cell phone that she's paying for as long as I'm working for her and she bought my coworker a 15k diamond bracelet for being there for four years. So, it's half good planning and half luck. In my town caregivers are in high demand as I'm sure they are elsewhere, too. Just have a good resume, be presentable, know your stuff, don't be afraid to ask questions, etc. Oh, and that resident manager I mentioned? We became friends and still are today, in fact, a lot of the caregivers I've worked with stay friends with me later. Probably because I only ever work at small places where the staff is yourself and one other person. Lol.

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I just became a CNA myself. I did a four day CNA prep course, challenged the exam, and passed. I got offered two positions about a week later. Both positions stated they wanted at least one year experience, but I have none. It seems like everyone I took the class with got offered jobs too, whether it was HHA or LTC.

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CNA jobs are pretty readily available in most areas of the country. Your friend would have to take the CNA class and pass the state exam (or challenge it) after a round of clinicals, so if they're in emergency need of a new job, this wouldn't be the route to take. I took an accelerated CNA course (I did all of the coursework/bookwork before classes started, then jumped right into skills labs, then clinicals, then passed my state exam) at a local community college and it still took me a few months to get a job after everything.

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