So...I just finished a B.A. in Psychology in June, but I have been thinking about doing nursing for almost a year now! After trying to figure out what route to take to become an RN and how to pay for it, I decided that maybe I would give my B.A. a chance (since my parents paid ALOT for it) and just get a job, then later after I have saved up money, I could go to nursing school. Well, 4 months of job searching and applying to 40 jobs, I have heard NOTHING, no calls, no interviews, nothing.
Time for a new plan. I have been thinking about become a CNA because there seems to be a guaranteed job, pay that is close to what I would be getting as an entry level employee anyway, plus it would give me great experience for being a nurse and I could be sure that this is what I want to do. Plus, I think I would like it.
My problem here is this...I ran this idea past my bf and he thinks it is below me!!! Since I have a B.A. and have never actually had a real job, he says I can do better! He says I shouldn't have to do a "dirty" job like that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was shocked. I never even thought about it that way. I know I probably shouldn't listen to him, but it's bothering me. Maybe I should give my degree a chance and just get an "office" job? But if nursing is what I (think) I want to do, then isn't being a CNA a good starting place? Are there any CNA's out there who have Bachelor's degrees? How do you feel about this? Sorry if this is long!!!
Update: I just talked to the boyfriend about this subject because I am very bothered by his attitude. He "clarified" that he thinks being a cna would be ok if I am definitely going to go on to nursing. However, he thinks that, because I have a college educated "mind," I should find a job with more critical thinking skills.
I don't know a whole lot about critical thinking skills involved with being a cna (I KNOW you need them for nursing!) but I highly doubt that all cna's are running around without any thinking going on.
I am so frustrated with him. Why do people have these attitudes towards cnas? (And to labcat01: I had no idea that people thought that being an RN was below anyone, I always thought that nurses were well respected and that there was prestige associated with being one.)
I believe the colleges should be mandated to inform students what kinds of jobs they can expect to get with their degrees. Colleges are doing a terrible disservice to people who pay them for this.
CNA's work very hard but you can probably find a CNA job making more than you would processing food stamp applications or being a social worker. There are scores of college educated people waiting tables. A college degree, in some ways, is meaning less and less today.
My suggestion would be to fork over a couple of thousand dollars and a year of your time at the vo-tech to become an LPN. You can test the nursing waters and find a job starting out at $15-20.00/hr. You will be hard pressed to find a CNA job paying this, but LPN jobs are much more abundant (and valuable.)
NO, it is not "beneath" you to go to the vo-tech, or even become a CNA. This kind of thinking only hurts you and holds you back in the long run. I will never forget the time, in high school, my chemistry teacher was laughing with some of the college bound students, jokingly asking if they had put in their applications at Devri. This offended me at the time, because my brother-in-law was a graduate of Devri. Looking back, I see who the real fools were: my brother-in-law developed his career at Texas Instruments, invested his money wisely, and now...he is set for life. They live in a VERY nice house and take yearly vacations. I'd bet anything that dorky chemistry teacher who was making fun of my bro-in-law's alma mater doesn't do that.
I have a B.S. Degree and am a NA while going through nursing school. Being an aide is about getting the job done (Git-r-done). You will be best served dropping any ideas (yours or influnced by others) of entitlement while dealing with human waste. You won't be able to enjoy the job if you are wondering whether it is beneath you during a code brown. The only people on my floor that even know I have a B.S. are the two managers who interviewed me and had my references checked. It's almost better to forget all the work you put into your B.A. because you are starting over and will be working from the ground up.
I like you finished my BA looked for jobs found nothing and then decided to go ahead and get my CNA and get started in nursing school. The experience I gained working as a CNA has been priceless in my nursing career. You can really tell a nurse who was a CNA from one who wasn't.
As far as it being "below" you: you'll notice not many CNA's have BA degrees. However what is great is if you find a place where the CNA's are also nursing students. They are educated and geared towards doing things the right way and are invested in their work. Working somewhere where a CNA isn't required and most of the employees are career CNA's would not be an ideal enviroment. I'm not trying to knock career CNA's, but as a generality you'll find the best and most like minded people at a facility with CNA's who are mainly other nursing students. Where I work they do not require a CNA, we do get a fair share of nursing students. They are my absolute favorites.
As for CNA's and critical thinking: The good ones are great critical thinkers, and they generally are the ones in or about to be in nursing school. I've had very astute CNA's literally save my day. Their job is so important.
As for nurses and respect: Some people do see a certain prestige with the profession of nursing. I've had other people think it is "cute" and how sweet it must be to "hold babies all day". Since that's what I do as a pediatric nurse. Right, because I have time to hold babies.
And I saw another post talking about becoming an LPN at a vo-tech first... I have to caution against this. If you already have a four year degree and want to be a nurse there are so many programs that will get you to an RN or BSN in less time than it would take to get an LPN. It would then just cost you more and take you more time to get to that RN. The industry wants RN's and BSN's, you have an advantage already having a degree you can make it happen so much faster. And CNA's, depending where you work can make pretty close to what LPNs do.
I got my RN within 2 years of graduating with my BA, best thing I ever did.
Your boyfriend doesn't know what he's talking about! "College-educated" doesn't hold as much prestige as it once did.
A BA is more about getting an attitude of inquiry and the skills to continue to learn than it is about job training. Your BA will serve you in unexpected ways throughout your life, but pretty much everyone with a bachelor's degree needs job training and related work experience.
Exact same story. I have a BA in Psych. Messed around with a couple jobs, now am working as a CNA. And just started nursing school - and couldn't be happier!
Volunteer, or work as a CNA - get to know what nursing is really about, to see if it's what you want to do for sure (as sure as we can ever be!).
Maybe you do it part-time or PRN while you do another job, or maybe you do it full-time. Up to you.
But do it. If nursing is for you, than that won't change in 1 year, 10 years, or 20 years. Do it now, and don't let anyone stop you. Having a psychology degree will only help you. Take some prereqs you need. Volunteer or work. Have fun.
This is the exact situation that I found myself in back in 2000. I graduated college with a BSW (social work) in 1997. Did not like it. Moved in 2000 and decieded to try nsg, but did not want to jump right in, so I started out as a CNA, liked it, went to school for practical nsg, and just graduated from Excelsior College's ASN program!!! I love nsg and gained so much. So glad that I made the choice to try. Earned more money after 1 year of training for practicle nsg than I did as a 5 year graduate!! So, go after your dreams!!! It is not beneth you to work as a CNA, just keep moving forward.
i actually think you should try to use your degree while you go to nursing school... in another manner. it would be a waste!!! all that hard work just to not use it?!?!
have you looked at drug rehabs, etc?
that would be a great place to start AND a lot of them use nurses so you can see the nursing role!!
Specializes in Pediatric Psychiatry, Home Health VNA.
IMHO, anything someone can do to improve the quality of another person's life is never below them. Being a nursing assistant is one of the toughest, most rewarding, and often thankless jobs you can work. Wiping poop day after day is draining, but then you think about the person you're cleaning up - the loss they must be experiencing to not be able to perform this very personal task, the embarrassment and sometimes the physical pain. Then your job doesn't seem so bad. However, make sure you'd be entering nursing for the right reasons. It may not be any easier to get a job as a nurse in your area than it would be to get one using your current degree.
Specializes in Pediatric Psychiatry, Home Health VNA.
I don't know a whole lot about critical thinking skills involved with being a cna (I KNOW you need them for nursing!) but I highly doubt that all cna's are running around without any thinking going on.
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I will say that I used a lot of critical thinking skills. I used my time as a CNA to practice assessments in my head. I actually get to spend more time as a CNA with my patients than a nurse, so I would always let my nurse know if I could hear audible wheezing, if my patient's breathing appeared labored, or if they had any new skin issues. I caught IV infiltration, pulmonary edema, and a PE just by watching my patients and reporting things that seemed off to me. One of the hospitalists told me my clinical accument was that of an intern and that he was shocked to learn I was a nursing assistant. That made me feel great because even as a 'lowly CNA' I was able to contribute to saving lives and made to feel like I mattered. I have even gotten to advocate for my patients on the rare occasion a nurse was too busy or didn't want to listen. I've put in a quiet word to a doctor for an order for unbleached linen, fungal powder, or to discontinue briefs. I also asked for a morphine drip for a dying patient. I refuse to let my patients' care suffer because we're too busy. I never got spoken to for it because the nurses know I'm a team player and I would never do anything out of spite. I pitch in my fair share and go above and beyond (but not out of scope of practice) for them and there's a mutual respect and appreciation. So critical thinking skills as a CNA? Yes, you can use them!
Bree124, BSN, RN
200 Posts
I am in a direct entry master's program, and many of the people in our class (who all have a four year degree) are CNAs or PCTs.
Go for it!