CNA cert. required by Kentucky for Nursing students??

[KLYx0327]

I'm a pre-nursing student at UK, applying to enter nursing school in fall 2007. In order to enter nursing school at UK, they require me to be CNA certified. A friend of mine is attending EKU. He is not required to be certified. Is this a state mandated certification, that eventually all nursing students will have to be CNA certified, or is it only UK?

I ask because in order to become CNA certified, I will have to shell out around $600 to UK to take the course and exam with them. I really can't afford that, being that I'm a student only working PT.

Are there any testing sites that anyone can inform me about where it may be less expensive?

[aeron]

I did contact the BCTCS Disabilities office, and basically the only assistance they can provide is note taking and letting me use an "fm system", which I do not need (because my hearing aides work well). They were really of no help, otherwise. I tend to side with my mother's belief that the Disabilities office is there by law, and works with the focus of protecting the school rather than the student (as evident in the times I have spend talking to them).

I do think I will check out EKU. Other than probably needing to purchase my own amplified stethoscope from Heartrate, would you mind outlining the steps you took to get admitted into EKU (outside of having the grades)? I realize that pretty much all nursing programs require the same things in terms of immunizations, titers, physicals, that sort of thing. I'm just wondering what to look out for should I decide to apply with EKU.

Also, I would LOVE to read some opinions with comparisons between schools like EKU and UK. I know that one's basketball program would smoke the other one, and the former's football program could return the favor, still .........:chuckle

Hugs,

Aeron

[KentuckyRN2Be]

I hope that UK has a better program than what you were led to believe as I am starting it on Tuesday! Because I want to go further than an RN, I need to get my BSN and since we live in Nicholasville and I work at UK (although dropping my hours and switching jobs), I get the benefit of 2 classes paid for, so I don't really have a choice.

All that said, I want to make sure that I am the best I can be, so I'm hoping the program does make it so that we can make an impact as nurses. I do know that they have dummied down some of the chemistry classes and things like that, but that is happening in many universities (and high schools for that matter). I can't wait to start classes and get on this road. It's about time I figured out what I want to be when I grow up!

Good luck to you!

Sarah

[aeron]

Sarah, the best way to find out just how good a program is to call around to places that hire nurses. Give them a fake name and tell them you are thinking of entering a nursing program and you'd like to know which school they would go to if they were just starting out in nursing (or continuing beyond their RN). You may be surprised what they have to say! Many will be hesitant to give opinions because they hire from the schools, or because they don't want to say anything that could come back to bite them. If you remove them from their current scenario and put them in a scenario where they can say how they feel, you will get results.

Hugs,

Aeron