MCCKC, Penn Valley, Certified Nurses Aid Program

7 Posts

:woot: First of all: YAY! I have successfully registered and reserved my position in the next round of CNA classes at Kansas City Community College, Penn Valley campus. This is my first official step in my journey into nursing. My ultimate goal is to become an RN with a focus on mental/behavioral health. I chose to start with CNA certification for a variety of reasons. 1) I have no prior college education - even a 2-year ADN degree will take me 3-4 years going full time to complete gen ed requirements + nursing prerequisites 2) I have very little professional job skills, and would like to have some sort of stable "career" prior to attending nursing school to fulfill financial needs, and 3) Having healthcare experience and certification seems to make the entry into RN somewhat easier.

That said, I have found little to no information regarding the program I am about to enter online and was curious to know if anyone who happens to stumble upon this post has ever heard of, completed, or known anyone who has completed the CNA program at Penn Valley Community College (MCCKC, Penn Valley Campus), or any other MCCKC CNA program (I hear they have one at the Blue Valley campus as well).

Ive heard plenty about MEDS, but I chose to go the JC route as it is 4 days/week rather than the 2 days/week for MEDS. Beyond that I only found programs for exorbitant prices lasting many months. The price for the program I chose is $965 for an 8 week program (well, technically 12 weeks, but minus weekends and holidays actual class time is

I was just curious what it is like, how the instructors were, what the prognosis is in terms of getting a job with Penn Valley credentials (I heard great things about MEDS- how people were offered jobs even before certification, etc).

I have very little healthcare experience. Technically none at all, though my mother was a CNA back in the day and I spent time with her at her nursing home job and even befriended a kind old lady who gave me a stuffed animal dog that I kept for many years before handing it down to my little siblings. My mother loved her job and even was offered a job right out of school (this was in the Clinton-Era), but had to quit after she suffered back injuries and became too overweight to perform her duties.

I myself am not adverse to accept a position at a LTC facility or nursing home, but I would much prefer to work in a hospital, as it seems to pay better and look better on RN resumes, and I'm always looking toward the future. I will not stay a CNA very long, I hope, as soon as I'm employed and in stable financial footing I will work to pursue my coveted RN degree.

Anyway, sorry to ramble on... I'm excited about starting my journey and this being my first ever nursing-related post, I got a bit distracted.

TL;DR

Have you or someone you know completed the CNA course at Penn Valley in Kansas City, MO? If so, what was the experience like and how was the transition from student to employed CNA? Hospital or Nursing Home? Thanks in advance for your time and consideration.