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Discussion

money, time, expierience

I apologize in advance if I sound scatter brained, I do have better grammar and structure than this. I just have a lot of questions and concerns J

About myself...

I want to make it clear that I am not going in to nursing strictly for the money I am doing it because I fill that it is what fits me because I have the urge to care for people and there is a lot of things that I think need to be changed in my area when it comes to nursing, it's sad though that everything has to boil down to money. Plus I can't see myself doing anything else. Another plus is I don't mind being around sick people and I'm not afraid of getting sick either because you can get sick just as easily from handing a shopping cart at Kroger's. I also don't mind being around people who are gushing bodily fluids, sometimes I think certain wounds and illnesses are cool, as sick as it sounds.

I am currently in high school but for only six more weeks, and I sure am counting down on that one! I did occupy myself this summer with a part time job at our family business of Hulens landscaping while doing a six week CNA course, that I really wanted to do since I heard about it in school my sophomore year. I passed the CNA course and a week ago I received my letter in the mail with the CNA number on it. I also last week had my first interview at Kingston Care Center in Fort Wayne only to find out that there were no opportunities for me with them while I was still in high school the only opportunity that was a maybe as a PRN position or what I interpreted a subbing position or filler position for free spots in there schedule or for when people called in saying they were sick or "sick" that sounds good to me only as a 2nd job though. On the next day I called the Kendallville Manor which is where I applied to before I got the interview at Kingston to check on my application and the head HR person told me the same thing so I asked her if it would be wise that I wait to find work until I graduate from high school and of course she said yes so right now that's what I'm doing, I'm just going to enjoy the rest of my innocence as a choicefuly unemployed person before I enter the work force full time ;)

However I do have debts to pay back to my mom for helping finance my CNA course. I know that I can pay her back within the first two months of having a job as a CNA granted that its full time work. Then I plan on saving the minimum of $612 a month for 36 months then start nursing school at Ivy Tech with at least 22,000 in the bank and the rest of my tuition and college costs will have to be paid off with my money I bring in while going to school or the one thing that makes me grit my teeth is a student loan. I really don't want to be in major debt after college, debt is part of the reason our country is in the mess it's in and I feel that if you can't pay for it with savings and work then I guess you shouldn't posses it then. Just like I don't believe in going to Wal-Mart for groceries because if you can't afford off brand at Kroger's then I guess you can't afford to eat, plus Wal-Mart isn't as cheap as they say they are when you think about it. Getting back on topic, I also plan to then move out on to my own within a year of getting my RN.

So here is what I am getting at...

I keep seeing that your pay as an RN determines how much experience you have. So my question to this is, does the experience that I gain as a CNA determine my pay as an RN fresh out of school? Because to me and I know you might laugh at this but a CNA is a nurse that just isn't qualified to do the things an LPN or RN can do and a CNA gets the hands on experience caring for people and can even learn a few things that can help them in nursing school if that is there plan to go on to nursing school.

Another thing I learned in my CNA course from the girls in there and the nurse that taught it is that there is a surplus of LPNs and RNs in the Fort Wayne area and I feel that if that's the case then I wonder what it's like in Kendallville which is where I'm from and I don't plan on moving to a different state to work as a nurse, I'll work in a factory first. So my question to this is if I can find work as a CNA in my home town (because I always see ads for CNA's wanted and stuff) and I go to nursing school and get my nursing degree and a nursing job hasn't came along after I graduate then the facility I work for cannot fire me for having my RN can they? (if that makes sense I do not know how to word it any better) I know that I might be having to do CNA work but that's fine by me because there are a lot of Americans out of work right now and I would be thankful doing something I want to do at least.

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    Your experience as a CNA won't get you a higher rate of pay as a new RN...but you'll have personal experience and knowledge...it's all you need!

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    Hi IdianaCNA1993,

    As far as working as a PRN CNA while in school, you might be wise to go ahead and do that. You would be surprised how many call off "sick" in the health care field, and could very easily end up with more hours than you actually want! I think one of the reasons they might offer PRN is so you are not receiving benefits such as health insurance, and with you being under your mothers wing, you probably don't need it.

    Second, if you are in a facility as a CNA, you already have your foot in that door toward having a potential job as an RN once you get your degree. Then, after some experience both as a CNA and RN

    Thirdly, if you are staying at your mothers or even out on your own, depending on financial circumstances, you can receive substantial grants which is money you don't have to pay back- towards your education. Pell Grant and O'Bannon Grant (in Indiana) are two that come to mind. You can also apply for other scholarships- sometimes by just writing a paper about a specific topic or something. This is also free money. Incidentally, the better your grades in high school, the better the chances of receiving scholarships. I know a student that is going to Valpo for a 4 yr degree in nursing and has full scholarship there. I think his schooling is going to only cost about 4,000.00 a year and that is on campus!

    There are surpluses of nurses in a lot of areas, including mine- but there are pockets of areas where they are needed...small town hospitals and such. And nursing homes have a high turn over rate, depending on the facility and how much they actually care.

    Hope this helps!

    Bernie

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    I think you just might be a future writer. I know you keep apologizing for your writing skills but if you took time to improve you would be a great writer !!

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    • Author
    I think you just might be a future writer. I know you keep apologizing for your writing skills but if you took time to improve you would be a great writer !!

    thats what one of my high school english teachers had said too when she read my senior essays Ive turned the Idea around in my head a few times of being a writer but I need somthing to write about first like being a nurse lol :sneaky:

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    Your experience as a CNA won't get you a higher rate of pay as a new RN...but you'll have personal experience and knowledge...it's all you need!

    Where I work, they take CNA experience into consideration when determining rate of pay. With that being said, I still make only $18.03/hour, and my shift diff is $1.68/hour. It's a good thing I didn't get into nursing for the money, because Indiana nurses certainly do not make good money.

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    • Author
    Where I work, they take CNA experience into consideration when determining rate of pay. With that being said, I still make only $18.03/hour, and my shift diff is $1.68/hour. It's a good thing I didn't get into nursing for the money, because Indiana nurses certainly do not make good money.

    Im not going in to it for the money but I do want to live a comfertable life I heard that to Indiana RNs make better money in a hospital than a LTCF. The nursing home I worked at before paid the aides 10.75 the LPNs 18 theRNs 20 and the RTs 22-25 hourly. with no benefits and no overtime pay and no diffrential pay. the nurses were mad because the RTs made more and some didnt even do there jobs so the nurses were doing RT work.

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    Im not going in to it for the money but I do want to live a comfertable life I heard that to Indiana RNs make better money in a hospital than a LTCF. The nursing home I worked at before paid the aides 10.75 the LPNs 18 theRNs 20 and the RTs 22-25 hourly. with no benefits and no overtime pay and no diffrential pay. the nurses were mad because the RTs made more and some didnt even do there jobs so the nurses were doing RT work.

    I wasn't saying you were going into it for the money. I was just saying I'm glad I didn't. To be honest with you, I made more money in LTC.

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    I know you werent saying that lol I was just stateing my reasons too :)

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    Whew there is a lot to say here! Ok so clarify the PRN thing comes from child labor laws alone. Since we work in 8 and 12 hour shifts and Indiana has regulations on it then you can't hold a position with certain hours because legally you can't be expected to work multiple 8 hour shifts a week.

    Now I have recent experience and I will say they will only pay you more for your Cna experience if it was in house. For example you've been a Cna for 3 years but only 1 year in the facility your graduating RN in, they may give you more for that. But she is also right about doing the transition from Cna to nurse in the same facility being the way to go. One reason being that they have to give you an RN position. From the day you pass boards and have a license number and you begin orienting you have either a prn pt or ft position. Which is why I highly suggest everyone have some sort of prn job while in school because it will give you the comfort you need when your new of being acquainted with the facility and more importantly whenever you want to venture out, BAM- you are not only an RN. But an RN with experience.

    Ok financial aid stuff- if your parents make decent money and you don't have any children the. Only grant your qualified for is the obannon grant and that's only if you graduate high school with a core40 or higher diploma. Your best bet is to ask the college your applying to for a list of scholarship opportunities because ill tell ya going online and seeking them out blind I guarantee you'll waste your valuable time and we don't like that :-p

    Last clarification I got for ya friend is that it is a misconception about hospital pay versus ltcf pay. Not only do some ltcf pay more or the same. Factor in the responsibility levels. Now- I believe hospital RNs are amazingly skilled professionals but I also believe I worked my ASS off to be an RN and I've done mostly ltcf work so I think it's really important to start off with baby steps because I want to touch your comment about Cna's being nurses. No no not at all no. Once your a nurse you can think back to this blog n believe me. But they are vital to an effective care regimen but really you don't have any idea how much the nurse is doing until your the nurse doing it so keep that in mind. Be humble always in nursing because no matter how much experience or how little anyone can teach anyone anything. You'll never know everything and the people you run into that think they do. Well know that they are the most dangerous part of healthcare.

    Always question everything. Cold hard facts are what we are always looking for. You seem to be pretty darn on target asking some really good questions for being so young. I can empathize because I entered nursing as a Cna when I was 17 and have "grown up" with it. Like your going to. And it's fun:) inbox me anytime btw:) I love helping. Hence I'm a nurse ;)

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    Aaaand my grammar sucked because I just typed that on my iPhone :-p lol sorry

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