My life story... What can I do?

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I am not a nurse. I just want to make that clear first and foremost. I come from a big family of healthcare providers (mostly RN's). I am however a Certified Nursing Assistant (until November of this year) and was a Certified Clinical Medical Assistant but that certification has lapsed since last November. I have until this November until it really expires and cannot be reinstated. When I think about where am in life right now (unemployed, 25, mother of four kids ages 6 [with ASD] and under), I get frustrated and think about how if only I listened to mother, I could have finished a graduate program by 21 or 22 and I could be doing something great. I graduated high school when I was 16 and went straight to community college. I never finished and honestly didn't know what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I envy whatever 16 year old who really does that isn't some kind of child genius. So I guess what I'm getting at is I have no real experience to put me where I want to go or put me in a situation I would like to be in. I live in Baltimore and am considering going off to Lancaster Career and Training Center in PA like I've read so many others on here have done. At this point, I am in the realm of human services and behavioral health. I love it! I've been, ironically, working with autistic kids since 6 weeks after the birth of my first child (who has autism). When I started in 2008, I made $₁5 hourly and that was enough to get me and my only child by. It was kind of like private duty companion care but much more fun. The family is in the home with you while you work, they give the medications and prepare meals but I just helped in a therapeutic sense and some direct care depending on the clients function level. Fast forward to last year, with the same company and newer Medicaid State mandates. I was making $14 with less hours and footing $400 a month in low quality childcare as a copay WITH purchase of care subsidy vouchers. Aside from that my boss started taking $180 from my checks saying I worked too many respite care hours but never notified me of it after working the same 6 day a week schedule for 10 months. Because of that I started calling out the day before I got paid or going to work and breaking down between picking up my checks and getting to the gas station. Finally I broke down on the beltway so I quit because I couldn't do it any more. as well as I needed my case manager who was my immediate supervisor, I tried getting in touch with him, my clients family did as well, no exaggeration but he never responded until two months later! My boss didnt care. I think I would make a great nurse. I am not saying I'm a nurse and won't until I am one but I believe I have the makings of an LPN with my MA and CNA certs under my belt and being raised as my mother has owned and operated her own Assisted Living Facilities. I need a break into healthcare. I have a cousin who works at Kaiser Permanente, I applied but was told I didn't have enough experience. I have a clinical social worker aunt and she tried to get me into a University of Maryland hospital and gave me a HR persons contact info 2 or 3 years ago. I could never catch them and they never returned my calls. Now I am applying to places like the ARC, and Catholic Charities but they pay low and they barely call back no matter how much I call, apply. I just want to go to Lpn school, then do an RN bridge and go for my BSN. I'm thinking maybe I could get my foot in the door at a place like DaVita but even now I don't here from them which is crazy. I have a friend who had no healthcare experience or certifications, she was a tattoo artist and they hired her, trained her, got her certified and now they're paying for her to go through nursing school. I just want to know what I'm doing wrong and what can I do differently???? I know I shouldn't compare my chapter 1 to anyone's chapter 20 but I am trying to remain patient and do the right thing for my family as we live off of my autistic 6 year old's disability check... *sighs*

I forgot to mention my limited healthcare experience includes me working in a walk in family practice clinic where I did my MA externship and was hired but then let go for unknown reasons after 3 months paid experience and 2 months of unpaid experience. I've also helped my mom with her assisted living, laundry, helping clients off adult day care bus, bathing, dressing, stroke, dimensia, diabetes care. i hate to put it om my resume because it's my mom but we do have different last names and I did real nurse aid work and I don't work for her all the time because she can be a jerk and only pays $600 a month and prefers live ins and I cannot live with her, she's running a business and I have too many noisy, little kids for that =)

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Well that was quite a lot.

If you need a job, then just apply for a bunch. 14-15 dollars an hour seems very reasonable to me as CNA pay. Unfortunately without any real upper level education, it's hard to demand a higher pay rate.

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sorry, i do know it was indeed a lot to read

but that's money, i make without my cna. i think my cna should add a dollar or something. I cannot find a non-profit or human services agency that is not starting direct care professionals between 8 and 12 dollars an hour and the same companies start cna's between 10 and 12 dollars an hour. i already made 14 /15, i dont want to move back 5 dollars now that i have a license to do direct care. a lot of these places want a med tech cert and i just feel like the best thing for me is to become an lpn. if i cant find an lpn job i should be able to work as a tech or ma but with a better hourly rate right? i really want to get into a facility and leave this homecare-esque stuff alone.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

You can't get an LPN job without an LPN license which means you have to pass the NCLEX-PN. I think you should apply for a full time CNA hospital job and use tuition reimbursement to pay for an LPN program if nurse is your goal. If you work nights or weekends you will get a shift differential on top of your base pay. And try to think strategically about how you will prevent pregnancy in the next 5 years or so.

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Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

OK, I had a REALLY hard time reading your post---paragraphs make the difference, believe me!

That said, you can't become an LPN with your CNA and CMA "licenses" (I stated it like I did because these are not usually licenses at all, they are just what the "C" means---certifications). You would need to complete an LPN programs and be granted an ATT in order to sit for the NCLEX and get an LPN license.

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I'm thinking maybe I need to delete and condense this post because I'm in no way saying I believe I can do an LPN job or be an LPN as a MA or Nurse Aid. I did however state that I feel like that's the route I wish I had taken (becoming an LPN) instead and that is what I would like to do now. I also said that if I should become one and can't get a job as an LPN (working in a nursing home or hospital) that I could maybe do MA or tech work. Since that's what lpns in maryland without lpn experience seem to be doing in 2015. I do apologize for this not being the easiest to read

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You were very fortunate to be able to get $14-$15 dollars an hour at your last job. But CNA job usually do not make that kind of money. So when you are looking for a new CNA job I would not be expecting you to find another $15 dollar job again very easily. LPNs will sometimes start at $15.

I'd maybe find a CNA job and start looking at getting into an LPN program if that is what you are dreaming of doing go for it!

There are many places you can look at as well when looking for a CNA job. There are hospitals nursing homes hospitals and homes for vets homes for the disabled. Retirement homes rehab facilities home care which I myself am a CNA for and personally love it.

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Thank you for your advice. I have a dilemma that prevents me from applying to hospitals, nursing homes and such. I am a CNA but here we are required to be certified as Geriatric Nursing Assistants in addition to being a cna in order to work in a hospital or nursing home. I never got certified as a GNA and I can't just wake up one dat and become one. I was told by the BON i have to pay $1000+ and take cna/gna training over in order to be certified as both. Here CNA's without the Geriatric Nursing Assistant cert are limited to only assisted living facilities, home health and group homes for the intellectually challenged, no hospital or anything. I just want to make sure I am making the right decision going to school to become a practical nurse so that i dont end up wasting money and resources on a license i may never really use (again) i am terrified of being a new grad nurse because of how much people say that can't find jobs and then how people say lpns are phased out. I just really want to make the best decision.

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Specializes in Special Education (children/adults).

I went to LCCTC (Lancaster County Career and Technology) for my LPN. I was scared to go to school at age 29, with only having a home health aide position prior to attending school. I didn't know much but I went for it and right now I couldn't be happier in life. Having 4 kids is going to be a challenge but what appealed to me about the LPN program at LCCTC was that it was only a year (18 months if going in the evening), close to home and you start clinical's right away. With your CNA experience you also might be able to skip a few classes in the first semester. If you have ANY questions about the program please get in touch with me! ([email protected]) Keep going forward. I hope this sorta helped you, I just wanted to let you know I went to LCCTC and can try and help you with that!

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