Need help deciding...

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The question is... lounge around and play this summer or work as a nursing assistant?

I will be finished with my first year of nursing school in May. I don't go back to school until end of August. Unfortunately there is no nurse appretence progam at my local hospital. The only way for me to get clinical experence this summer would be to work as a nursing assistant.

Does it really help prepare you to become a better RN?

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It did help me to be a better RN! Some nurses won't lift or provide any personal care. That is not the nurse I want to be! I am glad that I learned to do the lifting and the personal care. I am also glad that I had to learn how to treat patients in order to get them to be cooperative with care. Aids see things that nurses may not see. They deserve our respect and we need their input! You will see their side of nursing and you will understand them better if you do work as an aid! It really has helped me to supervise them, teach them, and work with them! I have said, "I know when I was an aid..." so many times to communicate effectively with a Nusing Assistant.

My advise would be to work as an aid at one place and then as an RN at a different location or on another floor or department. Otherwise there can be some lack of respect from coworkers.. they may always see you as an aid.

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Yikes!! I didn't even consider that aspect! I would have to work at the same hospital as an aid first and then a nurse next May. Bad idea??

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Specializes in Hospice, Med/Surg, ICU, ER.
Yikes!! I didn't even consider that aspect! I would have to work at the same hospital as an aid first and then a nurse next May. Bad idea??

I'm in LPN clinicals now. This same advice was given to us as well. BIG problem here in our area.

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You will be fine. Lots of people do it! I just think it is harder when people see you as an aid and then "boop!" you are now a nurse. There is some jealousy and there can be some lack of respect, but it is probably just based on some underlying jealousy. Tricky stuff!

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Specializes in Cardiac/Telemetry.
It did help me to be a better RN! Some nurses won't lift or provide any personal care. That is not the nurse I want to be! I am glad that I learned to do the lifting and the personal care. I am also glad that I had to learn how to treat patients in order to get them to be cooperative with care. Aids see things that nurses may not see. They deserve our respect and we need their input! You will see their side of nursing and you will understand them better if you do work as an aid! It really has helped me to supervise them, teach them, and work with them! I have said, "I know when I was an aid..." so many times to communicate effectively with a Nusing Assistant.

My advise would be to work as an aid at one place and then as an RN at a different location or on another floor or department. Otherwise there can be some lack of respect from coworkers.. they may always see you as an aid.

Can you be an undergrad, still in NS, and get hired as PCT/Nurse Aid? Or do you need your nursing graduate diploma?

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Yes, here after you have finished your first year of nursing school you can work as a nursing assisstant w/o having a CNA licence.

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:) Welcome to the AllNurses Forums :)

A returning student,

Angels'

"Footsteps In The Sand"

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