need help!

To be honest, a CNA isn't really necessarily. Many places will accept nursing students as nursing assistants after their first semester and will be trained on the job. I think working as a tech can be helpful in getting your foot in the door, padding your resume and maybe reinforce things you learn in school.

CNAs provide basic nursing care, and the knowledge isn't in depth enough to really help out in a nursing program, in my humble opinion.

I agree with most of what PP said. However, I think working as a CNA gives valuable experience to a future nurse. In hospitals, at least in my area, CNA's and techs are pretty much the same thing. CNA's have the most one on one patient contact out of all nursing staff. I absolutely loved working as a CNA because of that. I didn't like that I couldn't do more, though, which is why I have chosen to do other things since then.

I feel that having many years of CNA experience made me better at bedside.

If your school requires it. I would say sure why not . At my school it's an requirement for us to get our stna during nursing school or just before entering. That's the class I'm taking now a I would love to have that type of experience and shadow nurses. I will be working as an stna throughout nursing school.

Check with the program to see if it is required, I am in NC and we have to stay listed on the registry the entire time we are in the nursing program. It could be benificial to go ahead and get it, so when you do start nursing school you will have the experience of working with patients. Also, if you NEED to work while you are in nursing school most places are pretty flexible as far as CNA work.