Is being a CNA looked down upon in NYC?

U.S.A. New York

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I was at work checking out a patient. She overheard a conversation I was having with another coworker about starting nursing school. She was also a nurse too. We discussed which school I was going to and what the job prospects looked like. She seemed reassuring, telling me that I could do per diem work but at least need to work on a BSN since so many hospitals prefer it. I mentioned that I may look into being a CNA also. She said in a polite tone that I shouldn't do that. She said CNAs are looked down upon and I should focus on learning and networking via clinicals. I was taken aback by the comment and wonder if anyone feels the same or differently.

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Specializes in Hospice, Nursing Education.

CNAs are looked down upon by some people in all places. Those people that do look down upon them are not aware how important CNAs are and are also the nurses that "eat there young". I have worked with CNAs and worked with and trained HHAs who have the same problem. Nurses cannoot get by without the assistance of CNAs and HHAs. I have learned many things from the aides as well as having these wonderful people bring a problem they noticed to my attention.

Anyone who treats a CNA or HHA poorly must be insecure in their own job and should be ignored. The aides I have worked with and I do mean with are some of the best professionals I have worked with in health care. Remember this is not a problem that is unique to NY but is present country wide but remember that you can only be made to feel little if you allow it. People ho try to make you feel that way are little themselves and not worth your time and energy.

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CNAs are looked down upon by some people in all places. Those people that do look down upon them are not aware how important CNAs are and are also the nurses that "eat there young". I have worked with CNAs and worked with and trained HHAs who have the same problem. Nurses cannoot get by without the assistance of CNAs and HHAs. I have learned many things from the aides as well as having these wonderful people bring a problem they noticed to my attention.

Anyone who treats a CNA or HHA poorly must be insecure in their own job and should be ignored. The aides I have worked with and I do mean with are some of the best professionals I have worked with in health care. Remember this is not a problem that is unique to NY but is present country wide but remember that you can only be made to feel little if you allow it. People ho try to make you feel that way are little themselves and not worth your time and energy.

Thanks cadawasp! Really well said. I have definitely considered becoming a CNA for the experience part or per diem while I'm in school, particularly in the psych ward. I'll keep it in mind after I'm done with my 2nd semester once I've finished fundamentals. :cat:

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The RN who told you this most likely entered into the profession when the job market is not like it is now, and perhaps she feels like she is in the position to look down upon CNAs for whatever reason; however, she is misinformed and wrong. I can tell you that I have worked for 8 years at one of the top hospitals in NYC (and the country) in a non-RN position. I continued to work there while I went through an ADN program to become a RN (they also paid for my degree). Now that I have my RN license, I have been unable to find a position as a RN for two reasons:

1. I do not have a BSN

2. I do not have patient care experience outside of nursing clinicals!

The nursing recruiter at the hospital I work for, as well as two others, informed me that with the increased competition for highly sought after RN positions in NYC hospitals, they now put those who have experience as CNAs, PCAs, etc. ABOVE ALL OTHER APPLICANTS! Had I known this, believe me, I would've moved from my clerical position to a CNA position a very long time ago. Now, nursing recruiters look at this as something else that sets you apart from the rest of the hundreds of applicants they get on a weekly basis. Being a CNA is a major advantage. If you have the opportunity to get a CNA position, DO IT! Do not listen to what anyone else tells you.

Also, as mentioned, I would suggest that you pursue a BSN if you are in an ADN program as soon as you pass your boards. The market is absolutely horrible in NYC right now and hospitals DO NOT want to hire nurses without a BSN. If you call recruiters, they will flat out tell you that a BSN is REQUIRED, not preferred. So much that I have sat in my clerical position for a year with my RN license and cannot even move into a new grad residency at the hospital I work for because I do not have a BSN. I am doing an online RN-BSN program and maybe when I am done I will finally be able to land a job (crossing fingers).

Good luck in your education and TAKE THAT CNA POSITION! :)

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The RN who told you this most likely entered into the profession when the job market is not like it is now, and perhaps she feels like she is in the position to look down upon CNAs for whatever reason; however, she is misinformed and wrong. I can tell you that I have worked for 8 years at one of the top hospitals in NYC (and the country) in a non-RN position. I continued to work there while I went through an ADN program to become a RN (they also paid for my degree). Now that I have my RN license, I have been unable to find a position as a RN for two reasons:

1. I do not have a BSN

2. I do not have patient care experience outside of nursing clinicals!

The nursing recruiter at the hospital I work for, as well as two others, informed me that with the increased competition for highly sought after RN positions in NYC hospitals, they now put those who have experience as CNAs, PCAs, etc. ABOVE ALL OTHER APPLICANTS! Had I known this, believe me, I would've moved from my clerical position to a CNA position a very long time ago. Now, nursing recruiters look at this as something else that sets you apart from the rest of the hundreds of applicants they get on a weekly basis. Being a CNA is a major advantage. If you have the opportunity to get a CNA position, DO IT! Do not listen to what anyone else tells you.

Also, as mentioned, I would suggest that you pursue a BSN if you are in an ADN program as soon as you pass your boards. The market is absolutely horrible in NYC right now and hospitals DO NOT want to hire nurses without a BSN. If you call recruiters, they will flat out tell you that a BSN is REQUIRED, not preferred. So much that I have sat in my clerical position for a year with my RN license and cannot even move into a new grad residency at the hospital I work for because I do not have a BSN. I am doing an online RN-BSN program and maybe when I am done I will finally be able to land a job (crossing fingers).

Good luck in your education and TAKE THAT CNA POSITION! :)

Thank you so much for your honesty and sharing your experience! I actually wanted to pursue an RN-to-MSN program; of course, most of those programs require at least a year of healthcare or hospital experience prior to applying. Do hospitals only want nurses with BSN or is RN-MSN applicants acceptable also?

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With the way the field of nursing is changing, the higher the education, the better. They are beginning to phase ADNs out everywhere, especially in the hospitals with Magnet status and great reputations, which are the exact facilities that everyone would love to work for. I do know that if you have an ADN and a Bachelor's in another field, it is useless. One of my friends had a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and had to go back to school to get her Bachelor of Science in Nursing. When she was done with the BSN program, she was hired into New York Presbyterian's Nurse Residency Program. Prior to that, no hospitals would touch her, which is the same thing I am going through now while pursuing my BSN. They want you to have at the very least a BSN, so a MSN definitely will not hurt you.

It is true that a lot of the RN-to-MSN programs want you to have at least 1 year of experience, depending on the type of program you want to get into. For NPs and CRNAs, it is definitely a requirement to get into the program. I'm not sure if it is required for Nursing Education, Informatics, etc. because I know a lot of those programs are offered online.

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