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I am considering getting into nursing and going to nursing school, but I wanted to get a feel for if I would like it or not, by becoming a nursing assistant at a nursing home.

My question is do you think if I like being a nursing assistant then I would like the profession of nursing? Is this a good way to test the field out?

Also, some of the nurses who have been around for a while and have seen the nursing cycles, is there a prediction on if or when nursing jobs will return in full force?

Thanks in advance.

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

Being a working CNA may help you get into a course, some schools prefer students in the medical field. That said:

Being a CNA will give you a real good idea of what Nursing is about. It is the hardest most thankless job I ever held. Your patients will love you one minute and hate you the next. You will be pulled in multiple directions, work short a majority of the time, be responsible for your patients even when you are in a room taking care of another patient. You will learn to love your patients like they are family (in some cases you will be the only family they have) and you will have to care for them as they die and you are powerless to stop it. You will experience every bodily fluid known to humankind and will learn to recognise people by the smell of thier poop. If you have the stomach for the job of CNA, then you will be able to handle being a Nurse.

As for predicting when the job market will open up again... If I had that power I would have already won the lottery and be sitting on a beach watching the sun set in some exotic location.

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Specializes in PICU, Sedation/Radiology, PACU.

If you want to get a feel for nursing, call a few local hospitals and ask to shadow a nurse for a few days. That will give you some exposure to what an RN does and you don't have to commit to a CNA certification class and a job.

If you like it, then go for CNA certification. CNA's do many tasks that nurses also do, but their scope of practice is limited to primarily personal care and ADL's. It will give you good experience, learning, and a foot in the door for nursing.

Ashley

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Specializes in Dementia.

No.... and yes...

Yes because you just might get to see all the work they do. You can even ask them questions and watch/assist them in doing some procedures. Like Ashley said, its a foot in the door when you graduate.

No not really because I dont think the nursing home is the place where you'll be exposed to somebody who uses aaaaaall their skills. These are pretty much stable residents to me with not much reporting from day to day.

Just go for it though. CNA is a rewarding job.

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Specializes in Geriatrics.
No.... and yes...

Yes because you just might get to see all the work they do. You can even ask them questions and watch/assist them in doing some procedures. Like Ashley said, its a foot in the door when you graduate.

No not really because I dont think the nursing home is the place where you'll be exposed to somebody who uses aaaaaall their skills. These are pretty much stable residents to me with not much reporting from day to day.

Just go for it though. CNA is a rewarding job.

Have you ever worked in LTC?? Trust me, you use all your skills and learn a few more along the way.

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