Opinions? personal experience?

[mrskrobbins]

I earned a scholarship that pays for some of my education. But i have to choose a continuing education program from my college to take and it has to be finished by July or august at the latest.

I need your help deciding the path to go! I've looked into both phlebotomy and cna. There's a.few I can list as well. I was thinking phlebotomy! What would you decide? Anything different I should look into??

[mrskrobbins]

Anyone?

[2k15NurseExtern4u, BSN, RN]

What helps me when i have trouble making a decision is to make a pros and cons list. Take time to write down the benefits and disadvantages of each option. Also, think about a mission statement you have in regards to your long term goals. Which field helps you achieve your ultimate goal?

[midwestFNP]

What's your long-term goal? Either can transition into a career in nursing but CNA will better prepare you if that is the path you choose. I would probably go with CNA because of the aforementioned reason, more hands on patient care, and a better introduction into what nursing is all about. I am one of "those nurses" who thinks being a CNA is an important step in the career ladder. :)

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

I was a PACU and hotshot ICU nurse for the first decades of my career. I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I had to actually start an IV, because all my patients came with big lines already in place. Phlebotomy, if you remember from your visits to your PCP, is largely sticking needles in that fat vein in the antecubital space, waiting a minute, and then pulling it out. This is NOT a skill that will assist you in learning to do actual IV starts. I know sticking needles in people and drawing blood seems more sexy and exciting than CNA work, but believe me, CNA work in a clinical unit will give you far, far, far more transferrable skills that will carry over into almost every area of nursing.

To name a few, besides the obvious bedside physical care hands-on skills:

Communication

Time management

Team membership

Leadership As Yogi Berra famously said, "You can observe a lot by watching." What you learn will come back to you when you begin RN-level delegation.

Interpersonal skills: patients, family members, staff

Organizational knowledge: How does a hospital work? What are the departments? How is communication handled?

Vocabulary