PLESE HELP! CNA 1, CNA 2 and Phlebotomy+EKG+IV Therapy

Published

Hi everyone :-)

This is my first post.

I hope you will be able to help me here. I want to go into nursing. I found a school that offers CNA 1, CNA 2 (advanced courses) and Phlebotomy+EKG+IV Therapy.

Here are the details:

CNA 1 (150 hrs 6-8 weeks) includes:

handwashing, first aid, put on and remove gown, mask and gloves, move the resident to the side of the bed, move the resident up in bed, positon the resident in a supine position, - in Fowler's position, -in a lateral position, move the resident from bed to chair using a safety belt, -using a saftey belt and 2 nurse assistants, make an occupied bed, -an unoccupied bed, brush the resident's teeth, -dentures, mouthcare for unconscuious resident, give a bed bath upper body, -lower body, hips, legs and feet), give a back rub, perineal care only, brush and comb hair, shave, clean and trim fingernails, dress, undress, assist a resident to eat, measure the hight using an upright scale, -in bed, measure weight using an upright scale, assust with a bedpan, -with an urinal, take oral temperature, take an axillary temperature with a glass thermometer, take a rectal temperature, take oral temperature using a digital thermometer, count resident's pulse, count resident's respirations, take blood pressure, perform a passive ROM (upper bodey and lower body), assist in walking using a saftey belt

Supplies: textbook, blood presure kit, scrubs, adult CPR/AED, infant & child CPR, first aid, Bloodborne Pathingen, review preperation for the state exam, job placement, continous support & counseling

CNA 2 (Patient Care Technitian) (4 weeks) includes:

oxygen therapy, nasogastric tube feeding, gastrostomy feeding, blood glucose monitoring, laboratory specimens, collections of stool specimen, duoderm or non-sterile dressing change, care of and changing the colostomy or ileostomy appliance, oropharyngeal suctioning, catheter insertion, foley, or straight, for inserting straight catheter, foley catheter care, bowel sounds, lung sounds, obervation & charting, blood flow to the heart oral & written, use of the ambul bag

Supplies: textbook, hunter green scrubs, 1 white lab coat, 1 stethoscope, Bloodborne Pathogen (Training and Certification)

Phlebotomy, EKG, IV Therapy (8 weeks)

Phlebotomy Certificate- 4 life successful venipuncture, and 2 capillary finger sticks for the clinical lab analysis

EKG Certificate- successfully completed a course in a 12-lead electrocardiogram. Demonstrated by perfomance and interpretation of 2, EKG normal sinus rhythm strip

medical assistant: IV, Therapy & Injections

1 IV's requiring performance of 1 intramuscular, 1 subcutaneous, and 1 interdermal injection.

Supplies: text (3 courses), 1 hunter green uniform, 1 lab kit complete

Each of those courses costs 800 dollars (with discount included).

What do you think? Is it "worth it" the money. I plan on going RN in the future but I wanted to start with CNA first.

Any help and advise would be helpful :-)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Adult and Pediatric Vascular Access, Paramedic.

I would not pay that much oney for any of those courses.

I suggest you just go for the CNA, as many hospitals will train you to do EKGs and phlebotomy. CNAs do not do injections of mediation as it is not covered under their certifications. Also most hospitals do not allow CNAs to do IV's, as that is also illegal in many states, although I do not know about all of them, and even if they ddi allow for IVs they would train you.

Medical assistant is a lot different then a CNA, MA work in doctors offices usually and they do VS some injections, but the pay is pretty stinky compared to the cost of classes.

Also I just noticed a lot of what they are teaching you is not within the scope of practice of a CNA, especially listening to lung and bowel sounds. In most facilities you also would not be responsible for tube feedings, and oxygen therapy.

So if I were you I would stick with just taking a basic CNA course some where, as a hospital or facility you wokr at will teach you additional skills as appropriate.

Sweetooth

Up Vote Up Vote ×

My question for you would be, how soon in the future are you going to be in nursing school? starting as the cna is smart, but if your going to be in nursing school soon, the hospitals will hire you as a cna and train you for a patient care technician as long your enrolled in a nursing program. Once your there for a while they pay for your certifications such as EKG, I'm not sure about phlebotomy though. If nursing school is'nt for a couple years, I think it would be worth it to pay for phlebotomy along with cna, to give you a better chance being hired in a hospital. Good Luck!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Also I just noticed a lot of what they are teaching you is not within the scope of practice of a CNA, especially listening to lung and bowel sounds. In most facilities you also would not be responsible for tube feedings, and oxygen therapy.

You mean as far as CNA 2/PCT?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
My question for you would be, how soon in the future are you going to be in nursing school? starting as the cna is smart, but if your going to be in nursing school soon, the hospitals will hire you as a cna and train you for a patient care technician as long your enrolled in a nursing program. Once your there for a while they pay for your certifications such as EKG, I'm not sure about phlebotomy though. If nursing school is'nt for a couple years, I think it would be worth it to pay for phlebotomy along with cna, to give you a better chance being hired in a hospital. Good Luck!

I plan on starting the CNA training next week. With RN I want to take my time, because I want to brush up my English skills :p

Thank you sofar Irene and Sweetooth :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I just checked the closest Community College in my area and the tuition there is 1,550 Dollars. The includes, scrubs, textbook and Adult CPR/First Aid/AED Certification.

I also talked to some people form the local hospital and they said that the school seems to have a good reputation. Many of their CNA's were trained over there. They also said that PCT would be beneficial for me, if I want to start working in the ER or want to get my RN in the future.

I don't know what I should do.....But I hope for more answers esp. about the PCT.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Wow, so many of those skills are nursing skills . . . . I'm amazed. :o:nono:

steph

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

I would consider taking the class, but you will probably not be using most of those skills, as they are usually done by licensed nurses. I would, however, take the phlebotomy and EKG course, because these days, most hospitals are multi-tasking. Here in New York, CNAs that have learned phlebotomy and EKG have gotten technician jobs and if you are learning those skills early, you get your confidence up to draw blood (a skill that many people are afraid of doing).

They would be giving you a jump on nursing school in a sense, but again, most of them will probably not be used by your title and scope of practice.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Wow, so many of those skills are nursing skills . . . . I'm amazed. :o:nono:

steph

I'm not sure how to understand your posting :imbar

So. what I understand sofar is that I could do the classes, but more or likley I would not be allowed to do most of those things because I'm not a licensed nurse? I just want to make sure I understand :p

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU, PICC Nurse, Nursing Supervisor.

well this is my take on it. the cna 1 course sounds like a regular straight forward cna course. if you are going to be a nurse one day good for you to know... however , depending on where you work you may not be able to do the other things. all of those things listed under cna 2 are under the scope of the licensed nurse. it sounds like a medical assistant course of some sort.. but my opinion is that all the iv skills should be left to the licensed nursed there is just to big of a risk of injury with that. if i were you i would take the ekg, cna 1 and phlebotomy courses. the other leave for nursing school cause there is so much more to just learning how to do something like listening to lung sounds; there is a lot of med surg behind that and you would be missing that part sounds like in this program. also charting should be left to the licensed nurse it is a legal document and the last thing you want is to be defending yourself in court and not have had a good basis for learning how to chart.

i'm not sure how to understand your posting :imbar

so. what i understand sofar is that i could do the classes, but more or likley i would not be allowed to do most of those things because i'm not a licensed nurse? i just want to make sure i understand :p

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Check what your local hospital requires for hiring. Do that much and only that much. They'll train you on the rest for free :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Adult and Pediatric Vascular Access, Paramedic.
You mean as far as CNA 2/PCT?

yes, assessing patients is not under the scope of practice of a CNA or PCT.

Sweetooth

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion