PRE-NURSING CNA - beneficial or harmful

[dwilhelm]

So, here's the deal. I live in AZ. trying to find and get into a nursing program has become the greatest single challenge of my life. The biggest challenge is trying to get the individual schools to wave the traditional requirement of having a CNA. For most schools that i have checked with they site 2 reasons for requiring this. The first is that the state board of nursing requires that all nursing students have this prior to application. I checked with the board and as suspected, this is only a smoke screen by the individual schools to promote some other agenda. There is no requirement from the AZ. state board of nursing to have a CNA prior to entering the nursing program. Secondly, according to these schools, they want to make sure that we as students don't get into the program and waste someones time, ie the school the teadhers, and block a space that could be given to someone else. the way i see it, this also is a smoke screen to generate more revenue for the school. By requiring all students to have this, it would double the revenue. and lets dace it being a cna is hardly giving the proper experience nessessary to give any student the foreknowledge of what a nurse really does. I was a med tech in the Air Force for 8 years. As such i assisted in more than most people even dream about. yet that requirement is left unfilled because no one will accept that part of my life as proper training. I found only one school out of more than 20 that i looked at that waived that requirement, Weber State.

So, I put it to everyone, does having a CNA really prepare a nursing student for what comes next? Or, does it do more harm than good?

[Annieee]

I am a pre-nursing student and I think that the CNA program was really helpful to prepare and get you ready for nursing school. However I haven't actually entered my program yet but I still think its a good way to go. You get experience in the medical field before nursing clinicals and learn a lot about nursing on the way.The good thing about it is that CNA will give you a good feel for what nursing is. Good luck dwilhelm!

[RNKPCE]

I would think your med tech would more than qualify . But if they are inflexible that it has to be a CNA than unfortunately there is nothing you can do. You can try by writing a letter asking for a waiver on this due to med tech experience. Not all states are like this. It is strange because a lot of student pursuing a nursing degree right after graduating from high school will not be a CNA. I do think it can help those who have no idea what nursing is all about especially if you are a CNA in acute care. Also you would find out really fast if you can't stomach blood or any of the less glamorous parts of the job. Good luck.

[touchhealth]

I think getting a CNA cert. before nursing school definately has some benefit for students who have no prior experience in the healthcare field. I've heard too many stories of people getting into nursing school without a clue about what it really means to be a nurse, and then balking because they don't like poo/urine/blood/mucous/vomit/needles/ etc. I also know that some schools count a CNA cert. as a level 1 skills course, so maybe they're trying to get around teaching the basics as well.

Unfortunately, I doubt you'll be able to fight this requirement. There are just too many other applicants who are willing to jump through the hoops to get in (I'm one of them). Here in CA, every nursing program has different requirements (a particular nutrition course here, patho there, emidemiology overe here, a CNA course for that program....) It's ridiculous!! But again, there are so many students trying to get into these programs that the schools can call it however they want. It's a big game of hoop jumping to proove you're really dedicated, I guess. Then there's ridiculously long wait lists on top of it all.

That being said, I'm signed up to do a quickie CNA certification this Summer. I was reluctant at first, but have come to recognize that if I don't get into nursing school this year, or I'm waitlisted for a year (+) then I can at least get a job as a CNA and be actively working in the medical field, practicing skills, and networking while I wait. I'm trying to see the silver lining to all this but it's definately hard. I'm clear on my goals and where I want to go with this, so I'm willing to jump through the hoops despite the frustration. I think it's worth it.

Good luck!

[tmgsn]

I have to tell you that there are very limited "medical" applications to being a CNA. You can't do any thing except take a BP, change a bedpan, let the charge nurse know that pt A wants his meds and pt B IV line is clogged/stopped.

Networking and a possible job is the only benefit.

I am also signed up for a summer CNA course. I have already been a CNA prior to now, and yes, I am moving what seems to me backwards to move forward as I am already experienced in the medical field--bummer.

I start the RN program in August and I need a part time job that will work with my schedule and line up a job upon completion of RN school.

keep on moving, never give up!

[netglow, ASN, RN]

Yes, the CNA requirement is common. It does give you exposure literally to the yuk part of nursing. If you have not been ill yourself, or have not had a seriously ill family member whom you've given down and dirty care to, you might enter nursing totally and blissfully unaware. And that's too big of a "howdy how are ya" for anybody. But OP obviously is not a newbie. Some schools say it eliminates the basics from taking up time in the big picture. But, I think that it only takes up too much time due to poor organization on the school's part.

It is true as well the colleges want to make as much money off ya as they can... I even rec. taking nursing entrance exams prior to even doing any prereqs... my school advised taking all your sciences at minimum first. Told all at info meeting that you will score higher. Funny how those topics are not represented in any form on the entrance exams LOL! While I did very well, my point is why give a school all your money up front?... different schools different entrance exams. And if you are one of those who just doesn't test well on those, maybe you won't be able to get a high enuf score no matter what. Then at least, you are not a sucker as well having spent so much time, and $$ on all your prereqs just to never score high enuf on the exam to get accepted. I have seen this too often. If you do well, then you can churn away at those prereqs with a smile knowing it will be all worth it, as your test score is good to go.

One more thing... I'd keep it kind of quiet when you do start your RN that you have experience... some instructors will go out of their way to treat you as if you do not know anything. I have seem some unassuming experienced people hung out to dry in this way.

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

Unfortunately, the schools call the shots and you have to dance to their tune in order to be accepted. If you are able to negotiate around that, you are fortunate, but as mentioned earlier, they have too many applicants would would probably sell their first born to be accepted into the nursing programs. I also agree with the fact that many people are fooled by what they see on television or even while in school thinking that nursing is a clean, considerate and honored profession. Clinicals do not show a true picture of what it is about, either, because they probably assign one or two patients, neither of them that sick. Try applying that knowledge to 10 patients and see what happens. Usually, it is a meltdown for the newbie.

I believe that your experience in the military as a medic certainly qualifies for you to enter, and even to challenge NCLEX-PN, actually, but life is never easy. I wish you the best in your endeavors.

[roshell1963]

if you were a med-tech find a place that will let you sit for the test. you are more than qualified to pass it. in mi i think it is about $45.00 or so? if it will put you on the list do it, they hold the reigns so to speak and you may have to play by their rules, but there is more than one way to get things done.:thnkg: good luck to you!

[natusia84]

I have never been a CNA, but I went to nursing school with girls that were. They were much more confident with patients and much more familiar with the hospital setting then the rest of us newbies.

[pers]

I have to tell you that there are very limited "medical" applications to being a CNA. You can't do any thing except take a BP, change a bedpan, let the charge nurse know that pt A wants his meds and pt B IV line is clogged/stopped.

Networking and a possible job is the only benefit.

That may be true where you live and work, but it's not the same everywhere. Some areas allow a CNA do to blood sugars, catheterizations, minor dressing changes, EKGs, telemetry monitoring and even meds. They may need additional training to do them, but it's an option.

My school didn't require students to be a CNA before entering the program but we were told we could work as a CNA after we completed a certain amount of clinical time. Some took advantage of this, others didn't. I don't think I knew anyone who worked as a CNA prior to going to school (vast majority of us were traditional students and the few who weren't were mostly second-career folks from outside of health care).

You could get lots of practice dealing with patients, doing skin assessments and managing your time. I think it would help in early clinicals because patient care would be a breeze--I've seen students doing patient care on two patients that the slowest CNA on the unit could do better in a third of the time even with interruptions from other patients and staff. I also think that because a CNA spends so much time transferring, positioning and cleaning patients, they tend to do it better than many nurses and it's not as difficult for the patient. And of course, if you ended up on a good unit you could learn a lot by talking with the nurses and observing what they do (even if you learn what not to do). Plus there's just the general comfort level of being in the hospital environment and seeing both the good and the bad.

Then again, a lot depends on the individual and their ability to learn from the experiences they get. I know nurses who worked as CNAs first and some of them either learned nothing or took the "I became a nurse so I wouldn't have to do that" route.

[KateRN1]

I've been an RN for ten years and was a CNA for almost ten years before that. I worked my way through pre-reqs as a Home Health Aide and nursing school as a CNA in the hospital affiliated with my nursing program. There are many benefits to being a CNA before nursing school and some of them are mentioned above. One that I didn't see mentioned is the ability to work as a team. In my experience, nurses (either RN or LPN) who have been CNAs first are more aware of the skills and limitations of the CNAs and are more willing to help out when needed. In many settings, the CNAs are the eyes and ears of the nurse and bring so much valuable knowledge to the team, but sadly they are ignored by many nurses.

Another benefit is that you often have a better clinical frame of reference for the "book learning." For example, I worked a cardiac tele floor as a CNA and when we studied cardiac-related pathophys, I had a better frame of references for diseases such as CHF, acute MI, and what those patients looked like. As as CNA, I didn't have the thorough understanding of those diseases, but I sure understood that my CHFers were short of breath, couldn't usually bathe themselves, and had to sleep propped up on pillows. During nursing school, I was able to understand why without having to really think about those things. I learned to do Accuchecks, and although I couldn't administer insulin, I had an excellent understanding of what was the normal range, and what kinds of symptoms were exhibited by patients whose blood glucose levels fell outside of that range--long before I went to nursing school.

There's something to be said for working your way up the nursing ladder.

[catshowlady]

I was a PCT (something like a CNA, but in a hospital, not an ECF) while attending nursing school. I felt that I gained valuable experience during that time. It is a hard, demanding job, but it prepared me for the basic ADL care I now give, plus it taught me how to manage my time. I got to practice skills like Foley insertion and sterile dressing changes. It also gave me the opportunity to learn how a hospital environment worked. I watched the nurses do their jobs as much as possible, because I wanted to see how to give good care, and how not to give poor care.

I had a much easier time in NS than most of my fellow students, who were, like myself, career-changers - older, but also well-motivated and better students than the ones in the traditional, first-career program. I was comfortable interacting with pts in a nurse-pt relationship. I had a much better grasp of the basics, which allowed me to focus my learning on the actual nursing material. I was comfortable in the environment; I understood the equipment, how to get around, and how to find what I needed.

This also translated into a much better comfort level when I hit the floor as a new grad, too, for all the same reasons.

That said, I don't think that it makes a difference in the long run. Two or three years out, no one will know which nurse was a tech before s/he became a nurse.

So while I think it makes transition much easier, I don't think it makes a long-term difference.