BNA, good idea?!?!?

[mrjuice08]

Hello everyone! :) Let me first start off about telling you a little about me. I am a 16 year old male.I am a sophmore in High School and I volunteer at a local hospital. I've been thinking a lot about my career and I have finally chose nursing.I cannot wait to get into schooling for it, (yeah how pathetic does that sound?). I have found a course at the local community college and its to get your BNA. A BNA is a Basic Nursing Assistant. Learned skills are assessing vital signs, giving baths, making beds, performing pre-op and post-op care, administering range of motion exercises, assisting with personal hygiene, understanding and respecting patient's rights and dignity, methods of moving andtransporting patients, safety and protective device use and alternatives, infection control techniques and special treatments. So it is a great deal of info learned about nursing. I would be taking this during the summer because there is no way I would be able to do this and with the pressure of High School, but thatd be REALLY though. But I do have a few questions. I dont know if this would look good on a application because it is from a community college. What do you think? Also, do you know of any BNA's that have been hired by a hospital? I probably will not do this if a hospital around me will not hire me. But anyways, just wanted your guys's opinnions. Peace! -Brian-

P.s. Thank you for everyone and everyone who responds!!!

[FNimuaeMae]

Brian-

I think if you are interested in healthcare, taking a nursing assistant course is an EXCELLENT way to find out if you are truely interested. I commend you on your interest, and I say go for it. It shows some initiative, and will look good on the resume. If you truely like it then you know the educational route to head for after you graduate from high school.

There is nothing wrong with taking any classes at a community college. Alot of people, myself included, have taken classes there because they are usually cheaper than going straight on to a 4 yr college or university. I got my RN from an ADN program and then went on to get my BSN at university.

I have a friend that works as a nursing assistant in a hospital, and she has never taken a nursing assistant course, but she still works as one. She alsmot has her prerequisites done for her admittance into the RN program in the fall next year. Any course will make you more marketable to a job, be it in a hospital or in a nursing home.

Men are greatly needed in nursing. One of my coworkers at my current job is 23 years old... started with me at age 22 after getting his BSN, and we work in an ICU and see lots of interesting things all the time. I wish you luck...Keep us posted!

Missy

[Multicollinearity, BSN, RN]

In my experience, the only people in academia who care about so called community college stigma are students. Professors don't care...employers don't care. I know a ph.d, MD's and a JD who all started out at community college. It's all they could afford. Don't worry about it, and good for you!