To CNA or not to CNA? I have a question ... !

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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  1. Does working as a CNA make the newly graduated RN more employable?

    • 3
      Working as a CNA before RN has no bearing on employment prospects
    • 4
      Working as a CNA before RN might be valuable to employers
    • 6
      Working as a CNA before RN is definitely attractive to employers

13 members have participated

Specializes in Nursing Assistant.

I am a pre-nursing student almost done with the pre-requisites for an entry level Master of Science in Nursing program, and I am planning on applying in January 2014. Currently, I'm looking for a CNA job to start building experience in a clinical setting and I've had an interview at an assisted living facility that went very well. I was prepared to earn less as a CNA than at my prior job, but wasn't prepared for exactly how low that would be, and now I'm in a predicament. I want to begin building clinical experience, but I'm unsure I can survive at such a wage, as I am single, live in the heart of Minneapolis (high-ish rent), and have a sizable monthly student loan payment from my (unrelated) undergraduate degree. Enough about me! Here is my question:

How valuable is the CNA experience to a newly-graduated RN, and should I be targeting the CNA job now or closer to when I will be finished with school (approximately Spring 2017)?

I am unsure whether putting myself through such financial distress will worth the experience once I'm done with the program. I have some years of experience volunteering in hospitals in the area, but I'm not positive employers will count this as real experience. In a few years, will I find employers looking for experienced clinicians, or one that trusts that my RN alone means I can handle the job?

Obviously there are loads of other issues around this, but any guidance here is greatly appreciated!

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Specializes in ER.

Here's my $.02. (Note I am a nurse in the military so this is not my direct personal experience, but coming from friends etc as I did not go through the job searching process. I did the enlisted nurses program.)

I have a friend who didn't have any prior medical background whatsoever coming out of school, passed NCLEX...yada yad6c7cda49

a. So, graduated scho6c7cda49

ol, starts applying to jobs....

I have another friend who was a CNA while she went through nursing school, graduated, passed the NCLEX...yada, yada! Graduated, starts applying for jobs...

Who gets one quicker? We'll, the one who worked as a CNA! She had the experience working in the nursing field vs someone who had nothing. (Volunteering wouldn't give you experience in the nursing background, just hospital in general) They were both new grads, BUT the one who got a job quick was the CNA! Actually, she got a job at the same place! So in all actually she just moved up the food chain at her hospital! Already has some bit of seniority since she's not a "new hire!" Both of my friends applied for jobs at A LOT of the same places. The one with experience not only got offered more jobs (3!), BUT...got more interviews, which means more chances!

I'd say, if you can swing it....DO IT! It's worth it for the exposure you get, the experience in the field in general!

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Specializes in NICU.

I would wait until you are in nursing school and apply for a patient care intern (or whatever job title the hospital uses for nursing students) after your first semester with a clinical and work part-time or prn (as needed) at a hospital. That way you are an employee at the hospital (advantage) and getting experience in a hospital (advantage) instead of a nursing home.

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Specializes in Oncology/hematology.

Can you work both? I'm just now getting a CNA job (graduate in May), but will only work one day a week. You could feasibly work one or two days a week doing something else also that pays the bills. Just a thought.

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Specializes in Neonatal Nurse Practitioner.

It can help, depending on the employer and job market. All four of the ER Techs at the ER I work at who graduate this month have gotten job offers at our ER upon receiving their graduate nurse temp license. It can also hurt if you don't give it 100%. There have been several tech who were not offered jobs because of their reputation as techs. They disappeared often, called out too much, was written up or something, or got involved in too much drama.

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Specializes in Transitional Nursing.

I believe that every nurse should be a CNA first. BUT I don't believe employers give a hoot if you were or weren't. I do believe it can (and likely will) make you a fantastic nurse and I believe the knowledge that you gain while working as a CNA can be invaluable if you use it as a learning tool.

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Specializes in Transitional Nursing.
It can help, depending on the employer and job market. All four of the ER Techs at the ER I work at who graduate this month have gotten job offers at our ER upon receiving their graduate nurse temp license. It can also hurt if you don't give it 100%. There have been several tech who were not offered jobs because of their reputation as techs. They disappeared often, called out too much, was written up or something, or got involved in too much drama.

THIS

So many CNA's at my last job were not hired as nurses because of their job performance. Multiple call-outs, patient complaints etc.

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Specializes in None.

If it is going to be too much of a struggle, I would stay with the current job. Because, nursing school and working is probably going to be hard enough and to add the stress of being able to pay bills will be even harder. I've known great nurses that were not CNAs and i've known great nurses that started as a CNA. When it comes to employers hiring i'm only assuming they will choose a nurse that had nursing experience, but everywhere is different.

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I got a CNA job at our hospital with hopes that I can transfer into an RN role once I'm done with school. If you can, try to find a hospital that hires CNA's. I'm called a patient care assistant. I love it! I get so much more hands on patient experience than in a nursing home, and I float all over the hospital. Some days I work on OB, some days I work in hospice. In a nursing home, you deal only with the elderly. In the hospital, I work with any and every kind of patient. Most RN's are extremely helpful, as well, and if they know you are going to nursing school, they definitely help you. Plus, you can ask questions from class that you're unsure of. I'm also making a good reputation for myself at the hospital as a competent, responsible nursing assistant, so when I DO apply for nursing jobs, they already know me and (hopefully) have heard good things.

As a bonus, they offer tuition assistance. Something else to look in if you are worried about the cost!

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