Pre-nursing students: Did you dislike your CNA class?

Rionoir, ADN, RN · May 20, 2019

I had to take a CNA course as well and loved my clinicals. Ours were hands on, not shadowing. Also, I’m on my last semester of nursing school and I can tell you a good chunk of my clinical time is spent doing CNA work. In fact, our instructors tell the CNAs to stay out of the rooms because we are expected to do all of those cares for our patients. I wouldn’t say you have to love that aspect of the job to be a nurse though, but in certain settings you definitely need to be able to accept it. If you don’t want to do those types of cares you might be more interested in a non hospital setting like urgent care or a wound clinic, there’s plenty of options.

Wuzzie · May 20, 2019

Did you not like shadowing or did you not like CNA type work (which is really nursing work)? If it's the latter you might want to rethink your career choice. While there are non-bedside nursing roles available most require a certain amount of bedside experience and then there are those pesky clinicals. FTR I doubt anybody here will tell you that they love bathing and toileting patients but as nurses we value that type of care because we recognize just how important it is in the entire nursing process.

CamMc · May 21, 2019

I did a CNA program about 13 years ago before getting into nursing school. I can't say I loved the experience, because I was wanting to go into working with kids and all of our clinicals were at nursing homes, I also didn't really enjoy the class, but mainly because I was bored and picked up on the material quickly, nursing school when I was in it 10 years ago was much more challenging and I enjoyed branching out in nursing school. While there's definitely some CNA type work to do in nursing, I think it's not necessarily going to show you won't like nursing if you don't like the CNA portion.

Desertrat94 · May 22, 2019

On 5/20/2019 at 6:21 AM, Wuzzie said:
Did you not like shadowing or did you not like CNA type work (which is really nursing work)? If it's the latter you might want to rethink your career choice. While there are non-bedside nursing roles available most require a certain amount of bedside experience and then there are those pesky clinicals. FTR I doubt anybody here will tell you that they love bathing and toileting patients but as nurses we value that type of care because we recognize just how important it is in the entire nursing process.

I did a little hands on but not a whole lot because I was taking the time to take everything in. I’m a person who takes time to adjust to the environment...not voluntarily, unfortunately. I did however love my patients in the nursing home. A lot of them had incredible stories and I had a lot of heart touching moments. But I’m thinking that not being able to do more and also being limited to a very narrow point in the broad field of nursing was probably why I wasn’t too fond of the class itself.

And yes, all the little things like toileting and bathing are just pieces to the whole nursing care puzzle. ?

Desertrat94 · May 22, 2019

9 hours ago, CamMc said:
I did a CNA program about 13 years ago before getting into nursing school. I can't say I loved the experience, because I was wanting to go into working with kids and all of our clinicals were at nursing homes, I also didn't really enjoy the class, but mainly because I was bored and picked up on the material quickly, nursing school when I was in it 10 years ago was much more challenging and I enjoyed branching out in nursing school. While there's definitely some CNA type work to do in nursing, I think it's not necessarily going to show you won't like nursing if you don't like the CNA portion.

Exactly!!! I picked up on the material so quickly because I could cross reference it with material I already knew from previous courses. I was definitely a bit bored!

I definitely have a higher interest in peds than I do geriatrics.

Neo Soldier, BSN, RN · May 23, 2019

I disliked my CNA clinicals when I had them. I also generally disliked my nursing school clinicals- except for my psych rotation. I work in metal health as an RN and I like doing what I do. When you find your niche, you might actually enjoy nursing; don't let your CNA clinical discourage you.

Desertrat94 · May 23, 2019

21 minutes ago, Neo Soldier said:
I disliked my CNA clinicals when I had them. I also generally disliked my nursing school clinicals- except for my psych rotation. I work in metal health as an RN and I like doing what I do. When you find your niche, you might actually enjoy nursing; don't let your CNA clinical discourage you.

Thanks!! I’m so happy I’m not the only one.

Luchador, CNA, EMT-B · May 23, 2019

On 5/20/2019 at 12:43 AM, Desertrat94 said:
Hi everyone,
I applied to an RN program for Fall 2019. I finished my CNA class this spring because it was a requirement. I ended up not liking the clinicals. Half of them were at a nursing home, the other half at the hospital. Not my cup of tea just shadowing a CNA. Just wondering if anyone else didn’t care for their CNA clinicals.
This has been bothering me because it makes me wonder if I won’t like nursing either, and it’s making me question if nursing really is the right career path for me.
Thanks!

What's not to like about wiping asses, changing diapers and giving showers?!

The local ADN program here requires that you be a CNA to apply. Why? They actually had too many people drop out of the program the first time they had to wipe an *** or deal with a diaper full of feces.

I'm not sure anybody likes it. . . . .