Prior CNA Experience Survey - Nurses Needed for Statistics Class Research

acuariaRN · Apr 4, 2010

1. what is your age?

25

2. how long have you been a nurse?

4 years

3. did you work as a cna before becoming a nurse?

yes

4. if yes to #3, how long did you work as a cna before becoming a nurse?

yes

5. if no to #3, do you wish that you had?

n/a

6. regardless of whether you worked as a cna prior to becoming a nurse, do you believe working as a cna prior to nursing better prepares you to be a nurse? feel free to elaborate on your response.

i began nursing school with no clinical experience. clinicals felt awkward and i had no idea how hospitals operated.

after a year of nursing school i became a nurses' aid. i felt the experience helped me become more comfortable with interacting with patients, gave me an opportunity to practice my critical thinking and basic skills, and it helped me to better understand the hospital hierarchy and politics. it was a shock, i had no idea what i was getting myself into. i do not regret going into nursing, but i wish i had been a cna before applying for nursing school. perhaps i would have had enough experiences under my belt to really "get" what the instructors were talking about in nursing 101.

jtboz · Apr 5, 2010

Thank you so much for your reply! I appreciate your honesty and insight!

Sincerely,

Jill

Beard2010 · Apr 5, 2010

1. What is your age? 24

2. How long have you been a nurse? 2 1/2 years

3. Did you work as a CNA before becoming a nurse? no

4. If yes to #3, how long did you work as a CNA before becoming a nurse?

5. If no to #3, do you wish that you had? I absolutely wish i had. I was so terrified to interact with a patient because i didn't have previous experience and that showed in clinicals.

6. Regardless of whether you worked as a CNA prior to becoming a nurse, do you believe working as a CNA prior to nursing better prepares you to be a nurse? Feel free to elaborate on your response. I think working as a CNA can really help you understand things better. For instance, when you're a nurse and you're delegating to your CNAs, you can be more mindful of what they go through during a shift because you've been there. And when you're a CNA, you practice patient care and that is a huge part of nursing. Being a CNA is the most basic structure of what nurses do.

kat7ap · Apr 5, 2010

1. What is your age?

27

2. How long have you been a nurse?

4 years

3. Did you work as a CNA before becoming a nurse?

Yes

4. If yes to #3, how long did you work as a CNA before becoming a nurse?

About 2 years, mostly part-time while taking prerequisites

6. Regardless of whether you worked as a CNA prior to becoming a nurse, do you believe working as a CNA prior to nursing better prepares you to be a nurse? Feel free to elaborate on your response.

Yes. I understood more of what nursing involved so it didn't all come as a shock or disappointment when I became a licensed nurse. I was young and fairly introverted so I think starting as a CNA gave me a good base on how to communicate and deal with patients. I think it made learning the basics in nursing school easier. The students that had been CNAs didn't freak out when it came to bathing or cleaning an incontinent patient. I think plenty of nurses who have never worked in health care previously do just fine. Then there are some who after spending so much time and money in school begin working as a nurse and find it's nothing like they thought it would be and end up leaving the profession.

worf · Apr 5, 2010

1. What is your age?

28

2. How long have you been a nurse?

second semester nursing student

3. Did you work as a CNA before becoming a nurse?

Yes

4. If yes to #3, how long did you work as a CNA before becoming a nurse?

18 months

5. If no to #3, do you wish that you had?

n/a

6. Regardless of whether you worked as a CNA prior to becoming a nurse, do you believe working as a CNA prior to nursing better prepares you to be a nurse? Feel free to elaborate on your response.

Absolutely! Without the previous experience as a CNA I would have been way more timid in my approach to my patients. The majority of my classmates have no prior experience and are doing just fine, but I am more confident in my skills and lectures make more sense to me as well. I wasn't so stressed about having to learn the skills in fundamentals because they were very familiar to me. I am no longer working as a CNA because I am focusing on my schooling, but it definitely did help! I would recommend it to anyone even thinking about going to nursing school!

ChristineN, BSN, RN · Apr 5, 2010

Hello!
1. What is your age?

22

2. How long have you been a nurse?

1 1/2 years (since Aug 2008)

3. Did you work as a CNA before becoming a nurse?

Worked as a "PCT" (patient care technician) Like a CNA, but we don't need to be certified.

4. If yes to #3, how long did you work as a CNA before becoming a nurse?

2 years, Nov 2006-Aug 2008

5. If no to #3, do you wish that you had?

N/A

6. Regardless of whether you worked as a CNA prior to becoming a nurse, do you believe working as a CNA prior to nursing better prepares you to be a nurse? Feel free to elaborate on your response.

I believe that working as a NA absolutely helps. I felt like time management was never as much of an issue, since as a NA I was used to taking care of a much bigger pt load. It also helped me to get more comfortable in pt care. I would encourage nursing students to work as a NA, even if it's just PRN shifts once or twice a month.

Forever Sunshine, ASN, RN · Apr 5, 2010

1. What is your age? - 20

2. How long have you been a nurse? - licensed for 4 months.. been working for 2 months

3. Did you work as a CNA before becoming a nurse?- no

4. If yes to #3, how long did you work as a CNA before becoming a nurse?

5. If no to #3, do you wish that you had? - yes

6. Regardless of whether you worked as a CNA prior to becoming a nurse, do you believe working as a CNA prior to nursing better prepares you to be a nurse? Feel free to elaborate on your response.

- yes.. i feel if i was a cna i would have been more confident in physical patient care such as bathing, changing, toileting. etc.. as a nurse i concentrate on med pass. which takes up a majority of my shift. i wish i could help out with patient care more

bubblymom373 · Apr 5, 2010

1. What is your age? 51

2. How long have you been a nurse? 15 years

3. Did you work as a CNA before becoming a nurse? yes

4. If yes to #3, how long did you work as a CNA before becoming a nurse? about 18 years

6. I feel that it helped. I can understand where the CNAs are coming from when they complain of something. I could observe nursing first hand in the nursing home and had a good idea what was involved with nursing in that area. I also learned that CNAs are the ones who know the resident best and are the first to notice if things are not quite right.

locolorenzo22, BSN, RN · Apr 5, 2010

1. What is your age?

29

2. How long have you been a nurse?

2 years

3. Did you work as a CNA before becoming a nurse?

yes

4. If yes to #3, how long did you work as a CNA before becoming a nurse?

18 months

5. If no to #3, do you wish that you had?

ns

6. Regardless of whether you worked as a CNA prior to becoming a nurse, do you believe working as a CNA prior to nursing better prepares you to be a nurse? Feel free to elaborate on your response

I do feel that a CNA expirance should be required for nursing school. It allows you to learn how to interact with different patients, different interventions depending on case, learn how to move, toliet, clean, bathe, assist patients and nurses. Learn what nurses really do, and how hard your CNAs work when you are a nurse. I also learned how to do many procedures and use a lot of equipment which helped me a LOT in clinicals and in my professional life.

People who can't get things to work call me to teach them or look at it. saves us time by not having to call maintance. plus those manual BPs are so much easier to get!

cokristinug · Apr 5, 2010

1. What is your age?

21

2. How long have you been a nurse?

three months :)

3. Did you work as a CNA before becoming a nurse?

yep.

4. If yes to #3, how long did you work as a CNA before becoming a nurse?

two years - during nursing school.

5. If no to #3, do you wish that you had?

6. Regardless of whether you worked as a CNA prior to becoming a nurse, do you believe working as a CNA prior to nursing better prepares you to be a nurse?

YES.

kwong30 · Apr 6, 2010

1. What is your age? 29

2. How long have you been a nurse? less than 2 years

3. Did you work as a CNA before becoming a nurse? no

4. If yes to #3, how long did you work as a CNA before becoming a nurse?

5. If no to #3, do you wish that you had? yes, but I would only do it short-term or the experience.

6. Regardless of whether you worked as a CNA prior to becoming a nurse, do you believe working as a CNA prior to nursing better prepares you to be a nurse? Feel free to elaborate on your response. I was never a CNA prior to working as an RN. but I believe being a CNA better exposes you to direct patient care and prepares you to feel more comfortable towards patients. I would only recommend it for a few months to 1 year because after that, I believe you have learned all you need as a CNA and some physical tasks RNs also do. When I was a new grad with no prior experience, I felt "slow" and even the simplest things like making a bed or turning the patient was hard or just took more time than needed. When these tasks are learned, I believe you would focus or transition your attention easier on the more critical RN role like complex skills, assessments, critical thinking / the pathophysiology aspect and the roles & responsibilities of an RN.