WanderingDave

I'm currently working per diem as a CNA in NYC, and have been trying in vain for the past 3 months to find a regular position -- I have NEVER been in a city where salaried CNA positions are such an exclusive club! So I'm looking into getting my LPN, because there seems to be much more demand for this degree in New York City. My question is this: I've heard that you can take the state exam to be a CNA after one semester of an LPN program. Does it go the other way? That is, can I make LPN school shorter and cheaper by having my CNA? I also have a year experience administering medications as a Medication Aide in assisted living. I should also mention that I've already taken a battery of basic science classes for application to medical school (my dream is to be a geriatric doctor -- my main motivation for working in long term care facilities), but having only a 3.1~3.2 GPA, I need to have a backup plan. Preferably one that pays the bills -- this per diem CNA work sure doesn't.

I was a CNA in upstate New York, where CNA jobs are a dime a dozen, but don't pay all that well. I decided I'd take my New York State certification down to that big exciting world-class city our state happens to have attached to it, since I heard the pay is much better. I've always wanted to try making it in NYC, and now that I figured I had a marketable skill, I was set, right? Wrong. Yes, jobs here pay better. But after 3 months of searching, all I've been offered is spotty per diem work. People have laughed in my face when I've asked for benefits, and told me in all likelihood, per diem work is all I'll likely find. But there ARE CNAs who are hired directly by hospitals and LTC facilities. The place the agency currently puts me at has them. How in the world do I get these positions? This per diem shlock doesn't pay the bills or impress perspective landlords. My impression of the CNA market in NYC is that it's absolutely cutthroat, and the salaried-and-scheduled positions are highly coveted. Any idea as to why this is, and whether this is likely to remain so?

Hello all. First off apologies if my posting here is out of line -- I'm a CNA and a medical school applicant, not a nurse. I work in a nursing home in upstate New York. I've worked with assisted living, skilled nursing, and rehab patients, and would gladly do all of these again and more. I'm planning on moving to New York City this summer and looking for work as a CNA. As nurses who often supervise and work with CNAs and similar workers, I was wondering if any of you could fill me in on what the job scene is like: 1. Are there any hospitals, rehab centers, or nursing homes in Manhattan or Brooklyn that you would definitely recommend (or NOT recommend) I apply to? 2. How cutthroat is the CNA market in NYC? My father was born and raised in the big apple core, and he suspects I'd need a bit of cunning, and certainly be able to recognize it in fellow job applicants, relative to a similar position upstate. 3. My father suspects paying decently, but then understaffing and overworking CNAs, is the only game in town in NYC. Would you concur? 3. Frankly, are most of the CNAs you've worked with in the city any good? I'm very professional and dependable, and [gasp] even personable with the residents, and the place I presently work has high standards for this sort of thing. We don't hire slackers, thieves, drug users. I think I would burn out very quickly in a setting where my attempts at professionalism were the butt of every other CNA's jokes.:angryfire 4. Are patients / residents in NYC noticeably more difficult or demanding toward the lowlier workers than in other parts of the country you've worked? 5. What should I ask for my stating salary, if I have one year of experience and currently make $10/h? 6. Finally, with a valid New York State license, are my chances of landing a CNA job in Manhattan or Brooklyn even that good? I've seen hardly any ads in papers or the Net for CNA jobs in the city, in contrast to here upstate. I don't mean to sound daunted or defeatist, but a part of me wonders why they'd take a fresh faced dude from Upstate over a slew of pretty, tough-as-nails, bilingual Spanish speaking local women for a CNA job downstate. Where DO you find people looking for CNAs in NYC? Is this the kind of job you all but need a connection, or an agent, to land? Thanks for all your help Dave