couldntbhappier

Hello, Hello: I just wanted to start off by saying "hi" & welcome to the board! I don't have any book recommendations to help you prior to starting your CNA classes, but I did want to let you know, that I took my CNA class in April, I've been out of school for 10 years, & I did just fine, as I'm sure you will as well. Admittedly, it took a couple of days to fall into a routine. After those couple of days, though, I didn't look back. If you have questions or are curious about anything - be sure to take advantage of this board. There are wonderful, smart people here that have been a God-send to me when I couldn't find a blood pressure or didn't know which scrubs to buy! They were extremely helpful & happy to help. Also, feel free to "vent" as well. I've been overwhelmed a bit, recently, & the people here have been amazing! Oh, yes. You could read: "Nobody's Home". For the life of me, I cannot remember who wrote it, I'll have to find my copy. It's written by a gentleman who was a CNA in a nursing home. Hmm... Who knows - perhaps I should read it again, as well...

Okay, Folks, I'm confused as heck. I'm a CNA. I took the classes, I passed the exams, & I am on the registry. Just like that, I was happy & excited & I landed my first job as a CNA in a nursing home, working every Saturday & Sunday. Only 16 hours a week - you'd think I could handle it. I couldn't. I hated every moment of it with every fiber of my being & I feel TERRIBLE about it. I thought I wanted to be a nurse SO BADLY. The thought of it is still hanging out in the back of my mind, I just can't seem to shake it. I thought the CNA classes were interesting (as interesting as boring classes can be, anyhow) & I really thought this was for me. Like I said - until I started working at the nursing home. Any words of wisdom anybody could spare would be greatly appreciated! TIA!

Okay, Folks: Last Monday, I started orientation at a rehab hospital that I got hired on to. Today, I am five days into training in the LTC unit I will be working on & I have to say - IT IS WAY HARDER THAN I'D EVER THOUGHT IT WOULD BE!!! I admit, many a times, thus far, I've wanted to throw in the towel. To just call in & tell them that I won't be coming back but I haven't because there is something (I'm not sure what, exactly), that keeps tugging on my heartstrings, a small voice in the back of my mind, encouraging me to stick it out. I honestly believe that this voice believes that things actually might get better someday... How will I ever remember how the residents like their cares to be done? How will I ever remember to get all of the resident's cares done & in time for them to get a warm breakfast in their bellies? Will I ever stop irritating the residents? I really don't like to cry every day because somebody snapped at me because I didn't do something right. Will my charge nurse ever like me? Will I EVER be a good CNA??? My fellow CNA's & CMA's & the nurses are all being really encouraging. Letting me know that it's overwhelming for EVERYBODY at first, ESPECIALLY if you are a first-time CNA. I know that they're SAYING this but do they really MEAN it??? Help me out, Folks! Tell me it will all be okay! -Becky

:welcome: Allnurses is an awesome site & I hope you enjoy it here! We look forward to getting to know you better & wish you the very best of luck on your way to nursing school!

Thanks for all the well-wishes, Everybody! Agapita: I acutally got hired on at the facility at which I took my CNA class. They let us put in our application about a week before class was over, there was a hiring freeze, the freeze was lifted & I got a call from them about a week or two after I passed the written & clinical state exam. Now, I'm going through my health screen & next week I'll have NEO. Not quite sure when I'll be starting, starting, yet - BEST OF LUCK TO YOU! Keep us posted - I'm anxious to hear how things are going for you, as well. =)

Whew! You're head will be a-spinnin' but it will be SO worth it! GOOD LUCK! & I hope you have a GREAT first day in class!

congrats on the new job ~ here's to the very best of luck! you'll be great!

booyah! sorry, i've been mia, folks, but i have some fantabulous news - this morning, i was offered a cna position at the facility that our cna classes were held at! i'm so excited as my first cna job offer did not work out - this was the place that i was hoping to get my start at, you know, & i could not be any happier!!! how's everybody else doing???

YAY! I'm, seriously, jumping up & down for you! 4.0 ROCKS!!!

:w00t: :w00t: I passed my written test on Friday & this morning I passed my skills test ~ not to brag or anything, but ~ I'M A CNA!!! My name will appear on the state registry in 2-3 weeks ~ BOOYAH!

Jenso79 - I. Loved. Clinicals. I'm from Nebraska & my CNA classes met every day M-F for 3 weeks. The first Friday, we assisted with dining, the second Friday, we had a Spring Luncheon for the Residents, the following Tuesday, we assisted with dining, & on Wednesday & Thursday, we assisted with dining & spent all day in clinicals. We were paired up, met our resident, & were responsible for toileting, taking vitals, assisting with dining, oral care, & pericare. We did it all in the morning, again in the afternoon, in the morning again & then yesterday afternoon, we played BINGO with the Residents. Most of us had VERY GOOD experiences. We had to have an instructor with us for pericare & transfering our Residents & there were always the CNA's assigned to a particular team of Residents around, to answer any immediate questions we had. We had 3 instructors & each pair of students were assigned to one of the instructors. We could wear nice clothes (khakis & a polo), but we all wore scrubs & we could wear any color we'd like - as long as we WEREN'T wearing jeans & we WERE wearing comfortable shoes. We also had to have our hair tied back if it was long enough. I have to admit - the Residents LOVED us & the feeling was returned - they were wonderful. We told them we were student nurse assistants & they just thought it was so fantastic!

Title says it all! Was just wondering how many of you worked as CNA's before you became LPN/LVN's? Are you glad you did? Would you recommend working while you are in school? Thanks for any advice you have to offer - I'm applying for the LPN program at our CC & I'm freakin' OUT, I'm so excited! I'm contemplating whether I should keep my very flexible job in retail or if I should find a brand new job as a CNA before classes start in July - I know the exeperience I'd gain as a CNA would be incredible...

Yesterday in class, we learned that CNA's can empty & measure the contents of the colostomy bag BUT a NURSE must be the one to actually CHANGE the bag. Hope this helps! ~Becky

The story is, I am in CNA class right now & I want to get on the wait list for the nursing program at our community college. They have two programs offered - the LPN Program & the ADN Program (the RN Program). School is going to take me awhile to get through, whichever route I take. What I know for certain is that I'd like to work in Hospice and/or Oncology. Thing is - RN jobs - well they are EVERYWHERE & LPN/LVN jobs are a bit harder to come across. My very original plan was to go for my LPN degree. I think that it's still what I want to do - if I decide I'd like to go on to be an RN another time - I can, right? Another thing - what are some of the major differences between BEING an LPN/LVN & an RN? My sister-in-law told me that LPN/LVN's spend more time with the patient but she's not a nurse so I can't take her word as gold - Any advice? I'd like to know why YOU chose to go the LPN/LVN route??? My thought is that nurses are great, whichever you are - I just can't decide which to be. =)

Unfortunately, I became very upset in class today. Still no luck hearing the heart beat for my BP this morning. I heard absolutely NOTHING. Teachers thought I might have some hearing loss & that made me CRY! Ugh. I wasn't able to hear anything on any stethescope. It was frustrating & one of my instructors took me & my classmate into a different room with a stethescope with bigger earpieces & VOILA! I could find it!!! Booyah! I'm still terrified that I'll flop the BP piece if I have to perform it on the state skills test but I'm feeling MUCH better than I was. We assisted residents at lunch time today & I am ECSTATIC to be taking classes to get my NA certification! I'll be even MORE ecstatic if I can take a BP on Monday! :monkeydance: P.S. We learned how to make an occupied bed today - YIKES! No fun! :roll

I could not take a blood pressure today, to save my life! I'm not beating myself up too badly, as we just learned to take vitals yesterday, but it got me to thinking: What's the most difficult thing for YOU or WAS the most difficult thing for YOU to figure out during YOUR CNA classes???

Okay, Folks: Here is my dilema. I really, really, really, really, really, really, really wanna be a nurse. I thought, for sure, I would be going the LPN route but the more I think about it - I just may go for my RN License. I can learn to deal with the math & I can learn to deal with the sciences. Yeah. I was terrible at them in high school, but it's been 10 years & two kids later - I'm ready to do what I need to do to set a good example, you know? HOWEVER - I am terribly concerned about the dissecting aspect of nursing school. Can you say, EW??? Sigh. Dissecting a live frog? Doesn't that HURT them??? Ouchie! Anywho - do you get over it and if so - how??? Poor, poor froggy... Does this mean that nursing ISN'T for me??? I sure hope not.

Okay, Folks! Didn't mean to freak you out - today went MUCH BETTER! I got a 96% on my test & I realized that I am going to make one kick-a** CNA! Today we covered different parts of the body & a bit about different diseases & we learned to check vitals - it was FUN! Taking a blood pressure reading is difficult to learn but I have to admit - yesterday when we learned to make beds - AGK! Now THAT was difficult & who'd have thunk it??? I didn't mean to overwhelm anybody or discourage them from becoming a CNA - I changed my attitude up a bit - rather than afraid or overwhelmed I was excited again - and today was GREAT! P.S. I love that I can practice certain things at home - checking for a pulse, respirations, etc. Yesterday, I taught my two children the universal sign for choking - they still remember it! It's AWESOME to know that I know the Heimlech now... :monkeydance: :monkeydance: :monkeydance:

Folks, my biggest fear is coming true. Only 2 days into CNA classes & I am wondering - WHAT THE HECK HAVE I GOTTEN MYSELF INTO??? My class meets every day for three weeks from 8:30 in the morning until 3:00 in the afternoon. I am feeling SO OVERWHELMED & it's rather upsetting as I was SO EXCITED to START CNA classes three days ago! I'm playing the blame game. Saying that I'm just overwhelmed because I haven't been in a classroom in almost 10 years. The facility I am taking classes at is busy, busy, busy. By the time I get home my head is SPINNING & when I think about applying for jobs - heck! Are you CRAZY??? Seriously - I need to know that this is okay. That it's normal to feel this way - that I'll get used to it & things will get easier. That things will get better, at least. I just cannot BELIEVE how discouraged I feel - I was SO excited only a few days ago... Does this mean I'm going to be a bad CNA??? :uhoh21:

Hi! I'm not sure that I can really offer you any solid advice - I just wanted to let you know that I kind of understand how you are feeling right now. Today was my second day in CNA classes & it is WEARING ME OUT! Naturally, I'm second guessing my plans to go into nursing. I think that in my situation, I'm just a little bit afraid. It's all very overwhelming to me. I've never worked in Healthcare before & the facility that I am taking classes at - wow, is it ever busy!!! After class today, I hopped on the computer & started browsing through some of the other programs being offered at the community college. I'm really GLAD that I'm doing the CNA thing before going on to be an LPN. It's just a bit much, right now, for my poor sensitive brain! Long story short - I think that to some people, nursing school can be quite intimidating. Don't be discouraged. Maybe think about it for a little bit - if after thinking about it for awhile, you decide nursing is NOT for you - then so be it. Not everybody is cut out to be everything & I wouldn't worry too much about what others say if you change your mind. Of course, that's always easier said than done. =)

walkingon: My plan is to apply for the LPN program at our Community College. Perhaps, one day, I may go on to be an RN. everybody: Thanks for all the well-wishes, everyone! I should go, though, as I have yet another chapter to read before classes starts & my children will be waking up any minute - plus, I NEED COFFEE!!! HAVE A FANTABULOUS DAY!!!

Hi - Hope everybody had a good Easter! Today was my first day of CNA classes. I have to say - it was overwhelming, overall. It could be because I've been out of school for darn near 10 years but whatever it is - I just hope it's just gonna take a day or two for my brain to get back to this whole "being in school" thing! If it takes any longer than that, I just may scream! I had absolutely no idea that there would be SO MUCH to being a CNA! Not that I thought it'd be cushy or anything... In case I haven't said it lately - My hat's off to all you CNA's!!! Gotta Go! I've got laundry to do, groceries to get, kids to play with, & a test to study for! In a way, though, it's all kind of exciting!!! :monkeydance:

shag all the naysayers! i think there is nothing wrong with attending a community college - hey - it is, after all, how i intend to start out! it's perfectly fine - i abolutely promise you that it is. fortunately, i don't have to deal with people looking down on community colleges - it's a fantastic route to go, here. keep your chin up - when you're a nurse - then we'll see who's telling who where they need to be going to school!

:monkeydance: congratulations!!!:monkeydance: nursehopefull: i'm sure you'll do fine but i'll keep my fingers crossed for ya all the same... =)

I completely understand that all schools & all programs are different, but if you could tell me about YOUR experiences with both of my questions... A) Are there a lot of biology, chemistry, & math classes that need to be taken to become an LPN? B) The entrance tests to get into school - what happens if I don't pass??? I can deal with the sciences & math, not getting into school, however, would crush me!