missmonkey

Do a Google search for North Orange County ROP. I took my certification exam at their facility. ROPs often offer lower cost classes than American Red Cross and community colleges (though those are also good options). The downside is that they fill up quickly and may require a prerequisite class to weed out prospects. I've also heard that Goodwill offers free CNA classes. I was already in a class when I heard so I didn't investigate further. If the free part is true, it may be a good choice.

Finish your science classes first. The clinicals for the CNA are time-consuming, as noted above.

I'd recommend CNA on the way to something else, especially if he's considering nursing school. If he wants to stay put in a position with a minimum of training, he should choose phlebotomy.

What's the saying about the journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step? Don't worry about how long it's going to take. That time is going to pass whether you do something in nursing or waste it settling for something else. All right, now that the pep talk is done . . . The most cost effective way to get through nursing school is to go to a JC (as you're going to do already) and finish your prereqs and GE classes there. $26 per unit sounds like a lot but check out how much CSU and UC is. If it's still so expensive that you have to go part-time and work part-time, so be it. Then you can get your ADN and transfer to a four-year school for your BSN. Apply for financial aid now! There are awards that go out on a first-come, first-served basis and you can file a FAFSA starting January 1. The FAFSA requires an income estimate but you don't have to file a tax return first. If your estimate is off, you are allowed to amend it later on without penalty. Once you do that, your school can also get started on a Board of Governor's (BOG) fee waiver, which will pay for your tuition and most of your fees (you're still on the hook for parking, health fees and part of your ASB fee and your textbooks). Even with the trouble the state is in and the fee raises, I don't know anyone who was turned down for a waiver. Don't give up. Think of the awesome stories you'll tell your grandkids about riding a bike to school uphill both ways!

Doing my job search in Southern California. Most employers are coy about posting pay and I don't know any working CNAs. However, I searched job listings for County of Los Angeles. If you have a year of experience in a LTC facility or in acute care, a position in a rehab hospital is about $14/hour.

The return address is from the CA Dept of Public Health/Licensing and Certification Program/Aide and Technician Certification Section in Sacramento. It's the same department to which I sent my applications and various paperwork requirements. It's a little blue card with "California Department of Public Health" in bold letters across the top. It has my name (first, middle initial, last), the certificate number and the effective and expiration dates. There's a space for my signature. It's printed on security paper with a little padlock in the lower right corner. You have to punch it out of a larger piece of paper on which is printed "Enclosed please find your new redesigned certificate". I can't be the only one to get it, can I? Thanks for the congratulations. NurseCubanita, what did you do in the time between passing your exam and getting the certificate? Were you able to start work?

I passed my exam on December 12 and received my certificate on December 31. Yay! I was very surprised. work&play had mentioned in another thread that California took up to 16 weeks to get them out. I was resigned to getting a horrible service job in the mean time. I know that having the certificate is no guarantee that I'll get a job any time soon but it's one less hurdle to worry about. work&play, if you're reading this, have you received your certificate yet? Happy new year to all! :)

Congratulations! I took a 9-week class and I'm grateful for the compressed time frame. It was intense but the time will fly by and you'll be working before you know it. As a guy, your biggest commodity will be your physical strength. Pay attention to body mechanics and don't be tempted to take shortcuts on safety. Being a CNA is a team sport so make sure that you get something in exchange for the heavy lifting you'll be asked to do. Need help bathing, dressing or feeding a client? Need some linens from the cart outside the door? Ask, ask ask. Don't be a tough guy! :) Giving and receiving help is something all CNAs should be doing regardless of gender, anyway.

Asking why things are done a certain way is good nursing practice, whatever level you're on. Why harsh on the OP?

Woot! I passed my exam today. I was so nervous! It was a piece of cake, though. Anyone who wants to take the course at Long Beach City College (CA) should do it because the prep and instruction are great. Besides the hand washing, I had occupied bed, radial pulse, passive ROM on knee and ankle and ambulation. The examiner asked if I was an RN student because she said that I was thorough and explained things so well to my "client". Aw, shucks. :) On to the work force! Congrats to everyone else who passed in the Southern Region of SoCal today.

Just as encouragement, have you seen this thread? One of the posters talks about how s/he prepped for the exam: https://allnurses.com/nclex-discussion-forum/got-pop-up-439464.html

Anyone can call the MD's office. What's outside the CNA scope of practice is to take physician's orders or messages.

Hospitals here in Southern California have student nursing positions open for those who have completed at least the first semester of RN school. You don't need your license for these jobs and you can practice your skills for pay. Try searching for one of those positions while you wait to take the NCLEX. Didn't the late JFK Jr. take the bar exam 6 times? He was still a lawyer like any other. It doesn't matter how many times you take the test. It only matters that you pass.

#1: Call the physician. Even CNAs know that that BP is low, DuluthMike. It doesn't require a CNA to do any assessment. All CNAs have to do is to report unusual changes. The call to the MD is to let him/her do the assessment. I'd call 911 if the patient is unconscious but the question doesn't mention that. Calling the nursing agency doesn't help the patient and delays getting help. #2: Use gown, gloves and mask to protect mucous membranes, as DM pointed out.

Update! So I spoke to the NNAAP office in Huntington Beach. The person who answered the phone didn't seem to understand what I was asking but didn't seem overly concerned about the name matching business either. She said that my application for the exam should include either my middle name or my middle initial. That way, when the paperwork is sent back to Sacramento after passing the exam, my license will come back with all three names or with my middle initial on it. So for less hassle, you should go with NNAAP testing over Red Cross, if you have the choice. Next NNAAP exam is Dec. 12, 2009. Applications with payment must be received by Dec. 2, 2009. Don't know how many people are following this but just wanted to let you know about these little details that may trip you up. I thought the biggest hurdle was passing my class. Turns out it's dotting my i's and crossing my t's when it comes to getting the certificate.