sonomala

One word, Shelby. It is worth the drive. You take the test in a little room that has all your supplies. You don't have to worry about the curtain because it only goes about 6 feet and stops so you say "I'm closing the curtain to make sure the resident has privacy." You don't have to worry about holes in the curtain ect. All of your supplies are on your side of the curtain and within reach. Other students in my class took the test at community colleges near me and had a much harder time. AB tech in Asheville is supposed to be a nightmare and so is the one in Hendersonville. Good luck!

I agree it was the wrong thing to do. However, there are two sides to every story. I once worked with a resident who prided herself on her ability to lie and get aids fired. She went through a ton of them. Good CNAs lost their futures because of her lies.

Yes CNA 2 is an additional class, which if I remember correctly requires about 3 months work as a CNA 1 to get into. Also, remember that NC does not offer reciprocity with any other state, so once you get here you will have to either challenge the test or take the CNA 1 class. Good luck :)

I think she said that because as an employer she wants you to be 100 percent devoted to the company. She wants to be able to schedule you whenever and wherever she can and not have to worry about your school hours. When the economy was better, employees were basically calling the shots because of the great demand. With the bad economy, more people than ever became CNAs and the market is now flooded. She knows that there are plenty of people out there willing to be willing to work double shifts for weeks on end to keep their jobs. If I were you, I would sign up with a home health agency work the shift hours required to keep your license and not worry about a full time job.

Corinth13, I've been there. I think a lot of the nasty comments and feeling about education come from jealousy. One day you won't have to do that for a living. You have a future. Additionally, students and those with higher education get a lot more respect in the real world. Almost every time I meet a new adult the conversation turns to what do you do and where did you go to school. No one is going to flat out out disrespect someone for not going on but they won't give a lot of respect to it either. Higher education is hard work and anyone who has finished it deserves more respect.

I got my CNA two years ago as a trial step before going back to college. Once in the course I learned how to balance studying and my kids. Working as a CNA gave me the motivation to go back and finish my degree.

Do you ever find that your family members aren't exactly thrilled about the details? I laugh at this because when I was a CNA I would come home and the first response was always "hope it was good please don't tell me the details" lol. What they don't want to hear about the four residents with bowel movements that got all over the bed? They don't want to know that the little dark spots on my uniform did not come from my lunch or any snack I ate? Or the fact that the dried stuff in my hair is not from any hair care company on the planet? I've pretty much learned that anyone not in healthcare does not want to know the details of what is done in healthcare.

I think that working as a CNA in LTC is a make you or break you position. In my case, CNA made me realize that I wanted to do more in life and that if I could survive three months of LTC, I could definately survive any course a college could throw at me. My hardest professors were not as hard as getting punched, kicked, cursed at and spit on by residents. We all know about the smells. No lab or even college restroom can even come close. If the work had not been what it was, I might not have gone on and gotten my MA degree and then I would not have the job that I start on Monday, my dream job. But the dark side of CNA work can break a person. I've known some very nice caring people who were turned cold by the work they were doing. People who got into it to help people but because of the nature of the work and the company find themselves taking short cuts and saying mean things about their residents. People who find it hard to smile on a day off because they know what they're going to have to face at work.

It depends on the company. Some places see the degree as an advantage because a degree tends to prove that some one is committed to seeing things all the way through. The higher the degree, the greater the determination and strength because of what it must have taken to get there. But, I know from exp, a degree can hurt as well. If some one is smart enough to get a degree, they are smart enough not to go with company on every little detail and smart enough to raise their voice if they see a problem. While I was job hunting, I filled out dozens of applications including fast food. I always put down my AS degree under education. A good friend told me I was ruling out any chance of getting hired. And she was right, I never got one interview for those jobs. As for putting it down or not, it all depends on how badly you need a job. If you can wait awhile, a good company will come along that will see the degree as an asset. But in the short term, some companies might pass you over because of it.

First, congratulations on getting into the RT program! RT is second only to RN in terms of respect and pay where I am :). Yes, CNA does involve the dirty work. Esp in an LTC. But after about a week, you really won't notice the smells. Honestly, you get used to it. Good luck!

Congratulations :)

In NC we had 20 minutes to do five skills. One was handwashing, one was a vital sign and the other three were random. The skills had to be done in order. The most important thing was that if during a skill, you suddenly realized you made a mistake you had to stop and say what you had done wrong. At the end of each skill we had to say "I am finished with this skill" But the key thing was you could only correct mistakes before saying that. If you corrected a mistake after that they couldn't give you credit and you could fail it. But I think thats strictly a NC thing. Good luck to you and to everyone with an upcoming test. You will do Great!

Congratulations!

I just graduated with my MA degree from a community college. I had a CNA license that I let expire. LPN is a good choice but where i am the prereqs alone take at least a year at a community college and the programs are super competitive. 250 applicants for 15 spots. LPNs make a bit more though. As an MA student, I took course in Radiology, sonography, phlebotomy, I was trained in assisting with physical exams, billing, coding, front office. At my studen internship, I assisted with physical exams, helped out in the lab, filed, worked in the front office, did EKGs, did eye exams, hearing exams, gave vaccinations ect. I finished it in November and they just called me to say they had an MA opening and wanted me to apply even though I just formally graduated 2 weeks ago. Another advantage of the MA program at the community college is that the courses are all transferable. I took English, Math ect. Whatever Bachelors degree I decide to pursue they will transfer. My CNA course was pass fail. Males are definately welcome in the MA field, the Urgent Care centers, Health Departments, and doctors offices are all constantly looking to add male MAs. Good luck!

I did graveyard. I knew a few nursing students who did it. Some nights they had lots of time for homework. Others they were scrambling for five minutes. Generally it is more chilled out but on any given night you can have residents who don't want to sleep, who are sick ect. Additionally, how chilled out it is can depend on which nurse is working that night. Some are easy but some think you should be on the go all night long. And my exp, watching people sleep for hours does nothing to help one stay awake. It is easier to pull an all nighter studying at home than in a nursing home where the lights are dimmed and everyone is trying to keep their voices down.

The economy stinks, a lot of places have far more applicants than they have jobs. If I were you, I would try doing some volunteer work at a couple of places. That way your name gets around about how much you want to work. Second, go back and look at your application and or resume. There are plenty of free programs that might be able to offer advice so its the best it can be. Good luck!

9.50 an hour and thats with shift differential. I've heard rumors of far less including minimum wage.

Everything varies from area to area but out where I am, MAs are in demand. I am in the MA program and will graduate in December. I'm getting my degree at a community college and thanks to Pell Grants have not had to pay anything at all for my education. Pay rates out here for MAs are 10 t0 14 dollars an hour. I was a CNA first, and even started out as one on this board :) so I can share my exp :) As a CNA, I changed briefs, showered people, fed them, changed beds, cleaned them, took just the basic vital signs. Currently I'm in my MA externship where I do EKGs, blood draws, work in the lab, give shots, assist with exams, take patient historys, take vital signs, assist with sterile procedures, prepare items for autoclaving, patient scheduling, filing,insurance coding, handle patient education. I am constantly on the go and moving for the entire day. I love it! I work with great nurses who are super supportive. Esp once I say I'm also planning on completing my BSN. They say I already know most of what my first semesters will teach me. In addition, since I'm at the community college, I had to complete some Math, English, Pyschology and Anatomy courses that will all transfer into the BSN program. Last year our local hospital eliminated all LPN jobs and replaced them with MAs. As a CNA I had 2 choices, nursing home or hospital. And our hospital only kept a small number of CNAs full time. As an MA, I am looking at job openings in Urgent Care, Surgery Centers, and Doctor's offices. Out here, they are not requiring exp. Being a CNA was great, it gave me basic knowledge. But I love all the things that I learned to do and practice as part of the MA program. I'm looking at job openings in the ER and a few specialists offices.

Take the vacation!

I took the test two years ago, after being in fairly large CNA class. We all ended up taking the test at different locations and what we found out was that it really does depend on the location and who you get for a proctor. Its sad but true. The skills are all the same but the bigger the place the harder it is. For example I took mine at a small place in a small town. To pull the curtain, we had to just yank it down once (it wouldn't go any further). Some tests take place in simulated hospital rooms and any holes in the curtains they count you off. But even at my place there were a few that had taken it there with other proctors and said failed. Its really the luck of the draw. Good luck.

I agree 100% with the first post CNA is a tough field. I hated almost every single second of working in the nursing home. Lets face it jobs, it depends where you live. Where I live and am studying to be an MA, MA jobs out number CNA 5 to 1. Most of our last graduating class had offers from the places they did externship at. But its not that way in all areas. Out here starting MA salary is 14 an hour. Where Nursing homes have wait lists, agencys offer 1 to 3 hours a week to CNAS I love what I'm being trained in: EKG, blood draw, diagnostic testing, assisting in complicated exams, taking cultures, preparing lab samples, performing lab tests, billing, phone and in office triage, intensive First Aid, patient education. I love the respect that I get from nurses and doctors when I tell them what degree I'm working on. "wow you'll go far" "def we need more" "You are going to learn so much and be able to help so many people" these are just a few of the examples. 75 percent of all those I've met in the other health programs at the college I'm at (RN, radiology, MLT, even Massage) are former or currently working CNAs and every one of them hated the field. They want out because you don't get paid well, you don't get respect, and the working conditions are terrible in addition to a complete lack of respect from most people in the medical community. CNAs do not get paid near what they deserve, they don't get respect for the excellent care they provide.

Don't tell them you got fired, don't even list them as a reference. Take them off your job history all together. If your in a small town, you might want to drive a bit to try and find something. List student or stay at home as the reason for the gap in your employment.

Biters are bad but the spiters are worse! So disgusting! And then you get the ones that punch and lash out and often times its the CNAs that are in trouble when it happens. Those are some of the many reasons I'm letting my license go dead. The BSN program here doesn't require it, thank god!

i have my CNA license but i'm letting it expire. I'm currently in the Medical Assisting program due to graduate this December. Since most of my prereqs and transfer reqs are done, I'm off to a BSN program next. Can't wait!

Patient Care Tech without a doubt. You'll learn so much more, work in a hosp, and have far better working conditions.