D.C.Guy

Thank you.

Thank you guys for the helpful responses. There is a very nice Physical Therapist Assistant program at my community college and I'm applying for it next week. I have done all the prerequisites. Also, I'm applying for the dental hygienist program at the same college. I like both of them, but I'm not sure which program is going to accept me. Does anyone know what the hourly rate for the PTA and the dental hygienist are? Wish me good luck. Thanks

Money is not the problem, I can always take loans. The issue is that admission my community college is too compititive for me to get in. Imagine that there is only space for 30 new rad students every year, where more than 250 students apply.. I don't mind being on a waiting list, but there is no such thing here. Also, I don't mind going anywhere for school. I can travel anywhere. where can I get a list of radiology schools? Thanx

Thank you for the advice. Admission to medical school in my country does not require an undergraduate degree like here in America. You go to medical school immediately after high school. But you have to be the best in your highschool to be accepted in a medical school, which usually takes about 7 years to graduate. The problem is that in the community college near me, about 300 people apply for the radiology program every year, but only 50 are accepted. I'm already done with all the prerequisites. Why don't they take me? I hate that, and I need to get into a rad school as soon as possible. Also, I found this website http://www.academyofultrasound.com/ and they seem to be an online radiology school. Is it a good idea to get an online rad degree? Thank you all

Thank you guys for all the feedback and support. I never had any problem before with blood, urine, feces, dead bodies, sticking needles, etc.... The problem is that I've never given basic care before. For example, I can handle all the bodily fluids in the lab easily, but Wiping somebody else's behind is what I can't get over. For the last five days I've been trying to decide what I'm gonna do about my future career, and whether I can be a nurse or not. I was a good student at medical school in my country. I still need help to decide whether nursing is for me? I also was thinking about being a radiological tech, It's a decent job and also is on demand. But school admissions here are so darn competitive. Now I don't know how to get into a radiology school in my states " VA, MD. DC". Any help is appreciated. Thank you.

Thank you all for your feedback. It's greatly appreciated. Today I spoke to my Patient Care Director about my concers that I may not be able to do the job duties, and that I would like her to help me get a different position in the hospital. She offered me a deal. She asked me to give my PCA job more time, like a month, to see if I like it. If not, she will help me get a different job at the hospital. I accepted the deal, and thanked her for that. Thank you guys again.

Thanx. Great advice.

How did you get over your initial phase of disgust with being a PCA? This was only my first day. I'm seriously thinking about talking to my manager to see if i can transfer into a different department/ job in the hospital, or even quit the job and look for something else. Will I get used to wiping butts or not? I'm not sure, but i feel that i can't even do it. Thanks

I'm glad to know that there are some nursing specialties that don't require a lot of the CNA type of work. Can you plz tell me more about other nice nursing specialties, and workplaces for nurses? I appreciate your help. P.S. I noticed that CNAs tend to think that in order to be a nurse you have to be a CNA and/or like the CNA work. Whereas RNs think you don't need to be/ like being a CNA.

Why would you think so? I'm not sure if I'm right, and I still think I can be a great nurse without liking being a CNA.

Hello everybody, I really need every helpful feedback on this issue. I'm so confused and troubled. I've been dreaming and thinking about being an RN for a long time. I even got hired last month as a PCA. Yesterday was the first day I shadowed a PCA, and, it was a nightmare. Before I start working as a PCA, I was thinking that I'm going to learn many clinical skills like: EKG, IVs, Phlebotomy,...etc.. But what I saw yesterday was the most disgusting thing that ever happened to me. Bedbaths, wiping butts, basic care..etc.. I work in a Medical Renal unit, and almost all patients are very old, unable to move or speak, and severly obese and smelly. I was about to throw up many times, and I can't get rid of the smell even after 36 hours. I don't want to sound selfish here, but guys, being a CNA is a very hard job and not everybody can do it. I went to medical school in my home country for many years, and I was not disgusted by the dead bodies, by dealing with patients for taking medical histories, recording signs and symptoms, or even in the surgery room, where there was a lot of blood. I was truly hoping to be a nurse anesthetist. But after what happened yesterday at my job, I'm starting to believe that I can't be a nurse ever. I don't think I mind doing basic personal care once in a while, but I can't imagine doing it for living. I know many nurses in the outpatient clinics that don't have to do that kind of annoying stuff. Can't I just work in an outpatient facility where I don't have to deal with patients that are staying for a long time? I now feel so sad that my dream of becoming a nurse is going away. Please help me. Thanks

Hello everybody, I really need every helpful feedback on this issue. I'm so confused and troubled. I've been dreaming and thinking about being an RN for a long time. I even got hired last month as a PCA. Yesterday was the first day I shadowed a PCA, and, it was a nightmare. Before I start working as a PCA, I was thinking that I'm going to learn many clinical skills like: EKG, IVs, Phlebotomy,...etc.. But what I saw yesterday was the most disgusting thing that ever happened to me. Bedbaths, wiping butts, basic care..etc.. I work in a Medical Renal unit, and almost all patients are very old, unable to move or speak, and severly obese and smelly. I was about to throw up many times, and I can't get rid of the smell even after 36 hours. I don't want to sound selfish here, but guys, being a CNA is a very hard job and not everybody can do it. I went to medical school in my home country for many years, and I was not disgusted by the dead bodies, by dealing with patients for taking medical histories, recording signs and symptoms, or even in the surgery room, where there was a lot of blood. I was truly hoping to be a nurse anesthetist. But after what happened yesterday at my job, I'm starting to believe that I can't be a nurse ever. I don't think I mind doing basic personal care once in a while, but I can't imagine doing it for living. I know many nurses in the outpatient clinics that don't have to do that kind of annoying stuff. Can't I just work in an outpatient facility where I don't have to deal with patients that are staying for a long time? I now feel so sad that my dream of becoming a nurse is going away. Please help me. Thanks

Thank you guys for the feedback. I've been thinking for the last couple hours about what I should do. And I decided that I will give it a try. Maybe I will just get used to it, and, in the future, it may be easy to do. Today made me reconsider going to nursing school. I will stay in this job and see if I can like it, or at least do it without disgust. I know some of you may think that this is selfish. I'm considering becoming a radiological tech. At least I won't be having to deal with patient on that level of care as CNAs do. Wish me good luck. Thanks

I only said I was a medical student. I didn't deal with that kind of patients before. Also, I just woke up and I have a great tendency to throw up from what I saw today. Jesus Christ, why in the world would anybody want to do that for a living? can people have a normal life while working as a CNA? I'm so in trouble. I'm not sure if I should just quit the job or hang on? Feedback is greatly appreciated.

Hey guys, Today was my first day as a PCA. I can't describe what happened to me or what I felt about it. It was simply the most disgusting thing I've ever seen in my life. The nastiest thing ever. OMG, I don't know what to do now. I read the job description before but I didn't really fully understand that I will be literally wiping people's behinds. I work in a Medical renal unit, and almost all patients are very super obese " like 250 lbs and up". I didn't like the fact that all patients were so old that many of them can't talk or move. They smell really bad, and I didn't like seeing their private areas. I was about to throw up, and now I can't eat. Jeeze, do I have to do that stuff If I wanna be a nurse? I'm really considering changing my goals instead of nursing into something else, like radiography. Please help me. This is my first job in the healthcare field.

I don't think there is a certificate for PCAs, there is only a certificate for CNAs. And that is what I'm trying to get. Can I get my CNA certificate by self-studying or online videos? Can I just go ahead and take the CNA exam without taking a CNA course? Thanks

You could try patient transportation, customer service, sterile processing aide, patient sitter, or even volunteerng ...etc. None of those jobs really requires any clinical experience in my state, Virginia. Good luck.

Thank you all for your posts. I will be a PCA only while I'm in nursing school. I'm not really interested in being a PCA for a long time, I only want to get some training and experience from nurses and see what they do at work everyday. I hope this is going to make me a better nurse in the future. That is it for being a PCA for me. I think it's a good learning experience for me. Also, I think being a PCA/CNA is a good start to work in the healthcare field and to see if you really like it. I still have a question, Should I try to get certified as a CNA or I should just focus in my nursing school to be an RN? the hosptal is going to give me the training and the experience to be a CNA/PCA, but should I still pursue the certificate? is it worth it to get certified? Thanks.

I don't have a CNA certificate and I've never been in a cna course. I was wondering if I can go ahead and take the cna exam without taking the course. Will they let me do that? Those videos are helpful. Thank you

Thank you guys so much for all the useful feedback. It was really enlightening. I just called my friend who was the one that told me about that position originally. She has been a PCA with that hospital for 2 months now. She said the hospital "IS PLANNING TO TRAIN YOU" in the first couple weeks. She even said that if I need more training, they will give it to me as needed. And that I'll have the chance to shadow PCAs before I actually start working. And that they will teach me everything I need to be a great PCA. Also, I just received my orientation schedule from the hospital. It is really interesting that they are serious about training me. They don't seem to expect me to have any previous experience. They are going to give me training in the first week in: Patient satisfaction and customer service, computer, body mechanics, and blood glucose monitoring training. OMG, I'm so excited I'm going to learn all those skills. I'm going to nursing school next summer and the hospital is going to pay for my nursing school too. And they will pay for any clinical course I choose to take. I'm planning on taking advantage of that benefit. I want to get certified as a CNA, Phlebotomist, ...etc. What courses do you guys think I should take to make me really good at my job "They are paying for any clinical courses" ? I have to use this tuition reimbursement benefit, it's so tempting. Thank you all again.

I didn't claim to have anything that I don't have when I was in the interviews. I told them the Truth that I only have customer service experience and I know how to take the vital signs. I've been through 4 interviews with this hospital and nobody seemed to care about the training and/or the experience. I think they train the new hires. I know a friend that just got hired 2 month ago by the same hospital, and she didn't have a clue of anything, and she is just fine now. She tells me about how excited she is about the new experiences she go through everday.. What clinical skills do you really need to have to become a PCA? Thanks

Hey guys, First of all I'm glad I found this forum because It's really rich in topics and information. I just got hired by a hospital for a PCA "Patient Care Assistant" position and I'm starting in two weeks. I never got any kind of PCA/CNA training or experience. All I know is how to take the vital signs, and customer service skills. I also studied medicine in my home country, so I know alot in anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, histology, pathology, parasitology, pharmacology etc... But I have no clue what I'm gonna do and/or if I'm gonna be successful at it?? What do you guys think? I'm really worried that I'm gonna fail and they are gonna kick me out of the hospital. How can I be a great PCA? is there any courses that I can take to enhance my career? I'm going to nursing school next year, hopefully. Thank you