OceansRose

Something that my instructor told us to do during the skills exam was actually talk our way through the skill while we were doing it. For example, if one of the skills you were given was making an occupied bed (if your state uses that), you would actually tell the tester what you were doing (what supplies you were using, how you would roll the person, fold under the sheets, etc.), as you were doing it. I thought it sounded silly when she described it, but it was extremely helpful during the test! It was easier for me to remember the steps if I spoke them out loud rather than just trying to remember them in my head as I went. Practicing your skills on someone else outside of class helps too. My boyfriend was my test dummy for the entire course, and a small group from my class also got together just before the state test to practice in the lab so we got more comfortable with the setup/supplies and were able to help each other. Seriously though, I was terrified before I took my test, especially the skills portion (I was taking Pepto pills like they were candy), but afterwards all I could think was, "THAT is what I was worried about?" It was hard to believe back then, but looking back now it was not nearly as terrible and scary as I'd imagined. Good luck! - Anne

You do have to work as a CNA to keep your certification. According to your state's nurse aide registry website (https://www.ncnar.org/faq.html)... What is qualified work for the Nurse Aide I renewal? Qualified work for a Nurse Aide I is employment that meets ALL FOUR (4) of the following criteria: The employment must be for monetary compensation The employment must be as either: a nurse aide, performing direct patient care OR an RN-supervised medication aide, performing medication administration tasks[*]The work must be delegated and supervised by a registered nurse [*]Total time worked during the aide's 24-month listing period equals 8 hours or more Maybe you could work part-time for awhile to get the hours and experience and then switch to an on-call (per diem) position for the company? - Anne