fpma987

Wow I'm in the same situation as the rest of you. I've been looking and applying and I had a few leads but no actual job. I don't really have any related experience either so it's been tough. I went to a job fair as well, talked to the LTC reps, home health agencies (none of the area hospitals were there) and even MR/DD reps. If you haven't looked into Mental Retardation/Developmental Disabilities I suggest you do so. They seem to like the nursing assistant certification especially if you apply for direct care positions because it's basically the same thing as a CNA's job duties. Aside from that the people I ran into at the job fair who were also applying for MR/DD positions didn't seem to have the nurse assistant certification or even know what MR/DD was all about, so if it's a similar situation in your area then the NA certification could easily be a big plus for you. plus you'll get the related experiences. Also, have you thought about applying to temp agencies with a medical branch? still no call backs for me though but believe me I will be on the horn soon. I'm also starting to volunteer at a local hospital even though I need a job ASAP. I've been looking into temping/retail/sales/restaurants just to have a job. like other people have said keep you chin up. I'm sure you will find something even if it takes awhile. BTW, I finished my class in january and test back in Feb and the place where I took the class finally started hiring for nurse assistants about a couple weeks ago. so just keep at it...

my apologies Ling07 and everyone else- when typing I accidentally typed 4wks. normally the class is offered for 2 weeks at the compact schedule mentioned previously but was extended to 3 weeks due to the holidays. sorry again for the typo, but I do know what you mean about not having a social life around that schedule.

Mine was 4 wks. It was nice to get it done and out of the way. But I do have to say because it was condensed it of course was tough. I had to read two chapters a night plus studying for tests/skills and doing other homework. My schedule was 8-5 five days/wk with about 4 hours of studying every night. If you think you can stand it for a month and you do not have anything else to conflict with that schedule then I suggest taking it. If you have schedule conflicts while taking the class I'd suggest taking the less condensed version of the course. Bottom line if you are willing and able to dedicate 8 hours a day in class (or whatever is required) followed by approx. 4 hours of studying each night, then I see nothing wrong with it. ps good luck on whatever you decide

Hi- I lived in the Cleveland area for a little bit. I wouldn't suggest living downtown. It pretty much closes down after 9pm and gets kind of scary. Anyway, Cleveland Heights and University Heights would probably be the closest and best areas for you. If you want a bit of a commute Lakewood (where I lived) is nice too. It might be a bit of a jaunt by bike though given it took me about 15 min to get to downtown by car. They do have bus service from Lakewood to downtown (but not entirely reliable) though. And you can find pretty decent rent too in Lakewood (under $400/month incl utilities with roommates). I'm not sure about rent in University Heights or Cleveland Heights. I do know that U heights and C heights are both very nice areas. good luck. have any more questions just let us know.

just took the written/skills on saturday and found out I passed last night! and I aced it!!

hey again all- just an update. I did go back onto the ohio nurse aide registry and figured out what was going on with the site but still did not find any info. I'd like to enroll in a STNA class this december so if any of you can help me out I'd definitely appreciate it! thanks!!

hey all- I'm brand new to the site and new to the health care industry. I am an older student, half way through finishing my bachelor in psych and while finishing, I want to pursue a class/test/job as a CNA/STNA asap. I'm in need of advice... I live in Michigan, very close to Ohio and was wondering about both the cna/stna certification processes for each state. I would like to work in OH 1st and then transfer to MI later. Does OH have a residency requirement (as in actually have to live there in order to work there) in order to be qualified for certification? How long does the OH certificate last? Is it possible to have a certificate in both states at the same time? I've already searched on the MI and OH nurse aide registry websites but I couldn't find any info on the OH site. (FAQ's wasn't working when I was on) anyway, I'd appreciate any help in this. thanks