FLNA

I'm a CNA in Melbourne working in home health care. It is not my preference, but at least I am employed in the industry until I can get into a hospital or clinical setting. If you are interested, I can recommend a few Agencies that are hiring. I noticed that applying for CNA jobs online was a waste of time. You might have to go into the hospitals or facilities and speak f2f w/someone. Senior Lifestyle Communities and ALF's are always looking for CNA's. Good Luck.

You can try private duty. That is what I am doing for now. They don't pay squat, but at least you can be working in the industry as a CNA while looking for work in a clinical setting.

You will be fine, and you will look beautiful. Check your email when you can and PLEASE call me tomorrow after you PASS your exam.

CONGRATULATIONS FLg8r.

Congratulations!!!! I'm so happy for you.

Couldn't have done it without you girl. Thanks for everything. I'll be congratulating you real soon. Now take care of yourself.

I passed my exam yesterday. Tested as a challenger Florida. Woo hoo!

I passed my exam yesterday, as a challenger.! Yeah.

I passed my exam today. Whew. So gad that is over with.

Thank you darling.:wink2: Email.

Sounds like you did everything right. I didn't know you were suppose to put soap on the container. I was told to just rinse, dry, disinfect, but I could have been told wrong. Well, my exam is tomorrow morning and I am a challenger, so we'll see how they treat me. Now I'm scared.

Bossbadger - Did you remember to dump your fluids in the BSC and NOT the sink?

So sorry to hear. I would appeal, or at least re-test in 30 days. Don't give up now. What state/city did you test in? Did you remember to knock first, wait for response, pull privacy curtain? When draining the urinary bag, they said you didn't use proper infection control - Did you remember to put a barrier down on the floor for the graduate, use a barrier for the equipment, make sure the tubing didn't touch the graduate? When you did the cath care, did you use a "mitt fold" or the four corners (aka, taco fold)? When your partner did foot care on you, did he make sure your clean bare foot never touched the unprotected floor? How did you sanitize the bedpan? Something doesn't seem right. How could they pass the girl who forgot to use gloves for mouth care, remind her to use gloves, and then fail you? Were you dressed appropriately, hair and nails groomed properly? Sorry for the abrupt questions, just trying to think of reasons she may have failed you. You passed your pelbomotmy/EKG, that is a good thing. Don't be so hard on yourself. Try again, and next time you will get a different NAE and you will pass. Just go over every step and think back to where you could have gone wrong. If you can, contact the person who was your partner and ask him what he thinks. Maybe he remembers something that you don't. Good luck to you.

CNA Training Inc in Orlando is awesome. I took their "refresher" and gained valuable skills needed to challenge the CNA exam. The Manager/Instructor, Darla, is very nice and very good at what she does. She will go over every skill in detail with you. They have a nearly perfect pass rate.

Thank you. Great info. I guess I better plan to take the day off work. I am testing at 9:00 AM, and scheduled to work at 2:00. Congratulations on passing your exam. :thankya:

Anyone taken the Prometric CNA exam recently in Florida? If so, can you tell me what the setting was like? Did you do your clinicals on a manikin, or a volunteer? Has anyone taken the exam at Casel in Melbourne? What skills were you tested on (other than handwashing and indirect care, rights, comforts, safety). Is the written that much different than the practice they make available on the Prometric website? Also, Is anyone familiar with The Cambridge Institute of education in Orlando? I am sitting in as an observer on their 4 hour refresher course this weekend and was curious if anyone had attended this school. Any feedback from anyone that has taken the Prometric exam would be greatly appreciated. Thank you (soon to be NewCna - dont know why I created that user name before taking my exam)

I am in FLorida so it may be different from your state. I am taking my CNA exam in 3 weeks, although I interviewed with A Private Duty Nursing Agency this month and just got hired. They did not require I have my CNA first. They tested me on several things: HIV/AIDS, Domestic Violence, Elder Care/Abuse, Assistance with self administered medication, patients rights and responsibilities,etc., and once I took their tests and passed (I had to score 100 or they wouldn't hire me), they gave me my HHA certificate. I also had to be CPR/AED certified for the heathcare provider and know BLS before getting hired. This is a must for any HHA or CNA, you must get your CPR for the healthcare provider before any one will hire you. The local red cross offers this. So to answer your question, I was able to get my HHA certificate with a Private Duty Agency, once I passed their tests and got my CPR card without having any official CNA training. Now this may be Agency specific, because they knew I had been an Alzheimers caregiver for 4 years and had a lot of experience with the elderly. Now, once I get my CNA, they will increase my pay, but starting pay going this route is not great. I am starting at $10 hr. In a few weeks, provided I pass the state exam and get my CNA, I should be able to get a few more dollars an hour. The down side to Private Duty is NO BENEFITS. The upside, hours are M-F, and no later than 5:00 PM. The same goes for the HHA agencies in my county. Good hours, with great benefits and about $14- $20 hourly. The home health aid I had for my grams got $14 hourly, great benefits, only worked weekdays 9-5, and has about 6 clients a day. My grams HHA/CNA was with Hospice and she would come Mon, Wed, Fri, and give grams a bed bath, foot care, and wash her hair once a week. On occassion if I asked she would soak grams hands and clean her nails, but here in Fl, the HHA's/CNA's are NOT allowed to clip the clients/patients nails. In Florida a CNA can work as an HHA, but an HHA can NOT work as a CNA. CNA's are registered and regulated with the FLorida BON. HHA's are not. They are only trained by the agency that hires them and the agency is regulated and licensed the Agency for Healhcare Administration. Check the laws in Ca. They might be similiar to Florida. Good Luck

I am not familiar with MA CNA training programs, but I do hear that the Red Cross offers a good Nurse Assistant training program. I would check with them. In my county in Florida, the Red Cross NAT program is a couple months longs, and not too expensive but they are usually booked way in advance because they are cheaper than most schools.

I know this original post is old, but I thought I would add this info for those in Brevard county with the same question. There are not any prep courses in Brevard. I live in Melbourne and have searched extensively. Casel Heathcare on Stack Blvd in Melbourne is the only training program in the area and it is a 6 week program for $700. The closet you will find is either Orlando or Tampa. Option 1/Tampa - Tampa Bay CNA. 813-333-5459. There is a ONE DAY prep course at Tampa Bay CNA on Saturdays, 8:30 - 5:00 with a 45 minute lunch break. The prep course is $379.00 which includes equipment, ie. bedpan, bp kit, and a video and manual to take home to review your skills. I spoke to the DOT, Reverend Christiano and she said she has a lot of people come over from Melbourne. I am taking my CNA exam as a challenger on 09/04/09 at Casel in Melbourne and if I can fininacially afford it, I think I will take the TampaBay CNA Saturday Intensive prep course. The DOT told me that the clinical skills checklist on the Prometric website DOES NOT cover all that you will need to know to pass the exam. Option #2 - Cambridge Institute in Orlando. Contact # 407-888-1191. They offer a 4 hour refresher course FOR OBSERVATION ONLY, for $50.00. They will allow you to come in on Sundays from 4:00 to 8:00 PM and observe their students in the 4 hour refresher, but you will not be allowed to participate. They only let the students that attended their school participate. If you think you can get by with just watching and observing, this would be the least expensive route to go. Hope this helps any future CNA Challengers in the Brevard County Area.

ah, this is true.

Maybe you can call your testing site and ask if you can bring your own BP kit.

Em CNA 2b- I am taking my CNA exam (Florida) on the 4th and I was told they will provide the steth. I would just remember to clean it before and after use. I was told handwashing is to be done before, during and after EACH skill. I think they expect you to do it without being told. I definetly would not skip a handwashing, ever. They can't fail you for washing you hands too many times, but they can fail you if you DONT wash them. I personally don't think you can prepare too much I am like you ,Bossbadger, and I tend to over analyze and think things over too much, but I would rather be over prepared than under prepared. Failing just one skill on the exam is not acceptable to me, and I don't want to have to retake the exam. Again, these are just my personal views and opinions.

BossBadger - Do you have any links to the skills videos you were referring to? Other than the ones posted on this forum?

In the state Florida, they have the option to challenge (E3) the exam. If you are short on time and funds, and think you can pass, you may challenge. That is what I am doing. I have been a caregiver for nearly 4 years and I am challenging. I am thinking about going to observe (sit in) on a refersher course in Orlando, because from what I have learned, studied and heard, the clinical portion of the exam may be very dificult to pass if you have not had any training on how the Instuctors will be testing you.

True, it is a scary thought that we can challenge the exam, although I am personaly grateful that we have that option. I wouldn't be able to afford it any other way. As far as the Blood Pressure portion of the clinical exam, you are correct. I stopped by Casel where I will be taking my exam next month and the owner was kind enough to give me a tip. She said "make sure you check the pulse at the brachial, or they will fail you". She said you won't be able to hear it, but they just want to see that you know about the brachial pulse.