mattattack89

Hello, My name is Matthew and I'm trying to become an RN but, unfortunately, I'm going to miss the deadline for applying to my schools RN program this year because I just don't have all my pre-reqs yet. I'm trying to figure out what I should occupy my time with this year to increase my likely hood of being accepted into the program next year. Basically, I've been debating with myself between getting my CNA license and working a hospital (or possibly and probably more likely, a nursing home) to increase my chances of acceptance in that way, or by simply volunteering as much as I can at the local hospital over the next year. My only quarrel with getting my CNA license is that from what I've heard, it BARELY helps any more than by volunteering . I've also heard that good references can be a lot more important than CNA experience. For instance, if I were to volunteer at the hospital, I might have a much better chance of getting a great reference from, say, a doctor or an RN, as opposed to if I were to work in a nursing home where there would less of a chance of me getting such references. I've also heard CNA experience can be undervalued and not really worth the effort -although I have also heard it can give you a big boost in during clinicals. Also, if I were to volunteer as opposed to working as a CNA, it would leave me alot more time to bring my Spanish up to par which i know will be a big asset to me, possibly alot more so than the CNA experience would be. Any opinions on this subject would be GREATLY appreciated. I just don't want to spend this year wasting my time.