ducking_goose

I posted this question in the CNA section, but it may be more likely that LPNs who were once CNAs are best equipped to answer. I'm not quite a CNA but my evaluations thus far have been very encouraging. As long as I don't screw up too bad tomorrow and Friday, I should get the certificate from the training program (that is over 48 hours ... we'll see). It will be about two weeks before I can take the state test. I will be entering an LPN program as soon as I can find an opening. I want to get an idea as to which types of employment are best. It seems like the three main categories are home health, hospitals, and long term care facilities. My clinical instructor told me that LTCs (she said nursing homes - the same right?) are great because they teach you to do a lot of things and provide a great deal of experience. She's in her early 30's, and is an LPN who is in RN school now, so I think her information is pretty current, and she definitely knows her stuff (as opposed to just knowing more than the students). At this point, I really don't care too much about what I get paid. I just want to work in an environment where I will be able to see more and be trained to do more. In a nutshell the environment that will help me the most in LPN and eventually RN programs. I may have the opportunity to work at the facility where clinicals are conducted. Um .... yeah - no (at least not for more than a few months so that something can go on my resume). Is LTC the best option for this? Will I get more training in LTC settings vs. hospitals? Which will I see more in? Is home health definitely not what I am looking for? Also I am 1) new to this forum; and 2) very lazy. So if this topic has been discussed previously, I would love to see the thread. Thanks much! Preston

I'm not quite a CNA but my evaluations thus far have been very encouraging. As long as I don't screw up too bad tomorrow and Friday, I should get the certificate from the training program. It will be a few weeks before I can take the state test. I will be entering into a LPN program as soon as I can find an opening and I want to get an idea as to which types of employment are best. It seems like the three main categories are home health, hospitals, and long term care facilities. My clinical instructor told me that LTCs (she said nursing homes - the same right?) are great because they teach you to do a lot of things and provide a great deal of experience. She's in her early 30's, and is an LPN who is in RN school now, so I think her information is pretty current, and she definitely knows her stuff (as opposed to just knowing more than the students). At this point, I really don't care too much about what I get paid (all CNA's are underpaid anyway right?!). I just want to work in an environment where I will be able to see more and be trained to do more. In a nutshell the environment that will help me the most in LPN and eventually RN programs. I may have the opportunity to work at the facility where clinicals are conducted. Um .... yeah - no (at least not for more than a few months so that something can go on my resume). Is LTC the best option for this? Will I get more training in LTC settings vs. hospitals? Which will I see more in? Is home health definitely not what I am looking for? Also I am 1) new to this forum; and 2) very lazy. So if this topic has been discussed previously, I would love to see the thread. Thanks much!

@elkpark CNAs may not be included in the compact; I haven't been able to find a lot of infomration. I contacted the MD Board of Nursing over a week ago and today I got a reply. So hopefully they will provide the additional information that I need. Thank you so much for the information. I understand the process much better now. It may become important to me going forward - MD/VA/DC are all pretty close. I could realistically commute to any of them, and I do want to keep SC residency. Thanks again!

I am a CNA student from SC which is part of the Multi-State Licensure compact. I should complete CNA training in about 2 weeks. I plan to move on to LPN and eventually RN, but I want to be able to work in the interim. I will be living in Maryland. What is the difference between a CNA and a GNA in Maryland? The CNA (I believe) is required in MD but is the GNA a requirement, and added certification ..? If I come to MD with a standard CNA license will I be able to find work? Also can anyone from a Compact State fill me in on the details of how it works exctly?

Hello all, I am entering a CNA program within the next two weeks. I am 31 coming from the IT field. I see some similarities; with both, as you reach higher certification levels, you get better employment opportunities and the work tends to shift more away from the "task oriented" duties of a nurse aide. So I am trying to understand what is the best career path. I realize 5 people will give you 6 answers, but I would like to take them all in. I am 31 and so I do not have a life that I can put on hold while I go back to school full-time. No matter how far I go (and I am looking to become a RN) I will be employed most, if not all of the way. So people have mentioned that I could just start working to become a LPN/LVN. It seems that it would be better to get some experience as a CNA before moving up. What I would like to do is: G 1) Get the CNA (4-6 week program) and hopefully find a job 2) After 3-6 months enter a LPN program ... is this a decent amount of time to pick up some of the things that I will need? Can you go right from the CNA program to the LPN training without much hands-on? I have been to college, and become a MCSE through self-study, so I understand the basics of studying for anything, but some things have to be experienced. 3) The average LPN program is about a year from what I have read on websites and forums. What is the average training period? Is it like M-F 9-5, is it a half day (the CNA programs in my state are like 8-2 or 4-8 ... its SC BTW)? 4) I figure after completing the program that I would take some time to get acclimated to the role. The same as the gap between the CNA and LPN training - only maybe I would take loner, say 6-9 months. Again I do not know if this space is needed for most people. Do most people go from CNA to LPN, or do they go directly for the RN program? I thought to go through the LPN for the experience and maybe there would be an increase in pay involved. Of course I have any number of questions (and anxieties about going from a (sadly) seemingly male dominated industry to one that is (sadly) seemingly female dominated) but what I have mentioned is sufficient to get me started I suppose. Thanks, Preston