winniecooper

Thanks for all the good info. Can you focus on areas while you're going to school and if so, how? All the programs I've seen have a set course list so just wondering how you can focus on areas if you're just in school.

Yes, I have seen this all over. For many years I didn't know what I wanted to do, but now my heart is set on nursing. If it's what you really want to do and you've tried other things, then I guess all you can do is pursue it and hope for the best. Even if I have to work as a CNA until I find an LPN job, so be it. I think I'll still feel good to be moving. I learned from my last job not to stay stagnant. You always have to keep bettering yourself.

Thank you for the great information. I'm glad they weren't thinking of just doing away with LPN programs because that's all I can really afford right now.

i know, right. i see tons and tons of RN postings.

Does anyone know much about the PCCTI LPN program in Chicago? I'd begun looking into but now I see there's a class action lawsuit against them and apparently they don't have good clinical sites. Not sure what's going on there but if anyone has the inside scoop, please share. :)

I also forgot to mention WIA. To apply for WIA you are supposed to be unemployed through no fault of your own and receiving unemployment, but I've heard of so many people getting WIA who were not in that situation. There's usually a WIA office in or near the unemployment office.

If you can get into a nursing home that will train you, that's definitely the best option. If your area is like mine, then it will be hard though. I called one place and they said they get about 100 applicants for 20 slots. Also if you have a credit card, many schools will take credit cards and you would be able to pay it back soon after you finish the course and have a job. I am going to a private school which surprisingly is cheaper than the community colleges and they allow you to pay half up front, and the other half before your final exam, and they take credit cards. A family member or close friend may let you use their credit card if you promise to pay the bill on time. Just trying to give you some more options to think about. Hope everything works out.

Wow, you guys both have small classes. My classroom has about 30 students, but for clinicals we only have 10 students per instructor. I like having a large class because there's such a variety of students but my teacher is making us do a presentation, so I definitely wish there were only 10 people we had to present to. The presentation isn't factored into our grade but it's a requirement and you get pass/fail for it. I think we're all dreading it.

Ya, I'm so glad that many nursing schools (at least in IL) are requiring applicants to complete CNA training. Even though they may only do the dirty work for 5 days in clinicals, it's still better than nothing. There are a couple people in my CNA class who planned to go on to RN and are now rethinking it. Keep us updated on your job and how you like it. I'm doing home health right now and can't decide if I should do LTC or hospital after I get my certification. Hospital is eventually my goal but I love the older residents and think I might want to work in LTC for a little while.

Hey girl, I'm not from there so I couldn't tell you but have you looked at the candidate guide? It has some sample questions and also a topic list with the percent of questions from each topic. http://bostonredcross.org/pdf/Nurse%20Aide%20Candidate%20Guide(1).pdf If you want more practice, virtually all the CNA certifications tests are very similar so here are some for other states, and if you search Google you can find more: Illinois (my state :) , you can choose 85 questions so this is really good for covering all topics): http://www.nurseaidetesting.com/sampletest_intro.asp Delaware: http://www.prometric.com/NR/rdonlyres/ervz6e4wupwfdqutiscusszcqojwb4lejjbyqgpssgmcg74glnqpo7eakpmkaamdtdnuynh4nia5ugn7wuqapey6bed/NurseAidePracticeTest.pdf National: http://www.asisvcs.com/publications/pdf/069912.pdf GOOD LUCK GIRL!!!!

Congratulations girl! It's such a bummer that LPNs are losing their status during what I thought was a nursing shortage. I wanted to become an LPN but I'm rethinking it.

I've heard the Red Cross training is good so I would go for it. Unlike with many careers, in the nursing field the school name is not really all that important. As long as you have received the appropriate certification, that's all a potential employer is going to look at. It's good to pick up a reference or two while you take a course so be sure to ask your teacher or clinical instructor if they will be a future reference for you. Best wishes :)

Most of the people who sue are like you said, "sue happy." They see court as free lotto tickets with better odds. With patient loads and lack of cooperation from many members of the team (*cough* doctors), it's unavoidable most of the time. You just have to do the best you can without worrying too much. Most intelligent attorneys know the money is in the facility, not the staff, so that's who they'll go after. I'm not going to start preaching but I do believe that in the next life you'll be judged with the same ruler you use to judge others. So I feel for these people who do this.

I think we're talking about different agencies. Some people are talking about home health agencies and others are talking about hospital and LTC staffing agencies. I didn't know there were CNA staffing agencies either. Guess I'll have to look into this. :)

You can get all the training programs here: http://www.nurseaidetesting.com/trainingpgms.asp

Lydiahope, there are schools all over Chicago including the community colleges. Then ask your clinical site if they will hire you when you complete the course. Most of them will hire you after successful class completion even though you haven't completed your taken your certification exam. If you need a job ASAP, then be sure you have perfect attendance at class and clinicals--no showing up late and no leaving early. Any class time missed will have to be made up which could take a few months based on how often the class is presented at your school.

I think they look very nice but don't forget about hosiery! Summer + hosiery = YUCK!!! You'll be much cooler in scrub pants. :)

I'm doing agency and still completing my clinicals at LTC. If you get a good agency, you'll always have plenty of work assignments. Live-in is in high demand, so if that works with your situation I highly suggest it. You can do just two or three days a week live-in and make as much as you would at an LTC. I like LTC but I do not like the 5 day schedule for FT. I would prefer 3x12s like many hospitals. LTCs can vary A LOT. Public aid facilities like the one I'm doing clinicals can be a headache. Half of our beds have hand cranks!!! Supplies can be hard to come by too. They'll run out of certain sizes of diapers and then you have to improvise and they don't even have waterproof pads, instead you use layers of sheets. In addition to the headache, the pay is lower too. And two Hoyer lifts for the whole place! The residents are all so sweet and I have thought about working there despite the frustrations. Hospital is short-term IMHO. Your patient load is so huge and the patient turnover is so fast that I just can't see myself doing that for very long as a CNA/PCT. As a nurse I would probably like it since you're more involved in the admission and discharge. Pay and benefits will be best at a hospital if you can secure a FT position.

I'm surprised she answered the phone when you called her.

In my CNA class, we had a student from a different class sit in for a make-up. During lunch he told us his teacher said Illinois is doing away with LPNs at the end of this year and all LPNs must either become RNs or they will be downgraded to CNA. I can only imagine his teacher misinformed them or he did not understand what she said, but since he is already an EMT, I am not just dismissing this. I researched the web and looked through the state website but didn't see any information that reflected this. It seems to me like all nursing homes would have to close down if they did this, but then again there are some states that have higher levels of CNA that do a lot of what an LPN does, esp. medication dispensing. Anyone else heard anything like this???

Thanks caliotter3!

One of the male students during clinicals had a female resident tell him, "Deeper, honey, deeper," when he was doing perineal care.

I'm getting ready to finish my CNA class but my school currently does not have any CPR classes scheduled. I went to the Red Cross website but they have so many choices of classes. Which one do I need to take? Just adult, or adult, child, and infant? And if you live in Chicago, do you have suggestions for any other places that provide certification? Thanks :)

NC does not require training but it is recommended, so your course is fine as far as certification is concerned. If you can perform all the skills of a CNA I, then you should be fine. Having done clinicals, I can assure you they are very beneficial, especially if you are "testing the waters." I'm sure you are well aware of the skills involved, but you cannot understand the difficulty of transferring, showering, and diapering until you have real patients. We practiced transferring our classmates and even though we all said we weren't assisting, it does not compare to transferring seniors who are truly unable to help or bear weight. They can be very heavy. Of course diapering and perineal care cannot be mimicked either. Showering is also very challenging. With time these all become much easier, but I would try to get hands-on experience if you can. NC FAQs: http://www.ncnar.org/faq.html You should be able to perform these skills: http://www.ncbon.com/content.aspx?id=826

If I'm a CNA in Illinois, does Iowa accept reciprocity? I've tried to research it but can only find a very general code which lays out the process for obtaining CNA in Iowa. There's no mention of reciprocity or how someone from another state can become a CNA. I don't mind taking a test but I hope I don't have to go through another training course, especially since in IL the course is 120 hrs but only 75 hrs in IA. Also, does anyone know of a resource on reciprocity in general so I could just see what states will accept IL.