Should I try to work as CNA before I get my RN?

Nursing Students CNA/MA

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Hello-

I'm hoping to get accepted and start nursing school (BSN) Aug. 2011. In the meantime I'm holding a full time job in an unrelated field while I take a few pre-reqs. I am wondering if it might be a good idea to get my CNA certification and work as a CNA before I start school to become an RN. Some nurses tell me not to do it because the work is "awful", others seem to think its a good idea because it will give me that experience and may help with applying to schools.

Please send me your thoughts on this if you have a moment. I would greatly appreciate it.

Best regards,

Lili

Specializes in Telemetry RN.
Please excuse my ignorance - what is the difference b/w a CNA and a PCT? I've actually never heard of a PCT?

I'm pretty sure a CNA is typically a 3 month certification? How many months is the PCT? What is the difference in roles? Duties?

Thanks,

Depends on your state. I was certified as a CNA after a 2 week course - one week in class, one week on the floor. Then I was able to work for 3 months before taking the certification exam. Also, if you have completed one semester of nursing school, you can apply to take the certification exam. That's how it is in my state.

A PCT (patient Care Tech) in a hospital does the same thing a CNA can, usually the same training is required to be hired. The hospital, depending, may train you for other very specific tasks, such as inserting a Foley Cath, d/cing an IV, very simple dressing changes, etc. Nothing invasive (IV starts) and no med administration.

I have found my CNA experience to be both very rewarding and very enriching to my education. I have found nurses with CNA experience are better prepared for the workload, the general environment, etc - they are used to juggling a lot of very needy

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Specializes in OB/GYN, Peds, School Nurse, DD.
Hello-

I'm hoping to get accepted and start nursing school (BSN) Aug. 2011. In the meantime I'm holding a full time job in an unrelated field while I take a few pre-reqs. I am wondering if it might be a good idea to get my CNA certification and work as a CNA before I start school to become an RN. Some nurses tell me not to do it because the work is "awful", others seem to think its a good idea because it will give me that experience and may help with applying to schools.

Please send me your thoughts on this if you have a moment. I would greatly appreciate it.

Best regards,

Lili

"The work is awful"?? Yeah, the work is hard, but I wouldn't say it's awful. Much of the work that I suspect that nurse refers to as "awful" would be things that nurses do anyway--bathing, cleaning up, changing beds, transfering patients from bed to chair, taking people to the bathroom. Personally, I think working as a CNA is the way to go. I did it, and it just confirmed to me that nursing is what I'm meant to do. I wish more students would give it try before they shell out tens of thousands of dollars. Too many nurses graduate and then are shocked at what real nursing entails. If they had only had some experience they might have made some different decisions, or at least been prepared.

I worked as a CNA on the night shift during summer and Christmas breaks. I was a float, so I worked is just about every dept except OR. It gave me great experience. IT also allowed me to network with potential nurse managers so that when I applied for a job, they already knew me and knew what I could do. I say, if you can swing it, you won't regret trying it on for size.

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Please excuse my ignorance - what is the difference b/w a CNA and a PCT? I've actually never heard of a PCT?

I'm pretty sure a CNA is typically a 3 month certification? How many months is the PCT? What is the difference in roles? Duties?

Thanks,

PCT (Patient Care Tecnician) is 3 seperate skill-sets, CNA, EKG and Phlebotomy. In Illinois they hire them in doctors offices, hospitals and nursing homes. It just gives you a more rounded out background.

You can also be Certified ny National Healcareer Association. The CNA part is certified by state testing and the Phlebotomy and EKG can be certified by NHA.

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Specializes in ICU.

A lot of places aren't willing or do not have the time to teach you "nursing" related stuff.

I have to disagree with you a bit here. Interacting with patients, dealing with family members, dealing with other staff, time management, bed baths, checking vitals, proper transfer techniques, the proper way to do many tasks without hurting your back, the proper way to remove/apply a gown, good oral hygene, the proper way to make a bed, identifying potential decubitus ulcers, Hippa, shaving, ROM, tolieting, etc...

I would say that is all "nursing" related stuff. My school used to require that you take the nurse aid course before starting nursing, now you have to be on the nurse aid registry as a pre req. You are expected to know all the above, and are not taught most of it in nursing school. I worked the summer before I entered the nursing program as a CNA, and found it to be invaluable experience. I had never worked in a health care setting before, and just dealing with residents in such an intimate manner as bathing and dressing them was new to me. I was much more comfortable with patients when I started doing clinicals because of that experience. I could really tell my classmates who had worked as CNA's v/s the ones who had just taken the class to get into nursing.

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Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.

Hello

I havent read the other replies so maybe this has been said however; ill say it again lol

I am starting year ll of the BScN (RN) program and after first year im allowed to work as a PSW here in Ontario or CNA in the states.

And I HATE IT!!

I have done 2 clinical in the past year with school and I miss doing actual REAL nursing skills.. in my job all I do is just dressing baths, changing attends etc.

Doing the PSW job here in a nursing home is boring I cannot take it any longer lol

Luckily its only a summer job until I start school again in September.

The one thing I was able to take from this exp is that I knwo for sure I NEVER EVER EVER will go into LTC again!

This is my exp others may have loved but it the scope of practice is nothing and I hate bathing/dressing people/toileting ALL DAY long!

next summer I will work in an unrelated job because LTC is just not for me

Good Luck to whatever you decide

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Specializes in ICU, Hospice, Nursing Education.
Please excuse my ignorance - what is the difference b/w a CNA and a PCT? I've actually never heard of a PCT?

I'm pretty sure a CNA is typically a 3 month certification? How many months is the PCT? What is the difference in roles? Duties?

Thanks,

A PCT is the next step for CNA's that want to advance their career. You get certified in 12 lead EKG, Foley's, IV initiation, etc. You may have to go through a few semesters of nursing school before that being transferred to these skills. The local hospital here will take (I think 2 semesters of clinicals) as certification in PCT. This may be a better option for you!!

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Specializes in ICU, Hospice, Nursing Education.
A lot of places aren't willing or do not have the time to teach you "nursing" related stuff.

I have to disagree with you a bit here. Interacting with patients, dealing with family members, dealing with other staff, time management, bed baths, checking vitals, proper transfer techniques, the proper way to do many tasks without hurting your back, the proper way to remove/apply a gown, good oral hygene, the proper way to make a bed, identifying potential decubitus ulcers, Hippa, shaving, ROM, tolieting, etc...

I would say that is all "nursing" related stuff.

I agree with what you are saying, but don't be mistaken. I value my CNA's and appreciate everything they do. However, I stay busy for about 10 hours of my shift with actual patient care followed by hours of charting. I have to chart on some of my patients every 2 hours so, that takes up quite a bit of my time. Not to mention, if a crisis arises.. I am put even further behind. I have no issue with teaching a nursing student or to answer any questions, but my first obligation is to my patients. The things you mentioned above are nursing related duties that I deal with daily (even when I have a CNA). Titrating drips, dealing with families of patients who have passed, and pain management is not something that CNA's do daily. These are just a few of the things you cannot possibly "learn" until you are doing them frequently. So, I say again... I am happy to answer any and all questions and train nursing students. But I don't typically have time. That is all I was trying to say. You will also run across some nurses who don't want to deal with it, I am not one of those. I was simply trying to let the original poster of this thread know that every facility is different and every nurse they work with are different. She simply cannot expect to learn what an RN does by working there. I hope she finds something where there is great opportunity to learn. But this day and age with the responsibilities placed on the primary nurse... I am sure it will be difficult to come by!:twocents:

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In my city no one got a job if they didn't already have one as a CNA (Patient Care Tech). There is no nursing shortage for new grads and hospitals only hired within themselves.

Also I would reccommend it so you can see what nursing is really about, how the hospitals run, and very good information and experience, you will feel less lost when you start

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Please excuse my ignorance - what is the difference b/w a CNA and a PCT? I've actually never heard of a PCT?

I'm pretty sure a CNA is typically a 3 month certification? How many months is the PCT? What is the difference in roles? Duties?

Thanks,

Where I live, a CNA can take a 1 week 40 hr course to become a PCA/PCT. It's a certificate program here. They do more, and where I live only PCA's can work in hospitals. CNA's work in LTC's in my state.

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In a word...YES. Absolutely, as a Nursing student and CNA myself (I worked as a CNA while going through undergrad) I have learned so much about nursing bc if nurses know that you are interested in becoming a nurse they try to help you out, as well as it helped me understand concepts that I learned in the classroom outside the classroom. Also, I can always tell the nurses who worked as a CNA before becoming an RN in the hospital that I work at because those who have been CNAs understand the workload that is involved( it IS a job full of a lot of diaper changing, wound dressing, and bathing...a lot of grunt work, but worth it). and help out. So, when you are a nurse in years to come, you will also be able to understand the positions of those who are helping you as techs or nurses and it will create a better work environment for you as well.

Best of luck!

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Specializes in Medical Surgical Orthopedic.

I wish I had worked as a CNA at some point. I am comfortable with meds and assessments, but pretty clumsy when it comes to changing bedding, changing incontinence garments, and cleaning people up.

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Specializes in Psych/CD/Medical/Emp Hlth/Staff ED.

There are 3 nursing programs in my area and they all require experience as a CNA (3-6 months) to apply to their RN programs.

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