Should all nursing students be required to be a CNA for one year?

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Okay, please dont take my head off......but I hear/see so many students/new nurses regret the career path for whatever the reason maybe. My question is......Should all future nurses be required by law to have at least one year as a CNA before being accepted into nursing school? I ask this b/c new nurses are taught, it seems, so little about that level of nursing. A CNA being the most basic of the nursing staff, just does not seem correct if those who will rule over them does not have it.

As well as, the career path can be examined more closely by rolling up the sleeves and jumping in with body, mind and soul. Finding out if this is the place for you before you spend $$$$, time and even taking the seat in nursing school from someone who really knows this is for them.

Thank you for reading this and for your gentle response's. :)

BTW taking the CNA class is not a *requirement* or pre req for our local cc nursing program, but it is strongly recommended, and since it's competitive to get into most programs, I'd personally feel uncomfortable applying to school w/o it.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
Should all future nurses be required by law to have at least one year as a CNA before being accepted into nursing school? .

Thank you for reading this and for your gentle response's. :)

Nope, I do NOT.

And you are welcome. :)

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Specializes in Home Health, Primary Care.

I don't think it is necessary for students to be a CNA, neither do I think it should be required by law, prior to entering nursing school. If you cannot learn the basics that are taught in Fundamental of Nursing (where I was taught CNA duties and still do them up to this day, my last semester of nursing school), then perhaps bedside nursing is not for you. I don't think this person should quit nursing all together, but there is definitely a place for that person in the field. But to say they should be a CNA for a year prior to entering nursing school, I think it may turn people off from becoming an RN and that would be a shame, since being an RN is not only about being able to perform CNA duties.

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Sorry Jim but I think you mis-understand......the question was from the stand point of "CNA basic nursing"..........if this is the low man on the totem pole, then this is the basic patient care, is it not. And Jim I am sure you are a professional that does not mind getting "your hands dirty" but to be honest we all know at least one RN, most likely in our work place and no doubt on our shift that either wont or does not know the first thing about this basic nursing.

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Personally, I don't think it should be REQUIRED, however I think it should be strongly recommended. With the waiting list for nursing programs being so long, I definately think that being a CNA during your wait would be beneficial.

I was a CNA the last year of my nursing program, and it makes a nursing student MUCH more comfortable with basic patient care.

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Specializes in Urgent Care.

my school requires us to do the CNA program before entering the ADN program. We don't have to become certified or work as a CNA, but we did 3 weeks in a hospital learning the basics.

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I dont think nursing students should be required to become a CNA first b/c

1. The CNA programs in (fresno) are too hard to get into. There are over 100 people competing for 20 spots. ( i've tried)

2. I just dont have $700-$900 dollars to pay for one either as a college student.

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No, not a requirement to be a CNA for a year.

I learned CNA skills my first semester in school. Everyone is a little timid about learning to care so intimately for patients. It takes awhile for CNA's to feel comfortable too. Maybe they should be required to take a class to get them comfortable with patient care before they become CNA's. :)

It should be up to each individual person if they wish to go this route. I didn't see any advantage for me. Many people in my nursing class took the CNA class the summer before we started school. (I've told this story before so sorry if you've heard it) .. .I asked RN friend who was mentoring me if I should take a CNA class and she told me no, take the summer off and enjoy my family because nursing school was intense. And besides, CNA skills are learned at the beginning and when you do your clinicals, you are essentially doing CNA stuff along with learning assessment skills when you first hit the floor.

Where I work there are usually two RN's and two CNA's and we work together as a team. We help make beds, empty urinals, etc., . . .

I went into nursing with no experience in taking care of patients either and it was a hurdle to jump over - that intimacy - but we all have to jump it and I didn't need a CNA class to help me do that.

Everyone should be free to make their own choice but I see no real benefit for me to have it mandated.

steph

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Should it be required ? NO but...

I'm an old dinosaur diploma RN. We were 'strongly encouraged' to work as techs (different duties/grades of NA's depending on where we were in the program) in our off time during our 3 year nurse training program. We earned pocket $$ and learned at the same time. Only a few chose not to and I think they missed out on a whole lot of mentoring and OJT IMO.

This was an advantage, working and learning in a big teaching hospital. I feel many of today's new grads would greatly benefit from this type education, but it has been discarded largely due to the push for BSN/classroom over OJT clinical hours. But, IMHO was all good. :)

Our medical students often worked as orderlies as well...and later they had limited 'house officer' paid duties...all good experience. I don't know any, docs or nurses, who regret doing this. :)

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I'm an old dinosaur diploma RN. We were 'strongly encouraged' to work as techs (different duties/grades of NA's depending on where we were in the program) in our off time during our 3 year nurse training program. We earned pocket $$ and learned at the same time. Only a few chose not to and I think they missed out on a whole lot of mentoring and OJT IMO.

This was an advantage, working and learning in a big teaching hospital. I feel many of today's new grads would greatly benefit from this type education, but it has been discarded largely due to the push for BSN/classroom over OJT clinical hours. But, IMHO was all good. :)

Our medical students often worked as orderlies as well...and later they had limited 'house officer' paid duties...all good experience. I don't know any, docs or nurses, who regret doing this. :)

Actually you have a good point here . . one of our docs was an orderly during school and he says was trained well by the nurses . . .his handwriting is READABLE and he writes THANK YOU after his orders . . he cleans up after a delivery while the nurse tends to the patients .. including taking the bloody instruments and placenta to the appropriate place, picking up linen, putting the bed back together. In the ER he places foleys and gets his own instruments if it is busy to do stitches and other things. He gives the credit to his time as an orderly and the training of the nurses.

He may however just be a nice guy. Another doc who did the same training does not have legible writing, etc.

Maybe it is not the experience but what kind of person you are.

Regardless, it shouldn't be mandated.

steph

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Specializes in Home Health, Primary Care.
No, not a requirement to be a CNA for a year.

I learned CNA skills my first semester in school. Everyone is a little timid about learning to care so intimately for patients. It takes awhile for CNA's to feel comfortable too. Maybe they should be required to take a class to get them comfortable with patient care before they become CNA's. :)

It should be up to each individual person if they wish to go this route. I didn't see any advantage for me. Many people in my nursing class took the CNA class the summer before we started school. (I've told this story before so sorry if you've heard it) .. .I asked RN friend who was mentoring me if I should take a CNA class and she told me no, take the summer off and enjoy my family because nursing school was intense. And besides, CNA skills are learned at the beginning and when you do your clinicals, you are essentially doing CNA stuff along with learning assessment skills when you first hit the floor.

Where I work there are usually two RN's and two CNA's and we work together as a team. We help make beds, empty urinals, etc., . . .

I went into nursing with no experience in taking care of patients either and it was a hurdle to jump over - that intimacy - but we all have to jump it and I didn't need a CNA class to help me do that.

Everyone should be free to make their own choice but I see no real benefit for me to have it mandated.

steph

I couldn't have said it better myself!!!

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
but to be honest we all know at least one RN, most likely in our work place and no doubt on our shift that either wont or does not know the first thing about this basic nursing

I saw both LPNs and RNs that are like this, which is why i think a CNA course should be recommended, by not a law.

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