Want to be a CNA- nervous! Advice?

Anne36, LPN · Apr 16, 2007

HI! I'm in a similar situation. I might be taking classes in July. Ive been home for 16 years. Where are you taking your class? I'm probably going to go to Red Cross.

Jenso79 · Apr 16, 2007

Good to know there is another person in the same boat. I am actually going to take a local community college. Suprisingly its only a 2 week course. Everyday frm 9-3.

What made you decide to venture out as a CNA?

Im just tired of the same day to day stuff at my current job.

Anne36, LPN · Apr 17, 2007

Well, I wanted something that I could get into quickly and since the training is only 3 weeks.... Also, I am hoping to try the pre med classes and wanted some exposure to test out how I would feel about doing the lpn program. I am older (36) so I dont think that I would invest more than a couple of years in school. I realized from reading these boards that if I was an lpn I would probably end up in ltc.

I have some experience with ltc in the sense that my grandma and aunt were both in care the last year of their life. Two very different facilities. One was really nice and expensive, the other was a typical institutional like setting that most people go to when they dont have a bazillion dollars. I loved the place my grandma went to, we were always joking around how we wanted to move in there. LOL (I would hang out there sometime and chill out) I'm a little scared about the other kind of place though.

Jenso79 · Apr 17, 2007

I dont know necessarily you would end up in LTC...why not go the whole 9 yards for you RN?

I hope to do that eventually. I am 28 so I sometimes feel the same way..but don't you think when you're older, you will look back and think, if I only went the extra time, I'd be making more money too?? I've read thru a lot of the boards, and in some places, some LPNs and RN's do a lot of the same kind of work- of course the difference being their paycheck.

I'm nervous about what to expect also. I am coming from a typical office job to this and hope I do well.

dorselm · Apr 21, 2007

Hello,

I was an Accountant in the corporate headquarters of a fortune 500 company for 8 1/2 yrs. Well actually I was in payroll for 4 years and then moved to a property accountant position for the remaining 4 1/2 yrs. I hated sitting at a desk all day everyday. I wanted to work with helping people so I decided to become a nurse. I took began to take my prerequites for nursing school and then I decided to become a CNA to 1. see what the medical field is about 2. to learn what working with people is like and 3. to know what CNA's do so that when I become a nurse I can have a greater respect for their job. Boy did I get a handful and then some! Being a CNA is hard work. As I am writing this, I am preparing for a weekend of two 16 hr shifts starting at 7 am on Saturday and ending at 11:30 that night and then doing it all over again on Sunday. I work at an LTC facility on the skilled floor which is like a mini hospital. We get dementia patients, oriented patients, young, old, very sick, some who just need physical or occupational therapy. You name it. They come for a few days, weeks or months and then they leave. We always get new patients. It is sooooooo sooooooo soooooo hard being a CNA let me tell you. When I come home, I can't feel my feet anymore, I don't want to stand straight up because my back won't let me and I just want to sleep all day Monday just to recouperate from the weekend. It's crazy. If you want to know what a day as a CNA is like for me, read my previous post. When I tell people at work what I used to do, they always ask me why was I crazy enough to give up that job for being a CNA. Truthfully, I am starting to regret it. You just really don't get paid nearly enough to do what CNA's do. To each her own though. Some people love it. Some people hate it. To me it's a necessary evil to get me to where I want to be which is a registered nurse which is hard in and of itself. Nursing school is killing me and I've only been in it for about 2 months now. I don't want to scare you but just click on my name and read my previous posts and they will give you an idea of what its like to be a CNA and I am 36 also Anne so I know exactly how you feel. Don't mean to scare you but you asked......

susanstrange · Apr 21, 2007

I'm currently going to a community college. I'm almost done with my prereques to get into the nursing program, which is another two years, but being a CNA seems to be the logical first step to becomming an RN, or to get experience at least. I'm looking for CNA programs in my area right now. Does anyone know about how long the typical CNA program is?

susanstrange · Apr 21, 2007

I'm currently going to a community college. I'm almost done with my prereques to get into the nursing program, which is another two years, but being a CNA seems to be the logical first step to becomming an RN, or to get experience at least. I'm looking for CNA programs in my area right now. Does anyone know about how long the typical CNA program is?

Thepreacherswife · Apr 24, 2007

Susan~

I live in California too. I will be finishing up my CNA class in about 3 weeks! At our community college here there are two programs- one is 6 weeks but clincal is monday-friday for 8 hrs. a day. The second is one semester long but we have lecture on one night a week and then saturday we have clinical from 6:30a.m. - 11 a.m. (with post conference afterwards) So all in all not too bad! I guess it depends on if you have a job, family to take care of you know just what your schedule allows you. Or what you can sacrifice.. Hope that helps and GOOD LUCK!!

Irene joy · Apr 24, 2007

Susan, I'm also at a community college as a pre-nursing student. My pre-requs are done and I'm now working my way through the co- requs. I am taking a cna course through their continuing education program and it is about 12 weeks long. Two nights a week are lecture, then saturdays and one weeks day will be clinical. I was debating on whether to save my money and get trained faster at a nursing home for free, but I decided on cc. because there will be a more varied clinical experiance, not just one place, and also they will provide the cpr and hiv training that is required for the nursing program. Good luck with your program, I wish summer was here now!!

susanstrange · Apr 26, 2007

Yeah, I didn't know they offer CNA classes at C.C.'s Thank you I'll check it out!

peanutsmama · Apr 27, 2007

I'm in the same boat as many of you. I am 35, have a well paying job in the investment field. I am enrolled in a Nurses Aid course on the weekends. What do I want to give up my desk job? My new baby girl. The company that pays me the decent bucks had ZERO rewards and could care less about people with families. The medical field offers me the opportunity to work a night shift ans actually help someone. I know I'm new here, but I want to share an opinion. We all know that the work is hard.... very hard, however, caring people are desperately needed to take care of those in need. Especially the elderly. Good luck to everyone thinking about doing this! There is nothing worse than looking back and regretting that you didn't at least try something that you wanted to do.