Were You a Nursing Assistant

Published

before you started nursing school?

Did it give you a really good idea of what nursing is all about?

I have heard it both ways. Would like to take a poll to find out

more info.....

Specializes in ORTHOPAEDICS-CERTIFIED SINCE 89.

6 1/2 years. 1 year prior to that on an OB floor at a Catholic hospital. My head nurse kept trying to "convert me" as my Mama is Catholic. Really all I did was refill water pitchers and put clean sheets on the labor beds.

Another girl got bed pan duty and teeth. I thought I got the neat job until the intakes started being more than the deliveries. Hall beds were used and screens put around. Wow changing the sheets on a soiled screen is no pie job.

Both of us stayed out of OB when we graduated. Too much of a "good thing"?

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Specializes in None yet.

I am going to take classes to get my STNA in June. I am hoping that will give me a good idea of what Nursing can be like. Then go on from there to get my LPN. If I really like it from there I plan on getting my RN. Who knows? I am just taking it one day at a time! :nurse:

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Specializes in CCU,MICU,SICU,CTICU,Renal, Recovery.

Yes I was a disorderly and a nurse tech while in school. I worked in the CCU that I ended up becoming the CN of a couple years later. I learned more there working then I did in my clinicals...

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Actually I was first an institutional aide then a psychiatric aide on the acute adult psychiatric admission unit at a provincial mental health facility. I worked for 6 1/2 years before finally taking my bosses advice and starting school which included upgrading my grade 12 for high school. I worked evening shift for 7 years and went to high school, college, and university to earn my BScN/RN. My 4 children were young when I started but now all are in trades or graphic arts as they did not think being a nurse was worth the trouble. I can't fault them as they will earn about the same as I do without going into debt to get similar earnings.

Being an aide was invaluable to learn to work with patients and learn a lot of the skills needed as a nurse. Some of the nurses I now work with are wonderful but some lack compassion as they went into it for the big bucks. Actually almost all the 77 females in my degree program were there as it is one of the few female professions that pay well. Some entered the program at age 17 and I think one was 16 so they had no real idea what they were in for and less life experience to draw on.

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Specializes in ER, Acute, home health, LTC, & Psy.

Started as a med asst -->CNA-->LPN-->RN

what the future holds...........who knows?:nurse:

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

No, straight into nursing school.

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i was a certified nursing assistant about 10 years before going to nursing school. it really helped me understand a few things about the nursing profession.

some schools are now requiring one to be a nursing assistant before being able to apply for nursing school. must be something new.

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I'm taking a CNA course next year as a high school senior. It's offered through the local vocational/tech school, and qualifies you to take the certification exam.

I want to be an RN (or at least, I think I do), and from what I've heard, CNA's get a little taste of what nursing is like, so if I do the course and absolutely hate it, I might decide nursing isn't for me, but if I like it, then I'll go from there.

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Specializes in telemetry, med-surg, home health, psych.

I worked as a CNA on the night shift at a large hospital and I really got a good insight into what nursing was all about. On nights, the nurses had me helping them with many different things....I saw it all......I would recommend highly that you work as a CNA first to see if that is what you want to do.

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I too worked as a NA & Unit Coordinator and agree that i learned more Unit coordinating than as a nursing assistant

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Specializes in Physician office, Hosp, Nursing Home.

Yes, I was an aide 24 yrs ago, we didn't have to be certified then in IN, then I got my QMA and worked another year or so in long term care. It did give me an Idea what I was getting into. I knew then I was born to be a nurse.

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Specializes in Home Health, Geriatrics.

yes, I was a nursing assistant back in the early 1980's when the state started mandating nursing assistants to become certified. I got my certification through my place of employment at that time

Yes, it helped me to understand more about resident/patient care and it also taught me not to be like the nurses who I worked around as an aide.

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