What is the CNA class like?

[fascinoma]

Greetings!

I'm taking the CNA class next semester at my community college... it's three months long. Long compared to some of the other CNA classes, but the schedule works with my job and I'm already a student at that college and have a financial aid package there already, and I can maintain my full-time status if I stay with that school.

So. The question I have is, what is the class like? I plan to take a math class in addition, and I plan to also take phlebotomy/lab tech. I wasn't going to take CNA previously, but I don't want to keep doing home health, and the non-health job market has me a little worried...

Here's what I already have done:

I have worked doing home health (Attendant, Caregiver, "Provider" (IHSS terminology) for a variety of clients for over a year now. My current job involves many duties typical of a CNA, even LVN.

At the end of this semester, I'll have completed single-semester Anatomy & Physiology, and Medical Terminology at my college. I've also already completed a "math for meds" course in my college's EMT program.

I'm licensed as an EMT Basic although I haven't worked in it yet and I'm up for renewal. I've decided to just keep this valid to do volunteer stuff.

I took Phlebotomy two years ago, but it wasn't a very good program and they weren't very helpful in getting me licensed, and kept losing my paperwork. I'm going to just retake since my experience is old and I've found a really, really good program local to me that also teaches lab tech.

I'm actually not pre-nursing, I'm pre-med/pre-health, but I don't think that matters.

[rancelumsden]

The classroom part of the CNA class should be a 'no brainer' for you. The textbooks that I have used, or seen, are written only at a high school level (at best) and if you already have some background in some of these areas, no problem. The only people I've seen struggle with non-clinical textbook subjects are those who were passed through high school but should have stayed in the 6th grade. Not that you won't have to read and do homework and learn some new things. It's just very simple concepts that you will be learning.

Clinicals are difficult (to one degree or another) for most everyone. BP's are always a challenge, occupied beds are fun, transfers take some practice, and what some people find easy, others find difficult (like making hospital corners --- mine looked like a 6-year old made them as simple as it should have been). But, as is posted all the time on the forum, you simply have to practice the skills and not rely on the minimal class time that you have to learn them. We're talking about some hours of practice, not spending weekends.

Previous 'experience' may or may not be good depending on if you were doing tasks properly (which is why I put quotes around experience).

A lot of people have done caregiving, but many have avoided hurting themselves, or the person they are taking care of, only through sustained good fortune --- that is, I've seen some really poor transfering going on. There is no way I can assess your background, but at least you've been in the trenches and that can't hurt.

CNA class is the least of your concerns. Now anatomy, that's another matter....

[pianistaqua]

It's somewhere between high school and community college level - breezy! It's mostly just common sense and procedures for sanitary habits. I'm on the clinicals for a four week course and I feel fairly confident with anything I'm presented now. I wish I could say it was the same for the majority of the class. :/ It's offered as a "continued education" course so it's mostly students with no medical/college background.

[sonomala]

From your post, your more then ready for the studying, labs ect. In fact you may have trouble staying awake, lol.

One thing to note, you may find the caliber of fellow classmates not up to what you would expect. I saw some stuff that made me think I was back at high school. Keep an eye on your long term goals and ignore all the silly stuff that may go on.

[DA314]

CNA class is the easiest class I've ever taken. It is mostly common sense. The skills portion is a little harder, but even that is common sense if you stop to think about why things are done a certain way.

As for the skills, I didn't spend much time practicing them, just memorizng the steps. Maybe a couple of hours was spent on that.

The hardest skill to learn will be bp's, but that comes with practice.

I think you will do fine. I only spent like an hour a week studying. I passed the class with an A. I'm confident that I passed my State test, but It's only been 4 days, so I don't have the results yet.

Good luck to you!