Where should I try and work as a CNA?

[emilycase2]

Yay, I passed my CNA exam last week and am mailing everything in to be certified --finally! Do any of you guys have words of wisdom or ideas about what I should do now? I want to work as a CNA to gain experience as I go on to become an LPN, then RN. But I need to keep my well paying parttime job and am also a full time student. Thanks for any advice you can give...

[CoffeemateCNA]

Since you are wanting to become a nurse in the future, working in a hospital would get you the best experience, as well as the best pay (usually).

But. . .

Most (not all) hospitals prefer applicants to have prior experience -- and this usually means working in a nursing home for 6 - 12 months to build up your experience.

You can try applying to hospitals now, though. You never know if you will get lucky or not.

[juliaann]

Agreeing with the above. Just put some applications out there and see what happens! Did you like your clinical site? Maybe try applying there! Or anything close to where you live tends to be a good idea, so you save money on transportation. A lot of hospitals and large LTC facilities have job postings on their websites nowadays, so try doing a little e-research on the hospitals and facilities in your town or area. Most of the time you can even submit an online application! Good luck!