working as an aid while in school

Surviving9347 · Dec 5, 2008

I have been working as CNA for 7 years and I am now in nursing and will contiune to work as a CNA on the weekends. It is an excellent experiance and I think it will make you a better, more appreciative nurse.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Dec 5, 2008

Countless people work as CNAs and aides while attending school. Click on the blue link below if you would like to visit our CNA Discussion forum. Good luck to you!

https://allnurses.com/forums/f265/

xlilchatonx · Dec 5, 2008

This is actually something I was looking to do also. My school does offer courses to become a certified nurses aid and I do see that many on here are CNA's also. My question is, is where did you find the time to become a CNA while taking your pre-reqs? I didn't realize this when I was first looking into it until I saw on my school .. it's like a 2wk program but it's mon-thurs 8:00-4:30PM ... and I just can't do that with my other classes... =\

fellowshipofthecat · Dec 5, 2008

I was thinking of going the weekend route, too. I don't know yet how heavy a nursing school schedule is. How many days a week do students do the clinicals and how many hours?

fellowshipofthecat · Dec 5, 2008

some hospitals will hire you on as a cna if you're a nursing student. only requirement is that you've had the very basics taught to you. That's why i'm so interested in it.

Surviving9347 · Dec 5, 2008

I took the CNA class while I was in High school and I was a CNA all through college until I got my BS in Finance. However, I kept my CNA perdiam so that I do not loose it and can keep it on my resume through nursing school. Maybe try CNA school during your winter or summer break. It is definatly worth it.

Surviving9347 · Dec 5, 2008

Also once you hit Nusing 101 I hear it is very demand. I day clinical 8-3:30, lecture 8-12:00 and lab 8:12. Then after nursing 101, clinical is two days, and half day lab, half day lecture. Needless to say I will have to go part time in finance job and work as CNA on the weekend to suppliment for loss in income. I make about 16.50 an hr as a CNA about $6 less than I make with my Finance degree

xlilchatonx · Dec 5, 2008

some hospitals will hire you on as a cna if you're a nursing student. only requirement is that you've had the very basics taught to you. That's why i'm so interested in it.

It seems like you're in the same boat as I am, but I didn't know that! I will definitely be asking around about that too. Thanks so much.

IHeartPhysiology · Dec 5, 2008

This is actually something I was looking to do also. My school does offer courses to become a certified nurses aid and I do see that many on here are CNA's also. My question is, is where did you find the time to become a CNA while taking your pre-reqs? I didn't realize this when I was first looking into it until I saw on my school .. it's like a 2wk program but it's mon-thurs 8:00-4:30PM ... and I just can't do that with my other classes... =\

Wow; the CNA course is only 2 weeks??

The CNA course at my college is 3 months (one term). I'm taking it in the spring because my pre-req's will be done. I'll just be waiting to see if i was admitted into the program. Do you have a lot of pre-req's left to complete? Maybe there's a weekend/ evening certification course you could take. These are sometimes also offered through LTCs and the Red Cross.

xlilchatonx · Dec 5, 2008

I'm sorry, it's not 2 weeks it's 3 weeks. But yes, less than a month. It's a 96 hour course and you can either do night or day (as long as it's offered).

See .. I've realized my college is very different .. to enter the nursing program you don't have to have ANY pre-reqs done. (but I do have most done because I'm earning 2 degrees, a business degree first, and then the nursing, so I'll have all the non-nursing classes done before I start the program anyway.)

http://www.luzerne.edu/academics/catalog2008/degree.jsp?header=nursing.jpg&code=NUR&dept=1&sel=1&d=12

I don't think that's normal for most schools (btw, mines a community so ADN is the only possible degree).

yeah that's what I'm looking into too the red cross and I just e-mailed a LTC facility and asked them. Thanks for the suggestion.

MisaChickaBea · Dec 6, 2008

This is something I was wondering about. I start taking my pre-reqs in Jan. I have a fulltime management job and hope to keep working for at least the first semester. I have a MAT 110, PSY 201, ENG 101 and BIO 110 to take before I enter the NUR program in fall 09. All my pre-reqs I can do online except for the BIO so, I have managed to get one day a week off to take that class (YEAH FOR ME!!), but I wondered if I could complete CNA certificate in the Summer, so that in the Fall when I have to quit working, I could have that as an option to work on weekends and nights. Here, SC, CNAs make like $7/hr from what I hear, but some $ is better than no money. I am going to also check in the paper because I remember seeing an ad for a 6 or 8 week course for CNA. You pay like $350 to take it I think. Check out my other post: 33 and starting over.