Would love some advice......

Tina73RN · May 18, 2011

I believe you will never know until you try. I started as a CNA during my first college experience in 1991-1993. I got my ADN RN at that time. It took another 14 years for me to go back for my BSN. There is no more pay for that unless I leave to another hospital! You need to define your goals to 'what makes you comfortable'. I would always say go for the RN if you can. If not look to that LPN school:) You can do it!

talaxandra · May 18, 2011

Though we don't have them in Australia, my understanding is that the CNA role involves a lot more than wiping butts, but is limited to providing assistance with basic care and daily living activities (hygeine, eating, mobility etc).

Again, the situation's different here but getting into our LPN-equivalent program here doesn't require competency in algebra, so maybe check out what the course requirements are before deciding you can't do it. Though you have to have a degree of academic intelligence, in my experience completing most educational qualifications relies more heavily on determination, tenacity and life not getting in the way!

Regarding the decision you ought to make: only you can weigh up the short-term differences (course and associated costs, length of education, convenience of proximity) against the long-term differences (higher pay, greater career potential). In any case, good luck with your new career direction :)

BOOYARN · May 18, 2011

do LPN double the pay from cna... no algebra or chemistry needed, just anatamoy and physiology focused in nursing , its not as hard as you think. the classes are focused learning which makes it alot easier. at least thats how it was for me.

i took college algebra when i was twenty and failed it. still went on to get my LPN then a year later got into RN.

JUST GO FOR IT!!! CNA is really tough work for little pay i really look up to them!!!!cause i rather work at walmart!!!

just my opinions!!!

chiandre · May 18, 2011

first, you are going the right direction because you are asking for advice.

secondly, you have to do a serious soul searching. are you very passionate about healthcare career?

if healthcare is what you really want, then i suggest that you close your eyes and “jump in”. don't worry about courses and how difficult they will be. remember, you are there to learn. nobody expects you to know everything. continue to use the resources around you to help you make that transition into being a student again. ask for advice; volunteer in your local hospital or nursing home; talk to your professors. it will be hard but in the end, you will be happy that you "took the bull by the horn". you are always welcome to ask for assistance in this forum.

i wish you the best! you can do it!!!

EmergencyNrse · May 18, 2011

You asked for advice so here it is...

Go back to school. You have to dedicate yourself.

Nothing worthwhile in life comes easy. You have to work at it.

Not going to do it without putting out some effort.

Do not dwell on the mistakes of the past. Concentrate on the future.

I hear some self-doubt in your post. Know that you can do it. There isn't a course out there designed to fail. You only fail yourself. If you try...really try you'll succeed!

Good Luck

mustlovepoodles, RN · May 18, 2011

I just want to add: Nobody likes wiping butts. There. I said it. Wiping butts is not fun. Neither is wiping snotty noses, cleaning up vomit, or bandaging gross wounds. But it's something we all do to help people get well. I think you have to figure out what your goal is. Do you want to get into the healthcare field because you can help people? Do you think it would be a good way to pay your bills and give you job security? Not that that's a bad thing. Nobody would do this job for free. You just need to take a good hard look at what you want to be doing.

I'm a school nurse. I do NOT wipe butts. But I see my share of other bodily fluids. I love what i do and being an older nurse(I'm 54) is an advantage at school--I'm like their little grandmother. I don't make a great salary (less than $20,000/yr) but I LOVE what i do and I know I'm making a difference in their lives.

So, what do you want to do? Make a goal then figure out what you have to do to accomplish that goal. :nurse:

Punkygrl · May 25, 2011

Thanks for all the advice - I really appreciate it! Still deciding.....

Five&Two Will Do · May 25, 2011

Thanks for all the advice - I really appreciate it! Still deciding.....

I did exactly what you ae toaking about doing. I wanted a good stable career that gave me a bit more satisfaction than the job I had. I chose the CNA because it was a quick and easy way for me to determine whether or not nursing would be something that I enjoyed. CNA's can make a pretty good salary too. I was lucky and got a job at a VA hospital which enabled me to go from hospice to nursing home to mental health to a general float position as a CNA over a period of about 5 years. The last couple of those years I was a full time student in an RN program. My experience as a CNA really helped me in school too. At the end of my time as a cna I ended up making about $16/hr. It is a great choice to become a nurse, and if you do not like it you can always do something else. Hope this helps you a bit good luck:)

RNforLongTime · May 25, 2011

I think anybody going into school for LPN or RN should be required to be a CNA first. I was a CNA my final year of nursing school and I think it really helped me develop time management skills because I knew I had so much time to do certain tasks(AM care, baths/showers, toiletiing) before lunch and then so much time to toilet and put the residents to bed for a nap afterwards. With 14-16 residents who require total care, you learn time management real quick. I also learned that certain LPNs would NOT help you with transfers no matter what...they all had a 'bad back".

Since becoming an RN, I've worked with CNA's who have told me that they enjoyed working with me because I'm one of the few RN's who will get up and go answer a call bell rather than expecting the aide to do it as the other RN's on the floor would do.

I know in my area, there are several nursing homes who will provide CNA training so long as you agree to work for them for a certain time period. I think becoming a CNA is a good stepping stone to a nursing career because just because you are an LPN or RN doesn't make you above wiping butts, answering bells or any other task a CNA typically performs in caring for patients/residents. It'll give you a small taste for what you'll be doing later on in your career.

Five&Two Will Do · May 25, 2011

I think anybody going into school for LPN or RN should be required to be a CNA first. I was a CNA my final year of nursing school and I think it really helped me develop time management skills because I knew I had so much time to do certain tasks(AM care, baths/showers, toiletiing) before lunch and then so much time to toilet and put the residents to bed for a nap afterwards. With 14-16 residents who require total care, you learn time management real quick. I also learned that certain LPNs would NOT help you with transfers no matter what...they all had a 'bad back".
Since becoming an RN, I've worked with CNA's who have told me that they enjoyed working with me because I'm one of the few RN's who will get up and go answer a call bell rather than expecting the aide to do it as the other RN's on the floor would do.
I know in my area, there are several nursing homes who will provide CNA training so long as you agree to work for them for a certain time period. I think becoming a CNA is a good stepping stone to a nursing career because just because you are an LPN or RN doesn't make you above wiping butts, answering bells or any other task a CNA typically performs in caring for patients/residents. It'll give you a small taste for what you'll be doing later on in your career.

I actually laughed out loud when I read the part about the LPN's that "all have a bad back". We had those too! I think it is terrible and I hope lpn's don't think that i am generalizing any statement about them, but when I was a CNA in a LTC facility that is EXACTLY how it was. The one or two RN's would not help us do anything either. You would think that those nurses would melt if they got wet or it would kill one of them to make a bed while you were bathing the 350lb whopper on your hall. I vowed to never ever be like that as a nurse, and I am not. You make me laugh thanks!

Katelin Lyons · Jun 27, 2011

Hello,
I have been lurking here for awhile and just wanted to ask total strangers lol a question!
I have been thinking lately about going to school..... I want a "stable" career.
I was thinking of trying to get into a nursing home so maybe they would pay for CNA training, but I don't want to just wipe buts. I know I might no matter what I go into but that is not ALL I want to do. Then I thought maybe MA which there is a school here that is 9 mos - but then I think there is another school that is like 30 minutes away that offers a 1 year LPN program... so I think sheesh for 3 more months I could try for LPN but honestly I do not feel smart enough to try for lpn =( I took some college algebra in some night courses when my ex was in the army and got a C maybe I should have taken beginners lol but still..... I don't remember ANY algebra, chemistry or biology and that scares me and makes me feel like a total idiot and I don't want to maybe get into a school/college and fail.
I am 45 and everything I have learned in school, even the college courses I took years ago, is fading from my mind now.
So my advice to anyone who takes the time to read this :) is what would you do?

That's not too difficult. You should not worry as this happens with everyone. If you are not in touch with your studies then you start feeling that you have forgotten every thing. But don't panic, just go through your subjects again and then you'll find that you can recollect everything. As per your post I think you can choose any career which will guarantee you a job. One such course is sonography technician course. This is of 2 years and after doing this you can directly enter into this profession. If you are not feeling comfortable in attending a college regularly, then you can go for online courses also. Online course may help you because then you can devote some time in going through the subjects that you left a long way back. I had gone through an article which explained the salary, a sonography technician draws every month. I was quite amazed. I would really like to share that article with you. http://www.sonographytechnician.org/salary-information-for-sonography-technicians/ This is having all information about the universities providing online course in sonography technician and also gives an insight on, how much you can earn after becoming a sonography technician.