Young mom of 3 considering CNA

Missingyou, CNA · Apr 14, 2017

You can go to indeed.com and put in CNA nurse aide and your area code and that will give you a pretty good idea of the demand for CNA in your area and maybe even the pay.

I will bet that the demand for CNA is there.

Nursing homes will be the most consistent reliable income but, the most physically demanding and stressful (especially for a new CNA). It's not for everyone.

You will likely find work with home care...but they can often be unreliable since your patients will go into hospitals etc. I have worked for many homecare agencies over the years and they promise you all the work you want, however, I found that you can have 20 hours one week and 2 hours the next even when YOU planned on the 20 hours. Home care is usually (not always) morning hours.

Hospitals almost always require at least 6 months experience in long term care (nursing home). That, or course, depends on the demand for CNA's/

Another thing to consider, especially if you work in a nursing home, there is a chance of being mandated to stay and additional shift. If you have kids, this can be a challenge for you.

You can also do "per diem" or "as needed". Where you will be able to pick the days you want to work. You won't have the benefits but, you can pretty much choose when you want to work and how often. Some places will have directives such as you must work one weekend a month, 2 holidays a year and/or a minimum of 8 hours a month.

Some states allow home health aides. Which does not require a CNA. You will be doing home care rather than patient care. Cooking, cleaning, running errands. The pay is much less, usually minimum wage.

t3mama · Apr 19, 2017

I am also a mother of three babies under three and a CNA! I don't live in GA though, but my state has a similar cost of living as far as I know. My CNA training wasn't very long or expensive, and I was able to find two desirable jobs right after I finished. At one facility it was a small geri-psych unit, part-time graves at 13.5/hr, and the benefits were not good. The other job I was offered, and ultimately accepted, was at a local hospital, full-time nights with excellent benefits at $12 something an hour. I took this job because the benefits are incredible and the hospital was an amazing opportunity. I later found out I get a shift differential as well so I'm glad I took it because I probably make more than $13.5 with the difference. I would think that if you decide to go the CNA route, that your CNA instructors will know what the normal wage for local positions are, as well as job opportunities as well. If you are also going into nursing I would totally recommend getting your CNA and working at least part-time for the experience. Good luck with whatever you choose to do!

willvz · Apr 19, 2017

I personally don't think anyone should be a CNA unless they have an extreme passion for helping people(and I mean extreme to the level of cleaning up some pretty nasty bodily stuff) or they are planning on becoming a nurse. I'm a nursing student about to finish my first semester and part of our weekly clinicals is essentially doing CNA work and I have seen some pretty nasty stuff come out of people. I mean I have a toddler but this stuff tops her.

The reality is, the pay is just not equivalent to the type of work. It is very physically demanding work. I actually made more working as a barista at Starbucks than what a CNA makes(around 9-$10/hr in Florida). Plus, you get all those great Starbucks benefits...I know I sound like I'm preaching for working for Starbucks, but I do miss all the free coffee and cheap health insurance.

Point being, it's not worth the cost of the program when there are higher paying jobs that are less demanding with better benefits out there.

vanedda · Apr 19, 2017

Honey you will always have some work as a cna! Do it, keep going, you can do it!! I started out as a cna and now work as a nurse tech, and I attend college looking forward to finishing nursing school in three years [email protected]

SAHMX3 · Apr 28, 2017

Thank you all for your input! I appreciate the honesty. This is all very helpful to me.

Future-NurseRedHeart · May 21, 2017

$9-$15 is what I've seen in my job search. Being a CNA is exhausting, no way I could be a CNA and have kids, props to you!