How do I start off as a CNA?

Is being a cna a good start to be a nurse?

• I want to be a cna so when i start nursing school i csn pay for it. Do you get paid enough to be a cna? Please help

• Answer:

  Well, most schools in my area require the students to be STNAs now or at least have taken the class. I didn't have to be to be a student. However I worked as a patient care tech which is what they call nursing assistants at my hospital. At the hospital, I make a little bit over 12.50 plus a shift differential of an additional dollar per hour. I have a friend in the same position who makes about 11.50 an hour. At the competitor hospital system, nursing assistants start out under 10 dollars an hour. A teaching hospital starts them out at 13 dollars an hour but they have to be nursing students and preferably associated with their school, but we have students from my school that work there. I think they will pay up to 8 hours of schooling at their university regardless of what you take if you are part-time but I do not know if they will pay for your entire nursing degree like the other two will. Starting out, nursing homes in the area pay about 8 dollars to brand new STNAs. After a few months, you can usually find a competitor that will pay you 10 to 11 dollars. Some will offer tuition reimbursement. Agree to work as an LPN or an RN for 5 years and they will pay for your schooling. My hospital and the competitor offer it too. My hospital system also has a nursing school attached to it, but I don't know the rules. It's considered private and was too expensive for me at the time, but I may use it for my RN to BSN. The LPN to RN programs still have waiting lists and it will increase the amount of time in school. Many will still pay for your nursing school as a CNA if it is a big company or a hospital. Getting into the hospital as a CNA usually has an unofficial requirement of being in a nursing program or knowing someone who works there. I know some people complain that my healthcare system only hires family members of current employees, but that's not true. I was hired with no family and no friends and two other hospitals in the system were actively trying to hire me in other departments (a cardiac unit and a regular med-surg, I chose the ER position). It is tough in my area to get into a hospital period. We have a lot of hospitals, but we also have a lot of nursing schools.