The state I live in, Oregon, requires me to obtain a CNA license before applying to nursing school. why?

Well if you look at it negatively, how would you look at other courses required for your degree? Being a CNA is not bad. But it is also not for everyone, but in my opinion a nurse that has worked as one is a good nurse. Not only to the patients but also other employees such as PCTs and CNAs. Yes CNAs do all of the dirty back breaking work, but CNA's also have more of an Idea of the field than nursing students working at forever 21. It is not always about what other people think about you, what what you feel about yourself. If you will be ashamed of being a CNA then nursing itself might not be for you, because nursing is not glamorous. Idk what college you are trying to go to, but it depends, some require a certain amount of experience as a CNA before being admitted to the program and some don't. Some people go into nursing for the wrong reasons, they are miserable through schooling and they will be miserable through the entire career. Nursing might pay well for some people, but it is not always pretty, it is not for the lazy, and it is most definitely not easy. People who just want money make bad nurses, so they are probably doing it so people are sure nursing is for them before they try being a nurse. One must be able to look at the positive and also the negative, not one or the other.