Is working as a CNA in a nursing home good enough?

[tentom]

Hi all,

 

I'm working in a nursing home right now and the patient care seems pretty repetitive and unskilled. Is working as a CNA in a nursing home pretty much the least desirable HCE for PA admission? How will I stack up against others who are applying if I will only have 1,000-1,500 hrs working as a CNA in a LTC facility?

[EMEDPA]

yes, it's good enough. it's not perfect but I applaud you for getting those critical 1st 1000 hrs.

it makes a big difference compared to folks who do less than 500 hrs at super low level positions like scribe.

[TarheelGirlx3]

I am with you...I work in a LTC facility because it was literally the only job I could find after 2 months of looking. The hospitals want experienced CNAs, especially ones not planning on leaving after a short while. To add to that, the doctor's offices in my area are turning away from hiring CNAs and strictly hiring CMAs...so it has been really tough for me. I look at it as as the very least I am gaining those hours and building up experience that may lead to a better medical opportunity.

[t2091]

I worked at a LTC as a CNA for my first 1300 hours and it was great experience just to get your feet wet. I learned a lot and was able to transition into a hospital role as a CNA floating to different units each shift which I felt was great to see and work with something different everyday. Try for a hospital job though if you can, you see a lot more and depending on the hospital you can do more.

[NathanLe]

I agree with the others. I came from an entirely different background than medicine and I knew I could quickly begin working as a CNA at a nursing home. My time as a CNA didn't leave me with many technical medical skills, but it helped me become more patient, empathetic, and a better listener. I did my best to communicate what I learned as a CNA in my personal statement, because schools want to understand that you learned how to be a better provider from whatever HCE you had.

 

When I sent in my CASPA app this year, I had 600 hrs as a CNA and 100 hours as a radiology tech assistant (which I'm still doing). I've received 4 interview invites so far and I've been accepted to the one school that I've interviewed at to this point. So, you don't have to have thousands and thousands of hours to get where you want to be. Learn everything you can from your current gig and keep an eye out for opportunities that will stretch your medical skills. You'd be surprised how much better your resume looks to recruiters once you have some medical experience under your belt.