Missb89 Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Hello all. I am a young single mother just starting her college career who is very interested in becoming a PA. I am looking for the best, most cost effective route to get to PA school. I am wondering if I should go ahead and get my BSN so that I will be making money and also gaining the direct patient care that is required for PA school, or if I should get my Bachelor's in Medical Science? I know that some people suggest working as an EMT while gearing up for PA school but being a single mom I don't think I could work those long, strange hours. I do realize that PAs work long hours as well but by that time my daughter will be older. It has also been suggested that I get my CNA certificate. I do respect the work that CNAs do but am not interested in that profession, period. I feel sorry for the way they get treated by most nurses and are completely unappreciated and have to do the most bottom of the barrel tasks. I was also wondering if becoming a phlebotomist would count as direct patient care? I'm sorry if I seem overbearing I am just so worried about not choosing the right path and missing out on the career that I really want to help take care of my daughter. Any advice would be amazing! Thanks in advance, Sarah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firemedic13 Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 You won't be as good a nurse without the CNA experience, and- frankly- many RN programs require you get that cert anyway. Also, if you don't want to feel unappreciated and get the bottom of the barrel tasks... well, IMO, neither RN nor PA are for you. Crap rolls downhill. So maybe DO would be the right path for you? They require no medical experience, you don't have to do crappy tasks after residency is over, and you can choose a family friendly specialty like ER or FP. ETA: Let me say this: RNs get very little appreciation for the stuff they have to do. And while some PAs do, some PAs don't. If you are really set on the PA path, well, I think the CNA to RN path might work best for you given that EMS hours would be awkward for you with childcare. ETAx2: oh, and some PA programs count phlebotomy, some don't. Check with the PA programs you are interested in. That is always TCR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GREATMDPA Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Hello all. I am a young single mother just starting her college career who is very interested in becoming a PA. I am looking for the best, most cost effective route to get to PA school. I am wondering if I should go ahead and get my BSN so that I will be making money and also gaining the direct patient care that is required for PA school, or if I should get my Bachelor's in Medical Science? I know that some people suggest working as an EMT while gearing up for PA school but being a single mom I don't think I could work those long, strange hours. I do realize that PAs work long hours as well but by that time my daughter will be older. It has also been suggested that I get my CNA certificate. I do respect the work that CNAs do but am not interested in that profession, period. I feel sorry for the way they get treated by most nurses and are completely unappreciated and have to do the most bottom of the barrel tasks. I was also wondering if becoming a phlebotomist would count as direct patient care? I'm sorry if I seem overbearing I am just so worried about not choosing the right path and missing out on the career that I really want to help take care of my daughter. Any advice would be amazing! Thanks in advance, Sarah I'd say go for BSN. You'll be making good money as an RN while you try to get in PA school, or even NP school if PA school doesn't work. It'll give you great clinical experience necesary to apply for PA school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craigk Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 To say you won't be a good nurse without CNA experience is a common misconception in the nursing field. My journey was CNA, ER tech, LPN, RN to current PA student and it only took me 18yrs to get here..anyway back to subject. Being a CNA gives some insight into patient care but it is not a prerequisite to being a good nurse. Becoming a RN is a good way to go but IF it were me I'd forgo the BSN route and do the ASN and finish your degree in whatever else or even finish the BSN. Now you must realize that while in nursing school you won't have the paid HCE required by PA programs UNLESS you work as a CNA or EMT during nursing school. If you do the ASN route you can work as a RN while finishing your BSN or whatever else your degree is in and get the HCE required. Nursing school has become ultra-competitive now so you have to nail all your pre-reqs, some schools have a GPA average of>/=3.5. Respiratory Therapy is another good route to take but it does not offer the chance to get in paid HCE during school that is related to the field so again it would be CNA type stuff. oh, and being a RN doesn't spare you from the "crappy" end of the barrel but at least you get paid a little better to do it lol. Call around to different programs in your area, check on wait list for the nursing schools either ASN or BSN and even check on LPN schools. Medical assistant programs may be another option and check with the PA schools you are interested in and see what they include as HCE. Do what is best for you and your family regardless of what others may say. One of my biggest tips though is start saving now. Open a savings account with no online or bankcard access and put money in there. If you have to go into the bank to get it out then it has a better chance of staying there as opposed to just a mouse click or drive up ATM withdrawal. One other thing, if there are any PA programs that are Certificate, Associate or BS then I would lean toward them 1st. Once you finish your degree in whatever the grant money dries up. More money available pre-bacc as opposed to post-bacc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just_me Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Most of the RN programs around here do not require CNA experience frst so check with your local programs. Phlebotomy experience counted with every program I looked at PLUS I continued on to gain even more experience (im now a MA). I will say that gettinga job as a phlebotomist is pretty difficult 99% of jobs require 6-12 mos of prior experience I would try blood banks though...the one around here was hard to get into BUT they did not require previous experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellajoy Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Just wanted to chime in about respiratory therapy. The previous poster was wrong about not being able to get paid HCE while in school. I personally was able to get close to 1000 paid HCE hours while in my program doing respiratory therapy. My official position was titled "respiratory therapy assistant." There are student positions out there. RT could be a great option for you as we go everywhere in hospitals, see patients of all ages, make decisions on patient care, have a little autonomy (depending on where you work and protocols)...also, you could either get a BS or AS and then finish a BS while you work (which may be the better option for you). You may also find it easier to get into an RT program vs an RN program just due to the demand. Also a lot of the pre-reqs to get into the professional part of my program where the same as PA school pre-reqs. Think about it! :) and feel free to ask me any questions about RT...I would be happy to answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fyrelight74 Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 You could also try Medical Assistant... a few offices will hire you without a certificate, but a certificate usually only takes a year to obtain, anyway. I took my pre-reqs (A&P, Micro, etc) while working as an MA. Daytime hours, working with doctors (who can later give you a letter of reference for PA school)... It's been good for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator rev ronin Posted January 31, 2011 Administrator Share Posted January 31, 2011 If you're a single mother, why would you want to be a PA instead of an FNP? Once you're in the Nursing "system", night schools and degree programs geared toward working adults abound. PA... not so much. Since PA and NP get mostly the same sorts of work, unless you have a burning desire to go into some non-primary-care specialty, I'm just not sure it makes sense to do the extra work and put up with the extra disruption needed to become a PA. I would never, ever recommend the PA path to any parent unless he or she has a 100% committed and supportive spouse and is in an enviable financial position BEFORE starting school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firemedic13 Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 I would never, ever recommend the PA path to any parent unless he or she has a 100% committed and supportive spouse and is in an enviable financial position BEFORE starting school. Why this? I am curious because my wife is thinking PA.... so while I am obviously 100% supportive and (hopefully) our financial state will be acceptable... I wonder why you say this. Is it because the hours during school are so brutal, and without a working spouse it is very difficult to support a child/children? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just_me Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Why this? I am curious because my wife is thinking PA.... so while I am obviously 100% supportive and (hopefully) our financial state will be acceptable... I wonder why you say this. Is it because the hours during school are so brutal, and without a working spouse it is very difficult to support a child/children? As a single parent if I didnt have the support I have I probably would have went the NP route or if my daughter was younger. I couldnt imagine having to make sure that you have child care and such set up for hours that could fluctuate Right now my daughter has to be picked up by six but what if a lecture is rescheduled for 5 or 6? Then what I get is that attending a program is pretty much a full time job and studying is your second job--managing "two jobs" as a single parent would be exhausting. Plus thats also two years of living ona really slim budget...at least as a RN you can work and make a nice living while doing everything else part time. My daughter is older and very supportive...I also have family so it doesnts eem like it would be as hard as it would if my daughter were 4 and/or I didnt have family to help. I would think it would be easier if there were a second parent to pick up some of the slack but for a single parent...very difficult without provisions in place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator rev ronin Posted January 31, 2011 Administrator Share Posted January 31, 2011 Yeah, my thoughts are pretty much what Just_me said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sakura Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 I'm currently a CNA - have been for four years - and am headed to PA school in a few months. It's not glamorous work by any means, but it's valuable HCE. ESPECIALLY when it comes to applications. I got into it because I was originally applying to nursing schools and the majority of the schools I was applying to required it. Those that didn't require it rewarded you for having it. I didn't get into those nursing schools, but by the time I was applying to PA school, I had well over the 4000 required HCE hours, thanks to that job. Which also gave me some flexibility in hours so that I could go to school at the same time. Just food for thought. (Also, to note: not all CNA jobs are created equal. I work in an outpatient clinic setting right now and am highly regarded and respected by the RNs and MDs I work with. Sure, some of the work is grunt work...but I view it more as an opportunity to help someone in the most basic sense.) I second what Craigk said - perhaps an associates level for your RN would be beneficial, though if the PA program(s) you're planning on applying to are graduate programs, I get why you want a BSN. I've met several people who feel that starting at an entry level job in the field is a better way to find out if it's really a good fit for you - mostly because they jumped right in, got a higher level degree, and are now changing careers. Heck, I was a special ed teacher before I became a CNA! SO...if you're truly concerned about choosing the right career path, I would place a vote on finding a certification program and start towards the bottom of the chain. You can't know unless you try, right? I know you're supporting a child, but I think easing in instead of throwing yourself in head first is going to give you a better idea if you're barking up the right tree - it could save you time (and money) in the end. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elainelise Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 Sorry if someone has already said this but, make sure you consider the pre-reqs for PA school. Most of the science classes you take to get into nursing school won't count for PA school. My sister is an RN and I'm in PA school now and we both took A&P courses, microbiology, chemistry ect but everything she took was "for nursing" and everything I took was "for majors." Just something to consider. I agree that nursing gives you great experience but from the pre-req point of view, NP might be an easier and quicker rout. Just my two cents. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missb89 Posted February 2, 2011 Author Share Posted February 2, 2011 Thank you all for the responses. As for the CNA situation, my main reason for not wanting to be one is because I have no desire to work in geriatrics. I will go through my clinical rotations in geriatrics with the utmost respect and care, but I do not see myself ever working in that field. I know that CNAs can get jobs in hospitals but that is very rare around here, 95% are employed in LTC. I have heard of many, many people going the CNA route before their desired medical professions and getting burned out. As for being a single parent, I have tons of family support so I'm not too worried about it. I am blessed when it comes to that. I would rather be a PA than a NP for several reasons. First of all I'm much more interested in the medical model than the nursing model, but I know that I will find out for sure if I do enter nursing school. I do like the advice of getting the ADN then finishing my bachelor's in something else so that I can get the experience. Another thing that goes against the NP is that I believe in 2015 it will be a doctorate program rather than a masters so it would just take me that much longer to be where I want to be. Again, thanks for your responses. Sarah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firemedic13 Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 Another thing that goes against the NP is that I believe in 2015 it will be a doctorate program rather than a masters so it would just take me that much longer to be where I want to be. Again, thanks for your responses. Sarah Probably only a year longer given the way things are currently going for the DNP.... which is considered a joke by many. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just_me Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 Thats something simply solved by taking all sciences for science majors. PA schools will not take watered down versions but nursing programs will accept the science for science majors. Sorry if someone has already said this but, make sure you consider the pre-reqs for PA school. Most of the science classes you take to get into nursing school won't count for PA school. My sister is an RN and I'm in PA school now and we both took A&P courses, microbiology, chemistry ect but everything she took was "for nursing" and everything I took was "for majors." Just something to consider. I agree that nursing gives you great experience but from the pre-req point of view, NP might be an easier and quicker rout. Just my two cents. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missb89 Posted February 2, 2011 Author Share Posted February 2, 2011 Yes and for the PA program I was looking into, they do accept the A&P 1 & 2 that are taken in nursing class, along with the microbiology. Someone mentioned getting the ADN then getting the bachelor's in something else so I was thinking of possibly getting my ADN but then getting the bachelor's in Medical Science. Is this possible, does the ADN count towards a 4 year degree? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator rev ronin Posted February 2, 2011 Administrator Share Posted February 2, 2011 Transferring degrees really depends on how well the associates' program maps into the bachelor's degree. Going from one specific/specialized associates' to another specialized bachelor's, you may have to carry a heavier load in order to make it work. I strongly recommend talking with the bachelor's program ahead of time and getting their assistance in mapping out a program that will maximize what you can transfer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidccs Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 I am unsure of what the local situation is job wise where you live but where i am, hospitals hold a lot of CNAs job. I work for a hospital and was hired without experience and without being an actual CNA (i am an EMT) and I tell you some of the work varies by floor, The floor I work on makes the CNA seem like a buttler, we get whatever our overlly pampered patients wants and clean their crap (literally and figurately) when they need us to. But I have worked in other floors where the job is more skill oriented (vascular unit, ED) and the average age of your patients is much closer to the 30s rather than the 70s for the med/surg and PCU floors. As an EMT I can also tell you that the hours are not much different from CNAs in hospitals, for an ambulance company you can work 12 hours (same as hospital shift work) or 24 hours is you so choose, but that varies by company. One suggestion to you is think about paramedic school, is 1 year long and afterwards some universities offer an Associate to Bachelors program where in 2 years you get a bachelors. so in 3 years maybe a bit longer depending on your general education requirements you can have a bachelors compared to 4 years + general requirements for a BSN. Also all of the hospitals around where I live about 15 total hire EMTs and paramedics to work in their EDs, where the work is very skill oriented compared to working on a floor. But wait there is more! working 12 hour shifts isnt all bad, you only work 3 days a week... thats pretty good schedule if your going through school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firemedic13 Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 One suggestion to you is think about paramedic school, is 1 year long and afterwards some universities offer an Associate to Bachelors program where in 2 years you get a bachelors. so in 3 years maybe a bit longer depending on your general education requirements you can have a bachelors compared to 4 years + general requirements for a BSN. . Medic school is fine provided the OP does EMS on the streets or at the very least in the ER first. Baby medics with no experience kill people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidccs Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 Medic school is fine provided the OP does EMS on the streets or at the very least in the ER first. Baby medics with no experience kill people. So whats the secret to going to paramedic school and coming out with all the knowledge one will ever need? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator rev ronin Posted February 14, 2011 Administrator Share Posted February 14, 2011 So whats the secret to going to paramedic school and coming out with all the knowledge one will ever need? You cannot; Firemedic13 already said this. In NO school do you come out with all the knowledge you need to do your job right. Health care is just one career in which a newbie is more likely to kill someone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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