Can become a certified nursing assistant help me to become a registered nurse?
#nursing #CNA
3 answers
Nija Jackson, MSW, LCSW
Nija’s Answer
Hi Asia,
It is great that you are thinking about your career endeavors. If you are planning to advance your career in nursing, you must pursue either an Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Nursing and take the licensing exam in your state. Being a CNA is a great start to begin your nursing career because you have the opportunity to shadow nurses; learn from them and to explore the day to day responsibilities of a nurse. If you are definitely planning to further your career, you can attend nursing school while you're working as a CNA. Then it will be easier for you to transition to a higher position at your job once you complete your nursing degree and obtain the nursing license. Continue to work hard as a CNA and you can show your job that you have the potential to be an excellent employee. Whenever you become a CNA, create learning opportunities for yourself. Be open-minded to feedback and ask a lot of questions because it will help you accomplish your ultimate goal to become a nurse.
Nija recommends the following next steps:
Aaron’s Answer
Yes becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) does help you when you become a Registered Nurse (RN). When being a CNA you are assisting the person called the patient with activities of daily living (ADLs) which is helping them with dressing, taking a bath, brushing teeth, using the bathroom and eating meals that gives you exposure to interacting with patient’s which helps with becoming an RN because your job still involves this type of work but instead it involves nursing skills such as administering medications. As a CNA you learn how to interact with different types of patients who have different behaviors such as combative meaning they hit and argue with people and it is important to know how to handle these types of people as an RN on how to create calm in these types of patient’s. When you become an RN you are already familiar with what the CNA job duties are and can assist them where needed in situations where a CNA is not available. Hope this helps.
-Thank you,
Aaron
Tristen’s Answer
And it can help you get your foot in the door with a potential job after your schooling is complete.