CNA class online or in person

[Benz MD]

Hey everyone. I am planning on working as a CNA during my gap year. I was just wondering if I should attempt to take a CNA class online due to a busy schedule. I was wondering if it puts me at a disadvantage when it comes to applying for CNA jobs. Have you taken a CNA course online or in person? What would you recommend. Thanks!

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[Mooseforkicks]

I did my class in-person (for the state I got my certification in, online wasn’t an option). Does the online course also have clinical contact hours? When I was applying for CNA jobs, in three different interviews I got asked about my class clinicals.

If it’s a mixed online/clinical course, I would probably do the online assuming it meets your state’s requirements. The classroom portion of my certification was never brought up on applications or interviews.

 

[Catalystik]

Hey everyone. I am planning on working as a CNA during my gap year. I was just wondering if I should attempt to take a CNA class online due to a busy schedule. I was wondering if it puts me at a disadvantage when it comes to applying for CNA jobs. Have you taken a CNA course online or in person? What would you recommend. Thanks!

Consider doing a phone survey of local institutions where you'd apply for a job.

I agree with Benz MD, though, that a hands-on component seems essential.

 

[TurboPorsche]

I took my CNA class in person, the class was very hands-on. The hands-on aspect of the class made me much more comfortable during the state exam.

Yet, I did wait 6 months before I took my state exam so I refreshed a little online before taking the exam. I practiced the skills on family members the night before the exam. With that being said, an online class could be a good option if you are limited in the times you can attend a class as long as you have someone to practice your skills on.

 

[Benz MD]

I took my class online with clinicals in person of course of the course of two weekends (one weekend where they taught us skills like taking vitals and then another weekend in a veterans home). I did fine on the state exam and have now been a CNA for about 3 years now. In my experience, places care more about that you're state registered rather than where exactly you did the class. I've worked at a nursing home and currently I work at an inpatient hospice unit. I even took a specific certification test for hospice a few months ago (Certified Hospice & Palliative Nursing Assistant) and a remembered a lot of what I learned from that course. If you actually try, you'll be fine.

Awesome, thank you so much. I am definitely planning on taking online!

 

[de Ribas]

I was wondering if it puts me at a disadvantage when it comes to applying for CNA jobs.

I dont think it matters at all. All that matters is if you pass your state exam and get your license (go on state registry).

In your first week or two at your job you will learn a lot more than during clinicals. I felt prepared very well when I took classroom setting CNA course. Our instructor was an RN with about 25 years of experience and she knew exactly what state exams are. She taught us so well that everyone passed exams and skills portion with ease while students from other schools or colleges were at disadvantage and had to pay again to retake exams.

I think it is not hard to teach yourself the written exam. I know that there were PCAs that only had years of working experience. They could pass the written portion because most of it is common sense. But often they failed the skills exam because they developed poor habits.

Our state's skills exams were very strict. But we had plenty of in-class practice that it became a norm. We practiced all the skills on each other in the classroom with all proper steps as written in states book.

I think the hardest part is skills exam. You need to practice those somehow.