CNA jobs

[ryno]

I have a CNA license (which I aquired in highschool) and was wondering what jobs I could get (utilizing a CNA license) that would look good on a medical school application? Also, do medical schools take into consideration any shadowing/ volunteering an applicant might participate in during highschool (senior year to be exact)? I ask this because I spent six weeks volunteering at a local nursing home as a CNA. I also volunteered in the pharmacy, and in the outpatient clinic at a local hospital, as well as shadowing a few surgeons (who made me stand right next to them as they operated, explaining the entire procedure ). All of this was in correlation with a highschool class I was enrolled in.

Thanks much!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[armybound]

They don't count your high school volunteer work, sorry.

Any job that gives you patient contact will be seen positively on your application. Just make sure you keep it for a while, don't work for just 2 months and quit.

 

[Carmenita79]

I have a CNA license (which I aquired in highschool) and was wondering what jobs I could get (utilizing a CNA license) that would look good on a medical school application? Also, do medical schools take into consideration any shadowing/ volunteering an applicant might participate in during highschool (senior year to be exact)? I ask this because I spent six weeks volunteering at a local nursing home as a CNA. I also volunteered in the pharmacy, and in the outpatient clinic at a local hospital, as well as shadowing a few surgeons (who made me stand right next to them as they operated, explaining the entire procedure ). All of this was in correlation with a highschool class I was enrolled in.

Thanks much!

you volunteered as a nursing home CNA???

 

[armybound]

I volunteered at a nursing home while training as a CNA. It was set up through my high school.

I don't see why it's so hard to believe.

 

[shantster]

If you want more clinically relevant experience for what you'd be doing (unless you really want to only work with geriatrics), you'd be better off applying to a hospital in your area than a nursing home.

 

[nlax30]

I volunteered at a nursing home while training as a CNA. It was set up through my high school.

I don't see why it's so hard to believe.

I agree with the above. The "rules/regulations" vary greatly among states/regions. I've had many friends volunteer nursing homes and retirement centers, they won't be able to do all that a CNA or RN will do, but it's still pretty good experience.

Here in Florida there are many different types of nursing/assisted living centers and at certain assisted living centers you actually can work in a CNA/Nursing Assistant role without any certifications. That's not necessarily true at a full on nursing home where the residents need a higher level of medical care, but I worked at a local assisted living place where I was able to deal with patients/residents on a daily basis, helped with ADLs, took blood pressures, helped with medications, and responded to any help the residents needed.

Definitely was NOT glamorous, but it was rewarding and according some adcom members of my local state med school here, was a good experience to have.

 

[armybound]

Because there's a difference between volunteering at a nursing home, and volunteering as a CNA. Someone who is doing CNA duties (dressing/transferring, feeding, and showering patients) requires liability and workmans comp insurance, which I don't believe volunteers are covered under.

Did you really do CNA duties while volunteering (othering than pushing wheelchairs and helping with arts and crafts)?

this was during CNA training, so we used our skills. We had to feed patients, change them, help them in/out of bed, take them to the shower and wash them, help them to the bathroom, etc.

It was only for a week, but there were about 15 of us that did it.

 

[cheesegirl]

this was during CNA training, so we used our skills. We had to feed patients, change them, help them in/out of bed, take them to the shower and wash them, help them to the bathroom, etc.

It was only for a week, but there were about 15 of us that did it.

thats not volunteering. thats clinical experience you need in order to get your cna license. no one "volunteers" as a cna because you have to be state certified to do it, and must be working to have your license (when you reapply for it every other year you have to show you are employed). there is WAY too much liability for you to just volunteer doing it (why would you want to anyway...if you are volunteering, just do the fun stuff like bingo. I am a cna and would volunteer to play games but i want to be paid for the hard work I do as a cna!)

It is great clinical experience for your apps--I have done it for almost 6 years at a nursing home and it was my only clinical experience. I got into 2 med schools so it must have been fine!

 

[ryno]

I've was a CNA for a lot of years, and still maintain my State certification.

Sorry, but I'm not buying volunteering as a CNA. There are strong liability issues here, and you have to be covered under the insurance of the institution. Nursing home CNAs are especially at-risk for on-the-job injuries, which means they have to be covered by the workman's comp of the business. My understanding of the law is that volunteers are not covered under those policies.

I call B.S.

We worked towards our license, and volunteered after the license was granted. We drove to the nursing home at 8 am every morning and stayed until 930 5 days a week for six weeks. While we worked towards our license, we participated in all the duties that a CNA has (showering, feeding, dressing, and helping the residents to the bathroom). The main limitation on us was that should not have anything to do with any medications, in NC you must be a R.N. to administer meds in this setting. I'll be the first to agree that this work is not glamorous, and that is why I was asking about jobs that can be obtained using a CNA license (something hopefully a little 'more glamorous').

 

[curlywurly]

Last I checked, the clinical portion of your CNA class doesn't count as volunteering. It's stretching it a bit to say that the time you spent working for your license was volunteer work.

If you're looking for a more glamorous CNA job try looking at your local hospitals. They usually pay pretty well and you can sometimes work in the ER or other more exciting places.

 

[cheesegirl]

We worked towards our license, and volunteered after the license was granted. We drove to the nursing home at 8 am every morning and stayed until 930 5 days a week for six weeks. While we worked towards our license, we participated in all the duties that a CNA has (showering, feeding, dressing, and helping the residents to the bathroom). The main limitation on us was that should not have anything to do with any medications, in NC you must be a R.N. to administer meds in this setting. I'll be the first to agree that this work is not glamorous, and that is why I was asking about jobs that can be obtained using a CNA license (something hopefully a little 'more glamorous').

thats not volunteering, thats the CLINICAL experience you need to do in order to get your license. i did the same thing.

i think all people who want to become a doctor would be served well by doing this, what you call not glamorous, work. it is humbling to work a the most basic level of care. but, do whatever you want with the license--nursing homes are really short-staffed and it would be easy to get a job there. A hospital might be more interesting to you. If you got your license many years ago and haven't worked since, it is unlikely that your license is still valid.

 

[Round2]

Consider trying to get into an ED/ER or ICU tech type environment. Duties and pay vary greatly from one area to another, but there are some places where you can get excellent experience and also get paid $15-25 hr for getting the experience, and in some places also money towards your college tuition.
The best places are going to want you to be CNA or EMT-B with some training in EKG, blood draws and etc., but most places will hire you if you are an EMT or CNA with current CPR and willing to learn and start very very low on the ladder. You're a big step in that direction already. Further steps like current CPR are easy and minor, but a big plus in getting hired. Most hospitals look for people who are volunteer EMTs who are in their clinical semesters in an RN program. They almost always settle for what they can actually get at any given time.
Be prepared, the better jobs like this are very very competitive; far more competitive than admissions to medical school. You're biggest positive will be if you're willing to work the shifts that most people can't/don't.

 

[ryno]

Consider trying to get into an ED/ER or ICU tech type environment. Duties and pay vary greatly from one area to another, but there are some places where you can get excellent experience and also get paid $15-25 hr for getting the experience, and in some places also money towards your college tuition.
The best places are going to want you to be CNA or EMT-B with some training in EKG, blood draws and etc., but most places will hire you if you are an EMT or CNA with current CPR and willing to learn and start very very low on the ladder. You're a big step in that direction already. Further steps like current CPR are easy and minor, but a big plus in getting hired. Most hospitals look for people who are volunteer EMTs who are in their clinical semesters in an RN program. They almost always settle for what they can actually get at any given time.
Be prepared, the better jobs like this are very very competitive; far more competitive than admissions to medical school. You're biggest positive will be if you're willing to work the shifts that most people can't/don't.

I think that most premeds would prefer this kind of work, but would time be better spent shadowing? (for the sake of gaining entrance to medical school). I have heard that medical schools like for premeds to have held a paid job in the medical field, but that few premeds have that expierence.

 

[Carmenita79]

I think that most premeds would prefer this kind of work, but would time be better spent shadowing? (for the sake of gaining entrance to medical school). I have heard that medical schools like for premeds to have held a paid job in the medical field, but that few premeds have that expierence.

If you find a good hospital job, it could lead to some shadowing or other higher quality clinical experiences (shadowing is a must IMO).