Does anyone know how long a typical CNA program takes? I was thinking it would be a nice little side gig.
Cna
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In undergrad, I took one at an area Community College 2-3 nights/week for ~6 weeks. As a side note, if you can read & use 2% of your brain you should not even have to look at a book & still ace the class....Makes me kind of wonder about some of the people who can take care of our grandparents in nursing facilities? 
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I totally agree!! I was a CNA in a nursing home. It really was a no brainer course. However, if you have the kind of experience I had, it is totally worth it! I loved the time I spent working as a CNA in a nursing home. Actually, I'm using my CNA as a certification so I can do more things in a pain clinic. I would recommend getting CNA to anybody because you never know what kind of opportunities will come up. I believe that CNA's at hospitals in CA get paid $14+ per hour. It's definitely worth to get that kind of experience.Krazykritter said:In undergrad, I took one at an area Community College 2-3 nights/week for ~6 weeks. As a side note, if you can read & use 2% of your brain you should not even have to look at a book & still ace the class....Makes me kind of wonder about some of the people who can take care of our grandparents in nursing facilities?
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In WA CNA classes are 85 hours, so you could conceivably finish in a little more than 2 weeks. Check your local nursing homes they usually have classes for free and they are typically the shortest (+ they will probably offer you a job when you are finished).
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I'm finishing my clinical rotations tomorrow. I took a course in summer school that lasted from June 14th - August 2 (including classroom parts and clinicals). The class was 3 days a week 9am-4pm. Mornings were lecture/discussions, afternoons were skills training labs from 6/14-7/13, then from 7/18-8/2 we had clinicals which were also 3 days/week 9-4 at a nursing home and at a center for mentally handicapped children. I'll be taking out state exam in early Sept.
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Having both the EMT-b and CNA, let me just say this: As a CNA you can make big $ if you get in with a temp agency. It's rare that I have a night at work that doesn't include working with an 'agency' CNA.
You can learn more (assuming you get out of a nursing home and work in a hospital), by reading the charts (H&Ps, Labs, Progress notes...), and you still get a little of the adrenaline rush from time to time in code situations.
More $, more knowledge, but the trade off, is that EMS people are just cooler to work with. Some nurses still believe in the Healthcare Caste system, so that can be a drag, but mostly, they love teaching, and are a great help. The other down side, of course, is adult diaper changes, and people withdrawing who like to use their *full* foley cath as a gauntlet (yes, I have seen this). And of course, people just think the EMT is cooler, but I can tell you, I've had sicker patients, and have worked more codes as a CNA than as an EMT (sickest patients are taken care of by medics, and you're just driving).
You can learn more (assuming you get out of a nursing home and work in a hospital), by reading the charts (H&Ps, Labs, Progress notes...), and you still get a little of the adrenaline rush from time to time in code situations.
More $, more knowledge, but the trade off, is that EMS people are just cooler to work with. Some nurses still believe in the Healthcare Caste system, so that can be a drag, but mostly, they love teaching, and are a great help. The other down side, of course, is adult diaper changes, and people withdrawing who like to use their *full* foley cath as a gauntlet (yes, I have seen this). And of course, people just think the EMT is cooler, but I can tell you, I've had sicker patients, and have worked more codes as a CNA than as an EMT (sickest patients are taken care of by medics, and you're just driving).
Depending on what area you are interested in, something else that you can potentially do for some clinical experience is work as a scrub/OR tech. There are usually classes that last around 6 weeks offered at some community colleges that teach you about this, and after that you can find a job at a hospital, or working with a private surgeon/group as there are many that have a few that work for them that they use as the first assist in surgical cases. There are also scrub/OR techs that are hired by the hospital that are part of every surgery that goes on as well. I would imagine that this is something that would be more interesting for those that want to work in the OR, but it would teach you a lot about different things and provide you with some clinical experience.
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Krazykritter said:In undergrad, I took one at an area Community College 2-3 nights/week for ~6 weeks. As a side note, if you can read & use 2% of your brain you should not even have to look at a book & still ace the class....Makes me kind of wonder about some of the people who can take care of our grandparents in nursing facilities?
Until just a few years ago, the state of Florida did not require the class. I signed up for the exam and studied the pamphlet that the Department of Health sent me. I passed and then went on to work in a hospital where I had no idea what I was doing. Much of my day revolved around wondering how everything worked. My own ignorance aside, there is no way that 6 weeks is required to learn everything that there is to do as a CNA. I imagine a good weekend course should be able to hammer out all of the basics.
