Nurses/Nursing Students - School & Work

TexasLady · 10-20-2009, 08:21 PM

Before you went to nursing school, did you have any experience in the medical field? Did your school require it? I was looking at pre-reqs for schools and saw a few that required experience with patients, which would require me to be certified as a CNA or something similar. I feel like it's going to take me forever + 2 years to become a nurse with so many pre-reqs for nursing.

mkayf · 10-20-2009, 09:17 PM

I am currently in nursing school. I didn't have to have any pre-reqs, but I was also accepted right out of high school due to good grades and ACT score. Most schools I looked at did require them, but some let you do your "pre-reqs" while in the program. I guess it just depends on the school. Good luck finding one that will get you through quickly with no pre-reqs!

*Kate* · 10-20-2009, 09:20 PM

The program I was in didn't require any hands on experience. The one I am getting back into here doesn't either.

Charity · 10-20-2009, 09:21 PM

My program didn't require anything, but I defiantly recommend working as a CNA! It helps light years with your time management skills!

TexasLady · 10-21-2009, 09:55 AM

Originally Posted by Charity

My program didn't require anything, but I defiantly recommend working as a CNA! It helps light years with your time management skills!

I think it would be beneficial for me, but I'm in the first semester of my sophomore year and am just now starting on most of my pre-req classes. I just don't know when I will have time to take the classes to become a CNA, especially since I'm planning on transferring out of state & will have to be certified in California or Illinois, depending, instead of Oklahoma.

loribeth · 10-21-2009, 08:51 PM

There were no pre req's for my nursing school. If you don't have the time or don't want to have the time to be a CNA before school don't worry about it. I went into school with not a clue about anything and did just fine. I won't lie though the people that had that experience were definitely ahead of the game and did much better and it was easier for them to understand things. You always have the opportunity in school to be a CNA or even do internships near the end of school which set you up for future jobs. I say do what you feel is best for you and if you don't feel being a CNA first is what's best don't worry about it. There are plenty of people out there that had no idea about anything before they walked into class. Good luck with nursing school it's such a great career.

Epona · 10-23-2009, 06:36 AM

I didn't have any pre-reqs before going into nursing.

I'm also in my third year of a BSN now and I've never been a CNA. But I basically lived in the hospital for 3 months when my dad had cancer /took care of him at home, and I also work with family who are sick, so to be honest I really don't feel like the CNA experience will do a whole lot for me in terms of the hospital experience. However, I do have friends that have been CNA's either before college or during, and sometimes it can really help with overcoming shyness around patients and it is pretty awesome for time-management skill-building. It's also good to do, in my opinion, if you've never been around hospitals very much because it's good exposure to how the whole system works.

TBH I found that by the end of the first year of clinicals, students with pre-reqs as CNA's and students who had never done it before ended up on the same page. Cause by a few semesters in, you find you'll start working on floors with less CNA stuff to do and a lot more acute care where EVERYONE will be new at it.

Good luck!

10-20-2009, 08:21 PM	#1 (permalink)
TexasLady Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 2,477 Classifieds: (0) Activity: 60% Longevity: 14%	Nurses/Nursing Students Before you went to nursing school, did you have any experience in the medical field? Did your school require it? I was looking at pre-reqs for schools and saw a few that required experience with patients, which would require me to be certified as a CNA or something similar. I feel like it's going to take me forever + 2 years to become a nurse with so many pre-reqs for nursing. __________________ Wifey to The Empress & Clawson And the kind and courteous is a life I've heard But it's nice to say that we played in the dirt Cause here, here we are. Here we are.

10-20-2009, 09:20 PM	#3 (permalink)
Kate Lounging with ocean breezes and palm trees Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Hawaii Posts: 13,091 Classifieds: (1) Activity: 24% Longevity: 45%	The program I was in didn't require any hands on experience. The one I am getting back into here doesn't either. __________________ Needs work.

10-20-2009, 09:21 PM	#4 (permalink)
Charity Surviving Deployment #2 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Me: St. Louis/Him: Afghanistan Posts: 6,322 Blog Entries: 2 Classifieds: (5) Activity: 47% Longevity: 16%	My program didn't require anything, but I defiantly recommend working as a CNA! It helps light years with your time management skills! __________________ "There is always a way. When things look like there is no way, there is a way to do the impossible, to survive the impossible. There is always a way. If I can offer one piece of advice; today, if you become frightened, instead, become inspired." -Grey's Anatomy I my wifeys Solstice and Mrs. Ninkumpoop!

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10-20-2009, 09:17 PM	#2 (permalink)
mkayf Finally Married!!!! Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: AL Posts: 226 Classifieds: (0) Activity: 2% Longevity: 23%	I am currently in nursing school. I didn't have to have any pre-reqs, but I was also accepted right out of high school due to good grades and ACT score. Most schools I looked at did require them, but some let you do your "pre-reqs" while in the program. I guess it just depends on the school. Good luck finding one that will get you through quickly with no pre-reqs!

10-21-2009, 08:51 PM	#6 (permalink)
loribeth Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Groton, CT Posts: 11 Classifieds: (0) Activity: 11% Longevity: 1%	There were no pre req's for my nursing school. If you don't have the time or don't want to have the time to be a CNA before school don't worry about it. I went into school with not a clue about anything and did just fine. I won't lie though the people that had that experience were definitely ahead of the game and did much better and it was easier for them to understand things. You always have the opportunity in school to be a CNA or even do internships near the end of school which set you up for future jobs. I say do what you feel is best for you and if you don't feel being a CNA first is what's best don't worry about it. There are plenty of people out there that had no idea about anything before they walked into class. Good luck with nursing school it's such a great career.

10-23-2009, 06:36 AM	#7 (permalink)
Epona Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 70 Classifieds: (0) Activity: 26% Longevity: 1%	I didn't have any pre-reqs before going into nursing. I'm also in my third year of a BSN now and I've never been a CNA. But I basically lived in the hospital for 3 months when my dad had cancer /took care of him at home, and I also work with family who are sick, so to be honest I really don't feel like the CNA experience will do a whole lot for me in terms of the hospital experience. However, I do have friends that have been CNA's either before college or during, and sometimes it can really help with overcoming shyness around patients and it is pretty awesome for time-management skill-building. It's also good to do, in my opinion, if you've never been around hospitals very much because it's good exposure to how the whole system works. TBH I found that by the end of the first year of clinicals, students with pre-reqs as CNA's and students who had never done it before ended up on the same page. Cause by a few semesters in, you find you'll start working on floors with less CNA stuff to do and a lot more acute care where EVERYONE will be new at it. Good luck!