Social work is one profession that is continuously evolving to respond to and address an ever-changing world and its problems. Jane Addams was a pioneer in social work and one of the first women to receive a Nobel Peace Prize for her outstanding work in establishing settlement houses in Chicago for immigrants in the early 1900s. In the early 1900s, many programs and services were established to address the basic needs of the poor so that they could have access to things like housing, sanitation, safety , medical care, education, and fair wages. The social workers also worked hard to control alcohol and narcotic abuse and to improve the lot of those with mental illnesses and disabilities, and to also bring about a system of human dignity, social justice and equality for all.

How To Select The Right Social Worker Program

People wondering about studying social welfare will want to know what program will interest them the most, the cost of the program, the duration and the quality of the education. Social work is all about improving the quality of life for families and individuals, and all their programs focus on providing new social workers with the appropriate training and skills to perform their functions in the most outstanding manner possible. Programs can be anything from several weeks to eight years.

Master Degree Program Opens Superb Work Opportunities

Today, obtaining a degree will provide you with a host of career options that involve helping people to overcome problems that affect their well-being. Things like unemployment, child abuse and foster care are just some of the issues that social workers deal with every day. Mental health and substance abuse is an area of massive growth and social workers alone in this specific area are going to be in demand, with experts predicting a 20% expansion of employment in this particular area of social work as well as positions around child, home and family services. No matter what type of social work you are interested in, entering into a master’s degree program will certainly provide you with a bright future.

These programs prepare students to help improve people’s lives and the future forecast for employment in social work is excellent, particularly for social workers specializing in child and family services, geriatrics, mental health and substance abuse.

Make Sure Programs Are Accredited

The Internet has a list of universities that offer accredited social worker programs, and in addition to the social work degree programs, graduates with the appropriate social work academic credentials will meet the education requirement for registration as a social worker. For instance, the program offered at the University of Manitoba is for those who are already working in the field of social work and who want to pursue a professional social work education. The requirements for admission to the university are that students have at least two years work experience in social services.

Social Work programs are created to develop the social worker skills of the student to enhance the community. To be accepted into the Masters of Social Work at a university students will need an undergraduate degree in Social Work or Liberal Arts which will help the student with further studies.

• The first year program offers foundation courses as well as working in an internship setting to get an idea of real world situation.

• The second year enables you to choose the type of track you want to enter into as well as taking research courses.

There are three education levels for social work programs, and these are diploma, degree, and masters degree. The types of training will prepare you to work in a variety of different positions with different responsibilities.

What Is The Bachelor’s Degree Program?

A Bachelor in Social Works (BSW) combines social work classes with liberal arts which prepares students for entry into direct human service professional positions. A bachelor’s degree in social work is a requirement for entry-level positions. BSW programs prepare and teach students about the different populations, human behavior as well as social welfare policy. The program also require students to complete an internship. BSW students will learn to work in a variety of settings and some of the skills they will learn will include things like:

• case management
• assessment, interviewing
• crisis intervention, problem solving
• community organizing
• research and networking

Students will complete 125 hours of coursework as well as 480 hours of fieldwork in a social services agency. Once students have graduated, they will be able to enhance the well-being of their clients and also promote social and economic justice. After completing specified pre-requisites, eligible students can apply to the upper-division professional sequence as a social work major. Majoring in social work will provide students with many opportunities.

What Is The Master Of Social Work Degree?

While a bachelor’s degree program is required for most direct service social work positions, there are a number of positions that require a master’s degree. Clinical social workers must have a master’s degree and they must be licensed. The degree enables the social workers to practice social work once they have completed a number of hours of supervised practice. The student will require two years of full-time study, as well as some 900 hours of supervised practice.

The Master of Social Work Degree (MSW) takes about two years to complete; however there are programs where students with a BSW can go for their MSW in one year. Whichever program you select, you will be required to complete supervised fieldwork.

Costs And Financial Aid

The current tuition fee for a social work program can be as much as $70,000 for a graduate degree. Obviously there are many students who would never be able to cope with this expense, and there are, fortunately, a number of grants, scholarships and financial assistance available for students to help cover these costs. Many schools and colleges offer part-time positions which also help students with covering their fees, and there are some places which offer free education in exchange for you working with them for a number of years.

Licenses

All states require clinical social workers to be licensed. Becoming a licensed clinical social worker requires a master’s degree in social work as well as many hours of supervised clinical experience after graduation. Thereafter, clinical social workers must pass an exam to be licensed.

Finding A Program You Are Interested In

Social workers work in a realm of different situations , schools, clinics and hospitals, while the courts also make use of their valuable services. Of course, the type of work they do every day will depend on the environment they are working in as well as their level of education. Their services are wide-ranging, and they can be employed in a variety of different settings including nonprofits and government agencies. Many social workers offer their services in private practice, others conduct research, others work closely with families with all sorts of domestic problems, others work in hospitals, others offer counseling services, they work with community groups and all in all offer a broad range of supportive services.

Always focus on what you find the most interesting. The Internet is full of sites where you can explore your interests and match your skills in certain areas. To help you on your way, the Faculty of Social Sciences has designed a web-based tool to determine which program best suits your interests and skills. To access the tool you can visit this website.

There are social workers who’s job it is to help people understand the different social services available to them. They themselves have access to a lot of information about social worker programs that can help with getting someone a job, getting counseling and help with regards to substance abuse and rehabilitation programs as well as counseling programs. Their job is to work with people, recognize their needs, and help them to become emotionally and financially stable.

Get To Know The Programs And Their Career Opportunities

Once you have established exactly what your interests are, you can have a good look at all of the programs offered and what type of career the program will provide.

Once you identify your interests and skills, take time to acquaint yourself with each of the programs offered and the careers they can lead to. To get you started, the University of Ottawa for instance offers a brilliant list of programs for you to get an idea of what fascinates you:

Some of the programs are:

• social sciences
• sociology
• women’s studies
• political science
• psychology
• economics
• conflict studies and human rights

Social Worker Program Requirements

The level of education required for a job in social work will be different according to the type of work being done as well as the work setting. Most of the universities in the United States require the social worker to do one or two years of pre-professional studies with a grade point average of 65-70% before applying to their social work program. Admission requirements to social work programs will vary at each university, but entry into social work programs will generally include:

• interviews with the selection committee

• motivational essays with reasons why you want to be in the social work profession

• letters of reference

• coursework in Social Sciences, Humanities, English and Introductory Social Work courses

• work experience or volunteer work that has to do with social work

Once the social worker graduates from a social worker program, they will have a thorough understanding of social justice and would have acquired human service skills.

Contact your provincial or national association of social workers for registration as well as selecting the best pre-professional program for your requirements:

• Bachelor of Social Work: Admissions Information, Click Here

• Canadian Association of Schools of Social Work:  Click Here

• University of Victoria, School of Social Work: Click Here

• New York University: their social work programs include Community Organization and Advocacy, General Social Work, Public Administration, Public Administration and Social Service Professions. Click Here for their website.

• University of Southern California – their social work programs include: General Social Work, Public Administration, Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Public Policy Analysis. Click Here for their website.

• Abilene Christian University: Phone: +1.325.674.2072 or email stephanie.hamm@acu.edu for more information.

Other Social Work Degree Programs are offered at:

• Community Organization and Advocacy Colleges

• Public Administration Colleges

• Youth Services/Administration Colleges

The Conclusion

Social work is a massive field and students will have a wide choice of social worker programs to look at in order to find the one that will meet their professional and personal goals. On the Internet there are many programs that are regarded as the most popular and which are highly rated, but you must select the one in your particular area of interest in order to make a success of it. To help you with making your selection, you can access the Council on Social Work Education website for a list of accredited and in-candidacy master’s and baccalaureate social work programs.

Another thing to take into account with considering social worker programs is their particular focus, because some will focus on the usual regular social work while others are geared more towards mental health counseling. You will know where you belong in this industry.

The post Make a Positive Difference With Carefully Selected Social Worker Programs appeared first on Healthcare Careers Guide.

Overview

The LPN career overview is a very good one indeed. There are a wide variety of reasons why this is one of the best careers that you could consider having. For one thing there is an ever increasing need for LPN nurses throughout the country, so if you have the skills you will be in demand, no questions asked. This is a career that will also provide you with job stability and there is plenty of room for advancement once you have begun your LPN career.

Curriculum

There are a number of topics that you will have to cover when you are training for your LPN career. These include things like, the Fundamentals of Nursing, Anatomy and Physiology, Contemporary Health Issues Vocational Adjustment, Nutrition and Diet Therapy, Growth and Development, Introduction to Pharmacology, Psychiatric Nursing, Medical-Surgical Nursing, and Maternal Child Health, among many other things. A good knowledge of these concepts is essential for a career as an LPN. Remember as well that a good LPN curriculum consists not only of theoretical training but also of a large quantity of clinical practice. You need to be able to perform a number of duties in an actual healthcare setting as an LPN and the only way to learn how to do this is through practice. In fact you will be unable to become an LPN and have an LPN career if you have not done the required clinical training during your LPN studies.

Requirements And Training

There are a number of requirements that you will have to meet in order to have an this career. The main requirements are listed below. Remember that these requirements can differ significantly from state to state, so be aware of this when checking the requirements you need for becoming an LPN:

• You will need to be at least 18 years of age in order to be a licensed LPN in most states.

• You will have to have graduated from an LPN training program. There are a number of sub-requirements to keep in mind when it comes to the training program that you will need to complete. For one thing the program needs to be at least nine months long. Many programs are as much as a year long. A longer program often means a better education. The program also needs to be accredited by the State Board of Nursing for the state in which you hope to work as an LPN. If it is not, you will be wasting your time and money studying there.

• In order to be eligible for one of these programs and for LPN licensure, you need to have a high school diploma or an equivalent in the form of a GED.

• For most programs you will have to take a basic academic skills test in order to enter. You will only be able to attend that program and gain LPN licensure if you successfully pass the test in question.

• When it comes to actual licensing you will have to pass the NCLEX-PN exam, so make sure that you attend a school that adequately prepares you for this test. You will have to pay a fee of $200 to the company that administers this exam, namely Pearson Vue. There is also usually a licensing fee that you will have to pay to the state board of nursing or another body in order to get your LPN license.

• In most cases you will need to pass a background, drug, and a health test in order to become licensed as an LPN and start your LPN career.

• You will also have to renew your license regularly, usually proving continuing education hours in the process.

Job Description And Duties

There are a number of duties involved in an LPN career. The following is a list of duties that you will encounter in most of the settings where LPNs can work:

• Monitor the patient’s conditions closely
• Report your observation to the physicians and RNs in charge of your patient
• Oversee the nurse aids working under you
• Collect patient’s health history
• Collect samples for laboratory testing
• Perform simple laboratory tests
• Measure and record patients’ vital signs
• Prepare and give injections
• Prepare and give enemas
• Monitor catheters
• Dress wounds
• Give alcohol rubs
• Give massages
• Clean and monitor medical equipment

Specialization

Here are a number of important things to consider when choosing a specialization for your LPN career. These things are:

• Type of setting or treatment, such as emergency or maternity
• Type of health issue, such as oncology or rehabilitation
• Type of bodily system, such as cardiovascular or orthopedic
• Type of patient, such as pediatric or geriatric

Once you have clarified these aspects for yourself you will then need to consider a range of other issues in order to make the best choice possible (remember that it is not compulsory to choose a specialization right from the outset – you will have time to see which areas suit and which ones don’t). You need to decide right from the beginning what kinds of people you would like to work with throughout your LPN career. It is important that you choose a demographic of people who you like and who you can get on with easily if you want to be a successful nurse. You will also find that there are nursing settings that are higher pressured than others. In this case you need to base your decision of specialization on what kind of environment you would prefer to work in. Likewise there are different areas of medicine that you could look into finding out more about.

In Training

During your LPN training you will be exposed to many different kinds of medicines. After training you may then be better equipped to make a decision about what sort of medicines you would like to specialize in during your LPN career. As an LPN nurse you need to have LPN career goals. Know what your goals are right from the beginning. This will also help you decide on a specialization. You will also need to consider what kinds of responsibilities you are up for dealing with while working. Different specializations come with different kinds of responsibilities and duties that you will have to fulfill. An LPN career in one specialty can carry with it a job description that is completely different from other areas, so make your choice carefully in this regard. Different fields of nursing also tend to have slightly different hours and some can be more flexible than others.

If you need a lot of flexibility in your schedule you may want to focus on a specialization in which you will be able to have the time you need to do other things. If you want a specialty that fits in with your lifestyle then you will need to consider this aspect as well when deciding on what path you want to take in your LPN career. Personality plays a big part in an LPN career, but many people don’t seem to realize this. There are also different personality requirements for different areas within the health care field. For example you will need a different personality entirely for dealing with children as you would for dealing with coma patients. As a result you need to base your LPN specialty choice on your personality to a certain degree. Becoming certified in a certain specialty can take a lot of time. There can also be slight differences in the amount of time it takes to reach certification in each particular specialty. Therefore you need to consider how much time you will be able to give to becoming certified. This may help you choose your LPN career path.

Salary

The overall average salary figures for LPNs across the country are as follows:

• Hourly Rate: $13.17 – $23.47
• Overtime: $15.52 – $35.28
• Bonus: $0.00 – $1,521
• Total Pay: $27,364 – $51,834

However this is just an average. There can be huge differences in what different LPNs actually earn during their LPN career based on a number of aspects. Let us take a look at the salary of an LPN information in more detail now.

Nurses can have an LPN career in a number of different settings and industries. This is a summary of the average amount you can expect to earn if you work in the following popular industries as an LPN nurse:

• Healthcare: $13.23 – $24.07
• Nursing Home: $13.35 – $23.93
• Long-term Care or Rehabilitation: $13.66 – $24.10
• Family Medicine: $12.96 – $23.35
• Hospital: $13.52 – $24.58

Different employers also pay different rates to LPNs. LPN career information according to what you can earn from the most popular employers will now be discussed in more detail. If you work for Maxim Healthcare Services Inc. you can expect an hourly rate of around $15.56 – $22.39. If you work for DaVita Inc. the hourly rate is about $14.12 – $25.29, if you work for Kindred Healthcare the hourly rate is about $15.32 – $25.27, and if you work for HCR Manor Care Inc the hourly rate is about $17.18 – $25.15. Another popular employer is Life Care Centers of America where you can expect an hourly rate of about $13.97 – $26.73.

Sometimes gender differences can also affect pay, but not by every much. Although women make up 92% of the people employed in an LPN career they still earn slightly less than the 8% of men who are employed. On average women employed as LPNs can earn $15.24 – $20.32 an hour while men employed as LPNs can earn $15.30 – $20.43 an hour. The difference is slight, but still very noticeable.

The actual degree or educational qualification you have can affect how much you earn. Let’s have a look at the degree LPN career information statistics:

• Associate’s Degree: $13.20 – $22.93
• Bachelor’s Degree: $13.13 – $23.31
• Diploma of Nursing (DN): $13.78 – $23.31
• Certificate (Cert), Nursing: $13.14 – $24.07
• Diploma (Dipl), Nursing: $13.18 – $22.76

And last but not least, the pay that you can earn during your LPN career will be affected not only by the state in which you work but also by the specific cities within that state. Here is a list of the cities that pay the most to LPN nurses:

• Boston, Massachusetts
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Mesa, Arizona
• Albuquerque, New Mexico
• Baltimore, Maryland
• New York, New York
• Phoenix, Arizona
• Las Vegas, Nevada
• Portland, Oregon
• Seattle, Washington
• Chicago, Illinois
• Detroit, Michigan
• Charleston, South Carolina
• Houston, Texas
• Denver, Colorado
• Tucson, Arizona
• Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Raleigh, North Carolina
• Sarasota, Florida
• Naples, Florida

Now that you have considered all of the LPN career information presented here you should be far better equipped to make the best decisions possible in your LPN career. You should also be able to decide whether or not this is the best career choice for you or if you should perhaps look into something else instead. There are certainly many things in favor of having an LPN career. The salary is good, there are plenty of different settings that you can work in making it more likely to find a niche where you fit, and the job stability for this profession is very good indeed. However you need to make sure that you have the right personality for the job. This is your career choice, so make it carefully.

The post Everything You Need to Know About an LPN Career appeared first on Healthcare Careers Guide.

There are many cases in which malpractice insurance will come in handy, and, although you hope to avoid these situations, you never know when that may arise. It is important to look at reasons why you need to get your own personal malpractice insurance and why you cannot simply rely on the supposed coverage offered by the facility by which you are employed. Also, you cannot assume that you will not find yourself in a legal situation where you are being blamed for something that you did (or didn’t) do. You absolutely have to do everything in your power to protect yourself through the best nursing malpractice insurance.

Common Misconceptions Of Nursing Malpractice Insurance

There are a number of myths and misconceptions that surround the issues of LPN malpractice insurance. These include the idea that if you get nursing malpractice insurance you stand a higher chance of being sued, that nurse malpractice insurance that covers your facility will automatically provide adequate coverage for you too, and that good nurses have nothing to fear so why should they get this malpractice insurance.

Making Yourself A Target

The first misconception is that if you get malpractice insurance you are opening yourself up for abuse and exploitation. This is simply not the case. There is no way for a potential fraudster or trickster to find out whether or not you have nurse malpractice insurance unless you tell them. Even when a case goes to court the existence of your malpractice insurance will only be made known after charges have been leveled against you. It is important that you ignore this myth and that you ensure that you have the best nursing malpractice insurance possible to cover you.

Many LPNs believe that they are covered under the malpractice insurance offered by the hospital or other health care institute for which they work. This is true in most cases but you need to have your own personal malpractice insurance as well because there may be limitations involved with your company’s insurance. They may not offer full coverage. And, if there is a conflict of interests between you and your employer, you may find that you are suddenly not covered at all. It is always better to improve your chances of coming out on top by having additional insurance. In addition to this there are some cases where your facility or employer will be able to give you adequate malpractice insurance coverage even if they wanted to. For example if you give medical advice to someone outside of the company for whom you work and the advice results in harm to that person you may be held liable. In this instance your company will not be able to cover you using the facility’s insurance as the event occurred outside of work. This will be discussed in more detail later, but it is another good reason to get private nurse malpractice insurance.

Many nurses feel that they do not need to get malpractice insurance because they are good nurses. Now this may be the case but mistakes are made by even the best doctors, so how can you assume that you will never make an error? Also there are many people out there who will sue you even if you have done nothing wrong because they think that you are an easy target to get money out of. This means that you need to have nursing malpractice insurance in place at all times as you never know when a situation like this may arise.

The Main Advantages of LPN Malpractice Insurance

There are a number of reasons why it is important that you get private LPN malpractice insurance. These reasons include the following:

• All health care professionals are open to being sued, so you cannot assume that it will never happen to you.

• The nurse malpractice insurance offered by your company may have a number of limitations and you may not be adequately covered by that insurance package.

• You may find that if there is a conflict of interests between you and your employer that the malpractice insurance you though they provided disappears very quickly.

• If you consult or lend assistance in settings outside the one in which you work then the nursing malpractice insurance offered by your company will simply not be able to cover you even if your facility would really like to have your back.

Even the most skilled doctors make mistakes and you are open to making very similar errors. This is why you need to make sure that you have adequate malpractice insurance. Nurses are sued all the time and it is not always because they are in the wrong.

The nursing malpractice insurance offered by your employer may have a number of limitations. When it comes to it, you will not be adequately covered. It is important to know what the possible limitations are, but it is equally important to have your own private LPN malpractice insurance to fall back on as your employer may not be 100% reliable in this regard.

If you work part time or if you have a part time job on top of your full time job you need to remember that it is highly unlikely that you will receive nurse malpractice insurance coverage from the company that you work at part time. This is a benefit that is usually only offered to full time employees. As a result, it is very important that you organize your own form of coverage.

You need to remember that being insured does not make you a target for people who live by making false claims. Another very important thing to remember is that having no insurance does not mean you won’t get sued so you cannot afford to take this risk.

In addition the cost of defending a malpractice case on your own is so high that you will be unlikely to pay for it all yourself. Lastly, without insurance, a plaintiff can go after your assets and take absolutely everything for you. Consequently you need to get malpractice insurance.

A Good Nurse Malpractice Insurance Plan?

When getting nurse malpractice insurance it is not enough to merely be covered. You need to be covered well and for all of the eventualities that may arise. It is worth your while to get one of the better plans out there. A good plan will include the following:

• Professional LPN malpractice insurance
• Public nursing malpractice insurance
• Coverage for errors and omissions, malpractice
• General legal expenses
• Claim-related expenses
• Legal defense expenses against abuse and so on
• Legal defense expenses against allegations of discrimination

If you already have a malpractice insurance policy then good for you, but you may want to re-examine the details contained in that policy and see whether or not you are getting the best coverage that is possible. The basics you should be covered for are the first three points mentioned above. The rest are not as essential but it is still better to have them all than to run into trouble at a later date and not have the financial means to get yourself out of it. Hence the importance of nursing malpractice insurance.

Eligibility For Insurance

In most cases you will need to provide proof that you are qualified in your field as well as in your country of residence and practice in order to be eligible for most malpractice insurance policies. It is also essential that you are able to provide proof that you have all the necessary professional training and education required to practice your profession as an LPN. You will also need to have a clean loss record and be able to provide proof that you have not been subject to previous claims made or filed against you. You also need to prove that you have no knowledge of the possibility of claims being filed against you in the future. These eligibility requirements for malpractice insurance may seem quite steep but in actual fact, if you consider the importance of what you will be covered for, they are actually quite reasonable. It is essential that you get nursing malpractice insurance so if you don’t meet these requirements you may need to look into those policies that are more expensive. If you are not eligible, you can still be covered but at higher premiums.

NSO: Your Resource For LPN Malpractice Insurance

The best place to apply for LPN malpractice insurance is at NSO. This website will offer you comprehensive nurse malpractice insurance that will suit all of your needs. Applying is easy. Once you have reached this page you will see that you need to fill in your state and the type of coverage you are looking for. This needs to be completely accurate as coverage options and insurance can differ quite drastically from state to state. You need to know the facts about your state in particular.

Of course there are also many other options available when it comes to actually getting malpractice insurance. NSO is one of the best but it is definitely in your best interests to shop around a bit before you make your final decision, regarding what kind of nurse malpractice insurance is best for you. If you take the time to do this, you will stand a far higher chance of getting coverage that suits you and that will provide you with adequate protection in the event that you do happen to run into trouble in the future. Although you are of course planning to avoid all situations that may require malpractice insurance, it is still better to be safe than sorry.

This information should help you to reassess your malpractice insurance situation. If you already have nurse malpractice insurance then that is great, but if you don’t, you need to look into getting it right away. The various situations that have been mentioned here can occur at any time and you simply cannot assume that you will continue to go through your daily tasks without incident. If you do already have insurance you should consider looking more closely at the policy you hold to see if it is in fact the best option available out there at the moment. If it isn’t, you should definitely look into getting something that is.

The post What You Need to Know About LPN Malpractice Insurance appeared first on Healthcare Careers Guide.

Steps In Writing A Nursing Assistant Resume

Objective

It is important that you draft everything before you write it in your resume. A certified nursing assistant resume needs to have an objective. An objective is just a short summary of what your aim is in terms of creating the resume. If you look online for a sample resume you may find one with a resume objective like “I am experienced certified nursing assistant with 5 years of experience, seeking a certified nursing assistant position in a reputed health organization where I can apply my best clinical skills”. This is the kind of thing you should write, but be original and don’t just copy the CNA sample resume word for word.

Aptitude

There are a number of things that can go in the aptitude section of your CNA resume. For example you could include information about the following:

• Educational background
• Licenses you have received
• Voluntary certifications you earned

Remember that the person reading your resume is also reading a whole lot of other resumes as well. They will not have the time or inclination to look at a resume that is exactly the same as all of the others. The trick is to write a resume in such a way that you are original but that is at the same time still professional. This list of your aptitudes can be the eye catching moment that makes the reader interested.

Professional Expertise

In the next section you should highlight your professional expertise. What things are you really good at doing? This section will be easier to write if you have more work experience. Some CNA resume examples do not include this as a separate section but rather put it in with work experience. However if you are an accomplished CNA you need to take the time to highlight the tasks you are especially good at, particularly those tasks that you can perform without supervision, in your resume. A good nursing assistant resume will be one that is laid out in the best way to draw attention to your skills, which is why you cannot simply copy just any sample CNA resume you come across.

Work Experience

Like we said previously you need to include your work experience in your CNA resume. A good certified nursing assistant resume will include a fairly comprehensive list of the places you have worked in as well as what skills you learned there and what tasks you were responsible for performing. This is a great way to draw attention to your skills as a CNA in your resume.

Other Awards And Achievements

Good CNA resume usually include things such as:

• Above average graduation grade point average
• Admission to the Dean’s List
• Other honours

This is because these things can make you look really good to potential employers so you should not forget to include them if you have them. However it is not a big deal if you have no special awards or achievements. This is not compulsory for writing a resume. CNA resumes that have a something special like this are just more likely to be followed up with. This does depend of course on what the reader is looking for in the resume. Again, don’t just copy the many CNA resume examples that you can find online.

Future Goals In The Nursing Profession

It is a great idea to mention in your resume what your future goals are in the nursing profession as this will show that you are dedicated to the profession and that you are willing to do what it takes to upgrade your qualification and move on in the industry. Employers like to have CNAs on their staff who are willing to maybe later upgrade their qualifications and become LPNs or RNs. However this is not the main point of your nursing assistant resume so do not devote too much space and time to writing about where you want to be in the future. Keep your resume short and to the point so as not to bore the reader.

References

You should also list any references you have from previous jobs on your resume, especially from those jobs where you felt that you really did a great job. If you have had a bad experience at a previous job try not to include that employer in your list of references in your certified nursing assistant resume. You need to be able to present your prospective future employer with a list of people he or she can contact in order to find out a little bit more about work ethic and style. If you don’t have much space on your resume sometimes it is acceptable to put “References available on request” on CNA resumes as you will see in any sample CNA resume on the internet.

Creating A CNA Resume In Your Word Processing Program

Step 1

The first step to creating your resume on your computer is opening your word processing program. Most computers will have a word processing program available on them. The most common is Windows Microsoft Word, but there are other options as well. Basically it is a program that you can type text into. Once you have typed the text into the program you will be able to print it or save it for future editing or use. If you are new to using a computer it won’t take you long at all to figure out how your word processing program works, and once you have got the hang of it you are ready to get started with your CNA resume.

Step 2

The next step in writing your certified nursing assistant resume is to write four lines of text:

• Full name on the first line
• Address on the second line
• Telephone number on the third line
• Email address on the fourth line

You will see in resume examples that this information is in the middle of the page at the top. Highlight what you have written by dragging the mouse over the words. Then click on the “centre” button at the top of the screen so that these four lines of text will be moved to the middle where they will be a lot more obvious to the reader.

Step 3

These four lines of information are generally considered to be the most important part of resumes because without this information an employer who is interested in hiring you will not know how to contact you. Consequently it is important to make this information stand out. You can do this by underlining it or making it bold. Highlight the words by dragging your mouse over them. Then click on the bold icon (B) at the top of the screen, or the underline icon (a U which is underlined). You will see that this is a common thing to do when you look at any CNA sample resume. Make sure that this information s accurate so that you can be easily contacted.

Step 4

Now you have to write the education sections. Make sure that this is written to the left side of the page and not in the middle. Type the word “Education” and make it bold or underline it. Under this heading you should then write all of the schools you have attended, including your high school and the CNA program you attended. Make sure that you write the dates you attended these schools in your resume, and state what qualifications you earned once you left. This is an important part of CNA resumes. For formatting advice have a look at a CNA sample resume, but don’t copy exactly what it says, just use it as a basic guideline.

Step 5

The next heading you need to write is “Experience”. Write it in the exact same way that you wrote the “Education” heading. Now you need to make a list of all of the work experience you have as a CNA in your resume. Make this list a bullet point list. You will see that this is common in most resume examples. Make sure that you give the years that you worked at each of the places you list. If you left the place, say why you left. Make sure you include contact information. Keep it short and simple so that the person who reads your nursing assistant resume doesn’t get bored in the middle of reading the most important information.

Step 6

An important thing to include on your CNA resume s any community involvement you have taken part in. This can include things like:

• Church positions
• Volunteer experiences
• Any other way that you served your community

Even if it is not related to being a CNA, include it anyway. It makes you look good in your employers eyes and will increase your chances of getting a job. List this information in the same way that you have listed your education and experience as good CNA resumes always have a consistent pattern throughout. Don’t be shy. As you can tell from any CNA sample resume the point of a CNA resume is to sell yourself and make yourself seem as good as possible.

Step 7

Now you need to write a list of your skills in your resume. Again write a heading. This time the heading will be called “Skills. Under this you need to write all of your personal skills that you think will help you to be a great CNA. You can include things like:

• compassionate
• hard working
• detail oriented
• a multi-tasker

There are many different personality skills that would make you a great CNA, so be sure to include them all. Look for ideas online from the resume examples that you can find on the Internet, but remember not to just copy a CNA sample resume. It is better to be original.

Step 8

You will then have to save you resume. There should be a button in the top left hand corner that you can click on to find the save option. Make sure that give your resume a name that you will be able to recognise easily when you want to find it again. Reasons why you will want your nursing assistant resume include wanting to edit it because you have more experience and wanting to email it or print it out in order to apply for a job. If you do not take the time to save the CNA resume all of your hard work will be lost. If you exit the program without saving it will ask you if you want to save. Always click “Yes”.

Step 9

If you need to send a hardcopy of your resume to your prospective employers you will have to print the resume out. For this you will need a printer that is connected to your computer. Hold down the “ctrl” button and hit the “p” button at the same time. This will allow you to print your CNA resume. When you go to a job interview you should also take an additional copy of your resume with you just in case. This means that if you have to have your resume printed by someone else because you don’t have a printer you will have to make sure that you get more than one copy of your resume so that you can give it to all of the relevant people.

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What Is A CNA?

A CNA is a nurse that does the absolute basics under the supervision of a more advanced nursing professional, such as an LPN or RN. Other names that you might have heard for CNAs include a Nursing Assistant, a Nursing Auxiliary, an Auxiliary Nurse, a Nurse Aide, a Home Health Aide, a Patient Care Assistant, a Patient Care Technician, a Geriatric Aide, a Psychiatric Aide, a Nurse Technician, or a Healthcare Support Worker. The main things that CNAs do include assisting patients with their daily activities such as bathing, dressing, feeding, grooming, and walking, observing patient’s behavior and reporting anything out of the ordinary, taking vital signs, such as the blood pressure, temperature, pulse and respiratory rates, assisting patients on mobilization and transferring, assisting in feeding and meal preparation, and last but not least assisting patients in their personal hygiene. These are all of the things that a CNA course will prepare you for. Good CNA programs are ones that contain all of the knowledge you need to be an effective and successful CNA in real life, so choose your CNA course carefully.

How Much Do CNA Programs Cost?

There are a great many things that affect the cost of programs such as:

• The state that you choose to study in.
• Whether or not the CNA program you attend is state funded or privately funded.
• The reputation of the school.
• The type of educational facility and/or program that you are enrolled in.
• The qualification offered by the CNA course.

That said it can be seen that on average the cost of certified nursing assistant program varies from amount $400 to about $1500. This is quite a big difference and can have a big effect on whether or not you are willing to enrol in that particular course. There are however financial aid options available for people wanting to nursing assistant programs, so if you are interested in getting your foot in the door of the medical field, don’t give up simply because you do not have the funds to study. There is a shortage of nursing professionals, so people are willing to try and solve this problem by providing aid to students who want to do CNA programs and CNA courses.

The Average Length Of A CNA Course

Most programs are quite short with the longest ones being no more than about 12 weeks in total. During this time you will have to do both clinical and theoretical training, both of which are essential if you want to become a certified nursing aid. CNA courses that do not include clinical practice are probably going to be a waste of time. This is because it is essential that you complete this aspect of your training in order to become properly certified and in order to be ready to work as a CNA in a real situation. The shorter the CNA program is that you choose to enrol in the higher the chances are that you will not be given the clinical training necessary to pass the examination. CNA programs need to give you this clinical training. This important factor simply cannot be stressed enough. Shorter certified nursing assistant programs may seem very attractive to you, but how do you know that you are being properly prepared? Rather spend the little extra time and get a good qualification from one of the better programs that are out there.

CNA Programs: Coursework

There are a number of very basic skills and subjects that you will learn during most CNA programs, such as anatomy and physiology, body mechanics, communication, infection control, nutrition, personal care skills, and resident rights, among other topics. These topics will be covered through the practical and theoretical aspects of certified nursing assistant programs, so this is why it is important that you find a CNA course that provides exhaustive training in both aspects. There are a lot of programs available out there but not all of them provide the coursework you need to successfully become registered. Remember that you will have to pass an examination in order to become a CNA. This means that you want to consider only those nursing assistant programs that will prepare you properly for this. You can check on this by considering whether or not the questions you are likely to receive in the exam match up with what you are likely to learn on the CNA course you attend. Good CNA programs will obviously prepare you well for what is to come, and bad or average CNA courses will not provide adequate preparation.

What You Can Do As A CNA?

CNAs are permitted to work in the following settings once they have gone through one of the accredited programs available:

• Hospitals
• Nursing centres
• Residential care centers
• Mental health facilities
• Patients’ homes

In addition the completion of a CNA program will allow you to perform the following tasks in one of the above mentioned settings (although tasks can vary from setting to setting rather significantly):

• Take vital signs
• Help patients eat, bathe, dress, and walk
• Reposition patients in their beds
• Change bedpans and bed linens
• Observe patients and report changes to supervisors
• Serve meals
• Tidy patients’ room
• Escort patients to other parts of the facility
• Help set up equipment and stock supplies

These are the paces that certified nursing assistant programs will allow you to work in as well as the tasks that you will be taught to perform. This is not for everybody, so if you are unsure about the settings you will have to work in or things you will have to do then you may want to consider another line of work.<

CNA Program Requirements

There are a lot of certified nursing assistant programs out there, but you will be glad to hear that generally speaking the admission requirements for a CNA course are far less stringent then what you would have to go through to get into one of the more advanced nursing programs. This is great especially as nursing assistant programs can serve as stepping stones to more advanced qualifications.

You will have to present your high school diploma or your GED qualification if you want to enrol in most CNA programs. This is one of the basic requirements that you will have to comply with in order to enrol in most CNA courses.

However there are also some programs that do not require that you have a high school diploma or GED. In order to get into a CNA program such as this you merely have to have passed the Test for Adult Basic Education. This means that you have the option of becoming a CNA without a high school qualification.

There is also an age requirement for certified nursing assistant programs. You have to be 18 years or older to enrol in a program.

Becoming An LPN Or RN

Once you have a CNA qualification form one of the many CNA programs available you will be able to use it as a stepping stone for becoming an LPN or RN in the future. A little known fact is that after you have completed a CNA course you may be able to do a CNA to LPN or CNA to RN qualification and thereby expand your career options in the nursing field. There are a number of advantages to doing this:

• You will be eligible for a much higher salary if you first attend one of the nursing assistant programs and then use that as a stepping stone to do a CNA to LPN or RN program.
• You will be able to advance in the medical profession until you are at a much higher level than you ever imagined possible.
• You will have higher self-esteem.

These programs can take a few years to complete, but they are worth it. Many can be done part-time while you continue working as a CNA. There are also a number of financial aid options available for nurses who want expand the basic knowledge learned in their CNA programs.

Online Nursing Assistant Programs

There are also a number of online programs that you may want to consider enrolling in. This option is far more convenient and online CNA courses also tend to be a whole lot cheaper than normal classroom based face-to-face options.

An important thing to remember is that it is not possible to do your entire training through an online CNA program. This is because it is impossible, as I am sure you will understand, to do the clinical work necessary to become a CNA through CNA programs that are offered solely online. Be careful about certified nursing assistant programs that claim to offer complete certification online. There has to be some or other structure in place somewhere along the way that allows for you to complete the necessary clinical training.

However, that being said, there are a number of credible online programs available so do not reject this option off the bat. You just need to take the time necessary to find the best online CNA course for you.

Another thing to remember is that not everyone can benefit well from online CNA programs, so make sure you are someone who can before making the decision to enrol.

Some Schools That Offer CNA Courses

There are plenty of schools out there offering great CNA programs, but some of the best of these schools offering these nursing assistant programs are:

• Baker College Online
• DeVry University
• Duke University
• John Hopkins University
• Kaplan University
• Keiser University
• Oregon Health and Science University
• South University
• The University of Washington
• The University of California
• The University of Michigan
• The University of North Carolina
• The University of Pennsylvania
• The University of Phoenix
• The University of Pittsburgh
• Yale University

When choosing a from among the many programs available you should keep a few things in mind. Firstly you should consider the location of the various CNA curses that you are interested in. The closer the curse the less you will have to pay in travel costs. You will also have to consider the cost of the CNA program and decide whether or not you will need financial aid in order to fund your studies at that particular school.

CNA Personality Requirements

There are a number of personality requirements that it is suggested that you have before you decide to enrol in CNA programs. These are:

• Great communication skills
• An ability to multitask
• An ability to work as part of a health care team
• An ability to take direction from doctors and nursing supervisors
• Patience
• Compassion
• Understanding
• A strong desire to help others

These are things that simply cannot be taught in certified nursing assistant programs, so you will have to have a natural aptitude in these areas before deciding to enrol in a CNA course. If you feel that you do not have the right personality for the job then you should definitely reconsider your decision to attend one of the many nursing assistant programs on offer as you will struggle to function as a CNA in a hospital or other health care setting if you do not meet the personality requirements right from the beginning.

Right, so now you have all of the information you need in order to make your decision regarding whether or not certified nursing assistant programs are for you. There are a lot of things to take into consideration, but if you want a stable job in a stable industry, there are worse things that you could do then engaging in a CNA program and becoming certified as a nursing assistant as there are many opportunities that this will open for you.

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CNA classes

Becoming a CNA can be easy, especially as there are a wider range of CNA courses available out there. Here are some useful tips to help you find CNA courses:

Online Searches

It should go without saying that the best place to start looking for CNA classes is online. There are a number of different options out there and with a little bit of hard work and a willingness to consider all of the options you will eventually find the best CNA training class for you with absolutely no cost to yourself. The easiest thing to do is to type “CNA classes” into your search engine. To narrow the search, specify the location that you would like to study in.

Word Of Mouth

A very good way to get hold of information about CNA classes is by word of mouth. In many ways this can be an even more reliable method of finding these kinds of CNA class options as you will know for a fact that the people you are dealing with have met with success with those classes in the past. Free CNA training classes can often be poorly advertised online and in other forms of media, so it is helpful if you know someone who has already qualified as a CNA through classes that cost them nothing.

Places To Look

There are a lot of CNA classes out there, but not all of them are legitimate. If you want your qualification to mean anything you need to attend certified nursing assistant classes that are accredited through the necessary channels. The best way to ensure this is by contacting your State Board of Nursing with the names of the nursing assistant classes that you have heard of and asking them to confirm whether or not it is a safe CNA training class to attend. This is something that you cannot forget or neglect to do if you want to successful complete your CNA classes.

Certified Nursing Assistant Classes Online

In this day and age it is becoming increasingly more popular for people to study online. There are just so many advantages offered by studying in this way, and people are keen to benefit from this form of study. Certain qualifications are especially good for online study, such as CNA classes. There are a number of things to consider, however, before choosing a CNA class online, so make sure that you don’t make this choice lightly. Good online CNA training classes are not always easy to find and you don’t want to make the wrong decision.

Setting Your Schedule

The first advantage is that you will be able to set your own schedule. This is great for:

• People who are working
• People who have children that they have to take care of

This is because you will be able to fit your studies in easily with all of the other things that demand your attention. There is a downside, however. This takes a lot of self-discipline and you will need good organizational skills to create your own schedule. People who are not naturally good at this will find online study to be a big challenge for them.

Things Needed For Online Classes

In order to attend online CNA classes you will need to have a reliable Internet connection. In fact this is basically all you will need, along with a little bit of knowledge about how to use the Internet. This makes certified nursing assistant classes a very good option as there will be no materials or books that you will have to buy. The implication is, however, that if you live in an area where internet is unreliable you may run into trouble when it comes to consistently and completing your work on time. A steady internet connection is a must.

Earn And Learn

The biggest draw which we have touched on already is the fact that you will not have to compromise your income in order to study. In the current economic climate it is not a feasible option to give up your job in order to study full-time, which is why online classes have become so popular. If you take a CNA training class online you will be able to easily slot it into your work schedule by doing it after hours or on your lunch break. Another economic advantage is that there are many free CNA classes online for you to benefit from.

Study For Another State

As we have mentioned already different states have different accreditation and certification requirements. When you do online CNA classes you are not tied down to one state. If you plan to move immediately to another state once you have completed your CNA training classes you will be able to do so. This is because there are no boundaries with online certified nursing assistant classes. You can attend online lessons from a school in any state thereby gaining you access to that state and an opportunity to move there in the future if that is what you want to do.

Fake Schools

One of the potential pitfalls, however, lies in the fact that there are many fake CNA classes available on the internet and elsewhere at the moment. If you are considering doing an online CNA training class you are more at risk than others as it is far easier to create a fake online school than it is to create a bricks and mortar one. Consequently you will need to do your research well and check with the board of nursing before settling on a school. Do not enrol with the first online CNA class that comes your way.

Because of all of the fake schools out there, employers have become very suspicious of whom they hire. As a result it is better for you if you can get a qualification from one of the more well-known institutions that offer CNA training classes. At the end of this article there are some of the best schools for you to consider. The best way to ensure that you are getting certification that will be approved of is to actually enquire with the various medical institutes that you would like to work at and find out which online CNA classes they accept.

No Hands-on Training

One of the biggest drawbacks of online CNA classes is that you will not have the access to hands-on training that other instituted offer and this means that you may not be fully prepared for the job. Additionally employers prefer CNAs who attended certified nursing assistant classes that involved hands-on training. If you are studying online you may want to see if there are any facilities in your area that will take you on as an intern so that you can get some of that invaluable experience that you need in order to be a successful CNA.

Tuition Fees

Different online CNA classes will cost your differing amounts of money. As you know there are options that are free, but sometimes it takes a little bit of capital to get a good return. If you are planning to pay for your online CNA training class you need to make sure that you are ready to cover the costs and that you know exactly how much money you will be able to commit to this right from the outset. This will help you find the best online CNA class quickly and effectively and will just generally speed up the entire process.

Exam Preparation

Just like face-to-face schools your online CNA classes need to be of the kind that will adequately prepare you for the examination that you will have to write in order to complete your qualification. If you are not being properly prepared for the exam then you are quite definitely wasting your time. A good way to find out if the CNA training classes provide adequate preparation is to find out how many students have successfully passed the exam after taking those certified nursing assistant classes and how many haven’t. The reputation of the CNA training class in this regard is very important indeed.

Things To Consider When Choosing CNA Training Classes

There are a number of things you should take into account when choosing a CNA school of any kind. The choice you make can affect your future career as a CNA as employers will often consider the school you went to when deciding whether or not to hire you. The type of school you attend will also affect your projected enjoyment of your studies, so you need to make sure that the CNA class is one that you will enjoy. CNA training classes can differ significantly in many ways, so look into all of them very carefully before making your final decision of which CNA training class you would like to attend.

Location

One of the first things that you will need to consider when looking into CNA classes is the location of the school where you will be required to attend the lessons. This is for two reasons:

• The amount of travel time that you spend every day can affect how tired you are as well as your motivation to learn.
• Your budget may be stretched a little too far if you have to travel far distances on a daily basis because travel costs are not necessarily affordable for everybody.

Although you should not base your entire decision on this aspect, it is still a very important consideration to take into account.

Certification

Good certified nursing assistant classes are ones that come with a certification or licensing examination at the end of them, an exam like this is very important as it determines whether or not you will become certified as a CNA. CNA classes that do not offer access to a certification exam at the end of the course may just be out there to get your money. So, when you are researching certified nursing assistant classes make sure that you choose a CNA training class that is in line with this very important requirement.

Accreditation

You need to attend CNA classes that are accredited. The best way to find out whether or not a CNA class s accredited is by contacting your state board of nursing. It is important that you contact the state board of nursing for your particular state as requirements for accreditation can differ significantly from state to state and consequently you need to choose a program that is accredited for the state in which you want to work as a CNA. CNA training classes that are not accredited by the state board of nursing are a waste of time as you will have no credibility if you graduate form one of them.

Ask Around

When looking for CNA classes it may also be a good idea to actually contact the hospitals in your area. Some hospitals offer certified nursing assistant classes, but even if they don’t they will most likely be able to point you in the direction of certified institutions that they accept CNAs from. If you have a hospital in mind that you would like to work at it is a great idea to find out which CNA training class you should attend to be eligible to work there.

Ask friends and friends of friends, especially those who are CNAs themselves, where the best CNA classes in their opinion are. Sometimes the best way to get hold of information such as this is by word of mouth. They may even be able to inform you of some of the free CNA classes that are available all over the country. Don’t be shy to ask others for advice – the best advice comes from people who have already been through the process and who have firsthand knowledge of the situation. In this way you may hear of a CNA class that you had not heard of before.

Online Classes

There are a lot of advantages to doing online CNA classes, as we have discussed in great detail already, so if you have a choice of schools available to you, you may want to begin by considering the online options. Online CNA training classes have a lot of pitfalls to keep in mind, but you should already be aware of these from reading the above information. Also you need to keep in mind that online study is not for everybody and if you feel that you won’t be able to handle it, consider face-to-face classes instead.

Long-term care establishments

Long-term care establishments often offer short CNA classes that you will be able to do for free in return for which you work at that facility for a set period of time after you have received CNA certification. These types of certified nursing assistant classes are very beneficial indeed as they prepare you in the best way possible for a career as a CNA and you will have hands-on experience to show on your resume when it comes time to search for a job. Consequently if you have the option of a course in a long-term care facility, consider this above the other options that you may have.

Best CNA Schools

The following are generally considered to be the best schools to attend if you want to become a CNA. However, this is not an exhaustive list and if these schools are not in your area that will not exclude you from finding a great face-to-face or online CNA class to enroll in. Here is the list of the top schools offering CNA training classes:

• The University of Washington
• University of Phoenix
• University of North Carolina
• University of California
• University of Pennsylvania
• John Hopkins University
• Keiser University
• South University
• DeVry University
• Baker College Online

There are a lot of options available out there if you are willing to take the time necessary to look. Be careful when making your final decision about which CNA class to attend as there are am nay that are not exactly honest and legitimate and you do not want to end up wasting time and money on a qualification hat will get you absolutely nothing in the long run. That said there are many very good certified nursing assistant classes available so you should not give up too quickly in your search. CNA classes are the way to go for anyone looking to get involved in the stability of the medical industry.

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• It will gain you access to the stable and ever-expanding health care sector.
• It will open up new career paths for you in the future.
• It does not take a lot of time.

Eligibility Requirements

How Old Must You Be?

In order to apply for a certified nursing assistant license you do have to be at least 18 years of age. This holds true for all states in which the license is available and there is no point in applying if you are longer. Fortunately this is one of the requirements that you will have after time, so if you wait patiently you will soon be old enough.

The Competency Course

You will also have to pass a written competency course in order to get your CNA license. It is very important that you are well prepared for this course and that you work hard to pass it. The course includes a certain number of practical hours which you will have to complete under the close supervision of a qualified nurse.

High School Education

The nest thing that you will have to have is a high school diploma. You need to have completed high school or the equivalent thereof. You will have to submit your high school transcript when applying for entry into a license program. If you have attended any college courses in any subjects at all you will also have to provide those transcripts too so that the course you enrol in will be aware of your academic skill level.

How Good Is Your English?

A very important part of being a CNA involves speaking with patients on a regular basis. In fact this in some ways is the primary task that you will perform. As a result you will need to be fluent in English to make conversation easier if you want to get your CNA license.

CNA Licensing Exam

The license exam is divided into two parts, namely:

• The Clinical Exam, and
• The Theoretical Exam

Both of these exams are essential to getting your certified nursing assistant license and you will not be able to qualify as a CNA if you have not passed both aspects. This is just the way it is.

In the clinical exam you will have to demonstrate that you have learned everything that you were required to earn during your practical training. You will be examined in a clinical setting and you will have to show that you know how to perform a number of tasks that you will be required to perform on a daily basis once you are a CNA. There are a few things to keep in mind during this part of the exam. The first thing is that you should not panic. Stay calm and do your best. You also need to remember that the examiner will be watching everything that you do, so concentrate hard and stay focused during the test. If you have prepared properly then this part of the license exam should be no trouble for you at all.

Once you have done the clinical exam you will need to write the theoretical exam. DO NOT attempt this exam unless you are sure you can pass it. A good way to determine whether or not you are ready is to look for sample questions online and keep on answering them until you get them right most of the time. Be well prepared.

Steps In Getting Your License

Step 1

The first thing that you will have to do is to get hold of the application form from the CNA license authority and then send it to the State Licensing Office. You will have to have your application form notarized before sending it off.

Step 2

You will then have to verify the training that you have undergone by completing the verification of training form. This is to check that the school or program you attended was accredited. If it was not accredited you will not get your license.

Step 3

To the Department of Public Safety you will have to submit a fingerprint card and a background check. You will also have to pass the required health check to ensure that you are fit and able.

Step 4

You will then have to sit back and wait to see if your application for your CNA license has been approved or not. This may take a while and there is nothing you can do to speed up the process, so patience is required at this point.

Step 5

You will have to pay a licensing fee in order to get your license, so make sure that you get this money together. The actual amount you will have to pay varies depending on the state you are in, so find out this information early

Step 6

Remember that you will be sent notification regarding your application. It is not a good idea to call the State Board of Nursing to check on the progress of your application.

CNA License Renewal

So now that you have your CNA license you will need to keep it updated. The license you are given will only be valid for a very limited time. You will need to find out all about license renewal for your particular state as this can also vary from state to state. In most states your license will have an expiration date and certified nursing assistant license renewal will have to occur about once a year. There is usually a fee involved, but again, the fee for license renewal depends on the state in which you are working as a CNA. These amounts can vary quite drastically so make sure you know well ahead of time exactly how much money you will have to get together to renew your license. In addition to the fee you may also have to provide proof of continuing education for your CNA license renewal in some states. Continuing education comes in the form of training programs that you have to complete in order to keep your knowledge of the field updated. This is very important and when it is made compulsory it means that the general standard of CNA service in that state is at a higher level. Find out how much continuing education, if any, you will have to do for your license renewal, and then do it with a smile on your face because it is very beneficial. Some states inform CNAs of CNA license renewal dates and requirements, but some states require that you check the information for yourself.

CNA License Verification

In order to practice as a CNA you will not only have to have a license, but you will also need to have a license that is valid. It is your responsibility to check the validity of your license, and the method that you go through to determine CNA license verification is very similar to that used in the previous section for renewing your license. There are a lot of factors involved in license verification, it is also suggested that you get your hands on the original copy of your CNA license as this is the copy containing the official seal of the state board of nursing and will therefore be the most convincing document you will have to prove that you have a certified nursing assistant license. Some steps in license verification are:

• Go to the Nurse’s Aide Registry and type in the name of your state to get the telephone number you need.
• Some states have an online CNA license verification system, so check your state’s registry site for this.
• If you decide to actually visit the registry office make sure that you take all information such as your licensing number with you.
• There is a fee to pay in order to get license verification, but again this varies from state to state.
• You can then have the license mailed or emailed to you, but the hardcopy option is definitely the best.
• There are also independent organisations through which you can get license verification.

Transferring Your License To Another State

If you want to start working in a different state you will have to transfer your CNA license from your current state to that other state in order to continue practicing as a CNA. There are a few things that you need to keep in mind when doing this.

Some states have a reciprocity policy which means that they automatically accept licenses from other states without any trouble at all. This is true for states where the licensing procedures and coursework are very similar. All you will have to do if reciprocity is indeed practiced is to submit your employment proofs, social security number, educational proofs as well as background check. The license will still have to be transferred, but in many cases you will be able to start working while you wait for the transfer to go through, and thereby not waste any precious time.

If the state does not practice reciprocity you will have to write the clinical and theoretical examinations for that state in order to get a certified nursing assistant license that is valid for that state in particular. This is very important, and one of the first things that you will have to do before moving to another state is to find out what the license transference policies are so that you will actually be able to work once you are there. Once the license has been transferred it may take a while for it to actually get to you so you need to be patient and wait it out.

Suspension Of Your License

In some cases you may get your CNA license suspended. This is of course not ideal, and hopefully you will never be placed in this situation, but it is worth mentioning the procedures and so on here so that you are prepared for all outcomes.

The suspension of your license can be initiated by either the person or company you are employed by, or the State Board of Nursing. A complaint will need to be made about you to the State Board of Nursing and this will initiate an investigation into your actions as a CNA. Once the investigation is concluded it will be decided that either you were in the wrong or you were not. If you are deemed to be in the wrong, your CNA license will be suspended. The CNA in question will have to attend a hearing. In some cases, if the offense is particularly bad, the CNA may also be fined or even have their license permanently removed.

When applying for a job it looks bad to have on your record the information that your license was previously suspended. If you want to keep your credibility as a CNA you will have to do everything in your power to keep your certified nursing assistant license in good standing. If you do not this could affect you in a variety of extremely negative ways which you should avoid at all costs. Ensuring that your license has no blemishes in its history, and keeping your education up to date, are two of the best ways to keep your license in good standing.

Now that you have all of the information required should be well informed regarding your CNA license and how to get it. The facts above are fairly exhaustive and if you follow the suggestions and steps laid out in this article you will have no trouble at all getting your license. Becoming a CNA allows you to later progress to becoming an LPN and perhaps even an RN in the future so this qualification can be used as the first stepping stone in your nursing career.

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The life of a medical social worker is of course not always as easy as you would sometimes want it to be. This is due to the fact that you might have to deliver bad news to the patient and his or her family from time to time, which might involve that they cannot yet be discharged for certain reasons. Some patients feel they are ready to be discharged and they oppose your findings, because they feel scared and confused.

The social worker job description can also be varied within the boundaries of normal social work encased in the medical field. The basics of the medical social worker job description stays the same, but it can vary according to which type of institution you will be working in. This will also determine the social worker salary.

Being a medical social worker is not being the bearer of bad news all the time. It is one of the rewarding jobs, because you get to help people on a daily basis. All those years of studying ridiculously difficult medical terms and theoretical texts, are all very well worth it at the end of the day and brings you closer to a brilliant future.

Getting A Job As A Medical Social Worker

The job description of a medical social worker includes the help to prepare patients and their families for when the time comes for them to be discharged from the hospital. They also help with the rehabilitation of the patient as well as assess if the person is ready to be discharged. Sometimes it can be a challenge for a patient to go back into the world when they are discharged and this is where the social worker prepares you for further recovery out of the hospital.

When looking at a typical medical social worker job description, you need to do the following:

• Preparing a patient for hospital discharge

• Preparing the family how to handle any crisis at home and giving them a plan of action

• Evaluation the mental health of the patient before discharge

• Gauging if the client is chemically dependent on any medication before discharge

• Reporting and investigating any suspected child abuse

• Grief counseling

• Referrals to special support groups for the patient and the family

The medical social worker job description can also include any other duties that the hospital, hospice or other medical facility might deem necessary to reach its objectives and for the better service of patients.

They may not have the most glamorous job when you look at the it’s job description, but when you look at the good you are doing for your patients and for society as a whole, you will be pleasantly surprised at how much satisfaction and self-worth you will gain from this career. Your patients will be assured that they are ready to leave the hospital or medical facility and they will know how to deal with the challenges that the world will hold in for them.

Think about how a new amputee must feel when they have to take on the world where their lives have changed forever. The social worker can help him or her deal with the loss through grief counseling, can get him or her in touch with support groups and can council the family of the patient with regards to what they can expect and how to handle the patient. The patient might be a little more dependent on others, but would still want to retain some sense of self-sufficiency and this is something that can be a big adjustment for both the patient and for the family. The patient might be in a depressed state of mind and it is up to the social worker to help the patient deal with this depression as well as what the world out there would be like. Cancer can also be a life changing disease and a big adjustment for the patient and the family. There are many support groups patients can join and it is important for you, as medical social worker, to help the patient and the family get in touch with these groups so that they can see that they are not alone in their struggles and that there are people that they can relate to.

The Earning Potential of a Medical Social Worker

A medical social worker salary is relevant to the amount of work that the person has to do. The working hours are quite long and the stresses could be many and for this reason, the remuneration is relevant to the workload.

The salary will also depend on the state they work in as the laws on remuneration are so different between states. You will also need to look at what kind of establishment you will be working in. You will be able to use your medical social worker qualification in a hospital, a hospice, for home care or in any other mental or medical institution. The type of care you give and the kind of environment you work in with the working hours will also have an impact on your salary.

The average salary should be around $52000, but as mentioned already, there are many factors that could influence what they could earn. This gives you some small measure of control over your earning potential, but the industry standard is quite set about how much you can learn. When you look at everything you have to do to earn this salary, you will see that it is quite relevant to what you will be earning.

Required Skills For This Career

As a medical social worker, you are very important to the hospital’s discharge plans. If a patient takes too long to recover and his discharge is delayed for too long by your observations, the hospital could end up losing millions in a year. For this reason, you need to be skilled in observing tell-tale signs that the patient may be getting better so that he can be discharged and see through the fact that he might be delaying the inevitable by pretending to still be sick. Many patients want to be discharged, but are delayed because of studies that still needs to be done and observations that need to be made before they are discharged. You also cannot discharge a patient who is not fully recovered.

You would also need to work well in a team environment, because the medical team often relies on the social worker for important information and to help them ensure their patients are fully equipped to leave the hospital and won’t be a danger to themselves or others. If a cancer patient lives by themselves you would need to make sure that the patient does not have any side effects from the medication that could place them in danger. If this is the case, then a home care worker needs to be assigned to the patient when he is being released. Other frail care patients also need the necessary help to get through their daily lives with dignity and in a safe manner. Above all you would need the necessary amount of compassion that will enable you to put the welfare of your patients above anything else.

The Ability To Work Under Pressure

As a medical social worker, you need to make sure that each case is handled by its deadline even if you have a high load of cases waiting for you. This means you would need to be able to work well under pressure so that you can give each one of your cases the necessary attention and care as you would if you only had one single case that you were working on. The rehabilitation of certain patients is very important so that they can return as functioning members of society and that they can deal with the discrimination that might come their way once they have been discharged.

Even if you don’t have a doctor’s degree, you will be just as much a part of the critical medical staff as any doctor, nurse or therapist. Just as you will be able to assist the rest of the medical team, they will be able to assist you with the necessary tests and files and information that you may need of the patient to do the job to the best of your ability.

The post Considered a Career as a Medical Social Worker? appeared first on Healthcare Careers Guide.

Some of the daily tasks of licensed practical nurses include taking patients’ vital signs, feeding patients, giving them their medication, immunizations, and dressing wounds, amongst others. They report to the registered nurse in charge when there are unexpected changes in the condition of the patients. They put in about 40 hours per week and split this between day, evening and weekend shifts.

Practical And Theoretical Training

It is worthwhile to do some research about the type of work LPN’s do, because their responsibilities differ in different regions. People who are considering joining the nursing field usually have to first decide if they want to become a Licensed Practical Nurse or a Registered Nurse. A person can become an LPN in the space of about a year, but before anyone can pursue a career as a licensed practical nurse, they must be accepted to a vocational program, which must be state-approved for students to earn their certification as a licensed practical nurse.

LPN certification training includes both practical- as well as theoretical training. Some of the things they cover will include first aid, anatomy, pediatrics, nutrition, medical-surgical nursing and others. When students have graduated, they must become certified through the National Council Licensure Examination. The exam will cover –

• safe and effective care environment
• health promotion and maintenance
• psychosocial integrity
• physiological integrity

The NCLEX Leads To Rewarding Jobs

There are many jobs available for licensed practical nurses. The training you receive will prepare you to take your state’s PN-NCLEX, known as Practical Nurse-National Certification Licensure Examination. The learning process is made up of discussions, lectures as well as practical applications in clinics or hospitals. The NCLEX-PN is made up of multiple choice questions of which you select one. Some of the exams are more difficult because they have more than one correct answer.

The NCLEX qualifies you to get your first job as a nurse, and passing it and getting your license to practice can lead to a rewarding career, but also a step towards licensure as a Registered Nurse. LPN’s submit an application to take the exam through their state board of nursing. They in turn will go over the applicant’s course history to determine whether they are eligible to register for the exam. The board will then provide you with a list of testing centers, with details of how to schedule a testing date and time. LPN certification will mean performing some of the following tasks –

• receive reports from the previous shift in a hospital. Helping out with admissions paperwork for new patients.

• establishing who gets medication, tube feedings, and IV’s.

• LPN’s go on rounds with the doctors.

• completes charts and paperwork.

• hands reports over to the next incoming shift and briefs them on any changes.

Carry On Work While Studying

There are generally three ways to start nursing, and you can opt to become a Certified Nursing Assistant, a Licensed Practical Nurse or a Registered Nurse. You can even earn your RN degree while acting as an LPN, especially since certification often takes place at night, allowing LPNs to work toward their RN while still working.
In order to become a licensed practical nurse, you need to complete an accredited certificate or diploma program. After completing your state-approved nursing program, you will need to prepare for your LPN licensing exam, known as NCLEX-PN. You can purchase study guides for these exams at your local bookstore or online. You will have to achieve good enough grades, which can be as low as a C average, but minimum LPN requirement for entry will not always guarantee acceptance. Sometimes a ranking system is established where preference is given to those applicants with higher scores in prerequisite courses.

Find An Accredited School For LPN

There are a number of places that offer LPN certification programs, allowing students to earn a certificate in licensed practical nursing within a year. Those interested first need to earn a high school diploma, and some colleges request aptitude tests. If you have already considered LPN as a career choice when you are still young, the first step towards a career as an LPN is to find the right school. It is worthwhile noting that the prerequisite to begin training is a high school diploma or equivalent.

The beauty of taking training in high school means you can save a considerable amount of money. Another cost-effective way for getting LPN certification is through the military. After training and successful passing of the NCLEX-PN exam, you will be able to start working in the military. Not every school that offers courses is accredited. This is vital as accreditation for LPNs is mandatory for legal employment after school. If you opt to go further with nursing training, most colleges will accept those students who come from accredited schools.

Hands-On Training

You also want to know that the school has a mixture of hands-on clinical practice and training and that you can practice training on actual patients.
While earning an LPN certificate, students learn things like anatomy, nutrition, human behavior and NCLEX preparation.

The National Council Licensure Exam for Practical Nurses is known as the NCLEX-PN. You can register for the examination through the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, which requires a registration fee.
LPNs can also go on to earn a bachelor’s degree in nursing, both of which qualify them to take the NCLEX for registered nurses. Of course there are also online programs offered, and these are most convenient as you get to complete your degree in your own time at your own pace. These online programs are very popular for anyone wanting to enter the medical field but who still need to keep their nursing job going. Whether you attend a college or you opt to study online, you will want to make sure that the program meets the requirements for Licensed Practical Nurses in your state.

After successfully completing the NCLEX-PN, you will receive your LPN certification. Once completed, a number of exciting positions will open to you.

Who Offers Certifications?

The American Nursing Credentialing Center or ANCC offers a list of certifications in specialty areas like pediatrics or diabetes management for instance. There is also another professional organization which assists with ensuring that official LPN requirements are met , and they are the National League for Nursing. They offer certification for nurse educators. To ensure full compliance with LPN requirements, it is a good idea to research the different web sites where different nursing programs and degrees are offered, whether there are long waiting lists, and what the costs are.

• The American Board of Managed Care Nursing offers a certificate as a Certified Managed Care Nurse.

• The National Board for Certification of Hospice and Palliative Nurses offers a certification as a Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse.

• The Certification Board for Urological Nurses and Associates has a certificate for LPN after 1 year of urology experience.

• The National Certification Corporation for the Obstetric, Gynecological, and Neonatal Nursing Specialties has a certificate as a Menopause Educator for licensed LPNs.

Additional LPN Certifications

LPN’s can go on to get a number of LPN certifications in order to enhance the opportunities of getting work even more. Most nursing certifications require a Registered Nurse license, but there are certainly others that can only benefit you. A common certificate is the Intravenous and Blood Withdrawal certificate. There are other certificates that can be obtained by fulfilling a specified amount of nursing hours after graduating from an LPN program. To apply for these certification board examinations, a nurse must meet all the necessary requirements.

Flexible Classes For Anyone Interested In Nursing

The LPN is able to gain all the education and hands-on experience necessary to reach all their objectives. By going on to earn any number of certificates, nurses will certainly increase their opportunity in acquiring top jobs. People who have lost their jobs or looking at a complete career change can certainly look at being an LPN. Classes are conveniently offered at many vocational schools and schedules are flexible, making it possible for anyone to attend. LPN certification is short and according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, LPN’s are in demand, with many interesting job opportunities. Who knows, while working as a LPN, you may feel inclined to further your education in order to become a registered nurse.

The post You Need to Meet Specific Academic Criteria for LPN Certification appeared first on Healthcare Careers Guide.

LPN vs CNA – License vs Certification

There are a number of differences in terms of the educational requirements that you will have to undergo to become either a CNA or an LPN. These are one of the main topics under discussion when it comes to the concept of LPN vs CNA.

Training Requirements Of An LPN

An LPN needs to graduate from an accredited LPN training program. If the program is not accredited they will not be able to begin working as an LPN. In order to get into an LPN program in the first place the student has to be older than 18, have a high school certificate or GED and be able to pass the necessary background and health checks with flying colors. Once they have graduated from the program they will need to write the NCLEX-PN examination. This will give them a license to practice in nursing.

A CNA cannot be licensed, only certified. In order to become a CNA you will also have to go through training, but the training that you undergo can be completed in a matter of weeks or days while LPN training takes about a year. Many people choose to become a CNA because it means that they will be able to get into the nursing field and start working and earning money a lot quicker It is also important that the CNA looks into the accreditation of the program they attend as this can also be an important factor in their success.

Of course the differences in education are one of the main LPN vs CNA issues, but there are also a number of other differences to consider. Some people actually prefer being CNAs over LPNs based on some of the following factors:

Their Duties

As CNAs and LPNs have different levels of education they will of course be required to engage in highly different responsibilities, although there can be some overlaps. LPNs, with their higher educational level, generally have more responsibility and are more skilled than CNA. Below is an account of the various different duties that each type of nurse may perform. This comparison is very useful in an analysis of CNA vs LPN.

CNA Duties

We will first begin with an account of the duties that a CNA has to perform. These duties are very basic and are done by CNAs in order to give the LPNs, RNs and doctors more freedom to get on with doing the important tasks that they need to perform. A lot of people find that the job of a CNA is a little lacking in glamor. However if that is what you are looking for in a job, then you need to reconsider your choice of becoming a nurse in the first place. CNAs perform the more basic, but the ever necessary ad essential tasks involved in keeping a hospital or other health care facility going and they are vital members of the health care teams in which they work. The following list shows the basic duties of a CNA:

• Are responsible for helping with a variety of different everyday tasks when working in a patient’s home.

• Use medical terminology on a daily basis so a knowledge of this is important.

• Will be required to give CPR if the need arises.

• Are involved closely in infection control.

• Must record vital signs including, but not limited to, blood pressure and temperatures.

• Must keep a clean environment for patients.

• Must help patients maintain proper hygiene.

• Need to be able to follow directions that have been given by nurses or doctors.

• Need to be able to rate a patients level of pain, as well as take their weight.

• Often have to clean and sterilize equipment.

LPN Duties

These nurses have a lot more responsibility, however, they do not have the complete freedom to make decisions that we see in RNs. LPNs need to be guided at all times and their work must be monitored. LPNs can give directions to CNAs and delegate tasks to them that are within their scope of practice, but they in turn need to be able to take directions from doctors and senior nurses. The following list shows the basic duties of an LPN:

• They have to take the vital signs of the patients.

• They have to perform the first aid tasks.

• Administer injections to patients in most cases.

• Have to keep a watchful eye on patients who are in serious conditions.

• Are responsible for the basic needs of the patent such as hygiene and food.

• Are qualified to provide therapeutic massages to patients.

• Have to prepare patients who are to undergo surgeries.

Contact With Patients

LPNs are the more skilled of the two types of nurses and as a result they tend to have a lot more contact with the actual patients than either CNAs or RNs. This is an interesting consideration to keep in mind when considering LPN vs CNA issues. This is because a lot of people choose to enter the field of nursing specifically to work with people and to have interpersonal contact with patients. If this is the hope that you hold for your career as a nurse, then you may want to try to skip the CNA stage and go straight to learning to become an LPN.

The Salary

First we will take a quick look at the overall figures that LPNs and CNAs can earn. A CNA can earn an hourly rate of about $8.37 – $14.34 with overtime of about $7.93 – $21.54. They are also eligible for a bonus of up to $810. Their total pay is in the region of $17,555 – $31,988. Let us compare LPN and CNA salary. An LPN can earn an hourly rate of about $13.17 – $23.47 with overtime of about $15.52 – $35.28. They are also eligible for a bonus of up to $1,521. Their total pay is in the region of $27,364 – $51,834. So, as you can see at this basic surface level LPNs do earn more than CNAs. But because there are so many different factors affecting the salary that you actually come home with at the end of the day it is worth looking at some other salary statistics.

Employers

Popular employers for CNAs include the following. As you can see there are variations in salary depending on where you work.

• HCR Manor Care Inc: $8.93 – $12.61
• Kindred Healthcare: $8.79 – $13.66
• Golden Living Centers: $8.73 – $14.06
• Life Care Centers of America: $8.63 – $13.38
• Home Health and Hospice Care: $8.07 – $12.79

Now in keeping with our theme let us look at LPN vs CNA salary in terms of employers:

• Maxim Healthcare Services Inc.: $15.56 – $22.39
• DaVita Inc.: $14.12 – $25.29
• Kindred Healthcare: $15.32 – $25.27
• HCR Manor Care Inc: $17.18 – $25.15
• Life Care Centers of America: $13.97 – $26.73

It would seem that when it comes to a question of LPN vs CNA in terms of salary, LPNs earn more regardless of which employers they choose to work for.

Industries

When we consider the statistics in terms of the various industries that nurses can work in, we see that there is not only a difference in terms of which industries are popular but also in terms of how much each type of nurse can earn at each industry.

CNAs who choose to work in a nursing home earn about $8.52 – $13.81 an hour, while those employed on healthcare earn around $8.58 – $14.47 an hour. Those CNAs working in long-term care and rehabilitation can earn in the region of $8.51 – $13.83, and CNAs that choose to work in a hospital earn about $8.87 – $14.99 an hour. Lats but not least, we see that CNAs in home health care can earn $8.18 – $14.46 an hour. Let us see how things compare in terms of CNA vs LPN in this regard. An LPN nurse working in healthcare gets $13.23 – $24.07 an hour, and LPN working in a nursing home gets $13.35 – $23.93 an hour, and LPN working in long-term care or rehabilitation gets $13.66 – $24.10 an hour, an LPN working in family medicine gets $12.96 – $23.35 an hour, and an LPN working in a hospital gets $13.52 – $24.58 an hour.

Gender

There are differences in terms of LPN and CNA statistics when we look at gender, but these differences are slight. 90% of CNAs are women, while 92% of LPNs are women. In both cases there is a higher percentage of women than men. The average hourly rate for female CNAs is $9.32 – $12.23 and the average hourly rate for male CNAs is $9.51 – $12.46. The average hourly rate for female LPNs is $15.24 – $20.32 and the average hourly rate for male CNAs is $15.30 – $20.43. Men do, as we can see, earn slightly more than women in both professions.

Degree

When it comes to being a CNA, the following education options will earn you the following salaries:

• Associate’s Degree: $8.70 – $14.79
• Bachelor’s Degree: $8.41 – $14.45
• GED or High School Diploma: $8.23 – $14.74
• High School Diploma: $8.18 – $14.96
• Certificate (Cert), Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA): $8.65 – $14.42

Let’s see how this compares in terms of our LPN vs CNA theme:

LPNs with the following qualifications can earn the following amounts of money:

• Associate’s Degree: $13.20 – $22.93
• Bachelor’s Degree: $13.13 – $23.31
• Diploma of Nursing (DN): $13.78 – $23.31
• Certificate (Cert), Nursing: $13.14 – $24.07
• Diploma (Dipl), Nursing: $13.18 – $22.76

Top Paying Cities

We can also see the differences in terms of which states pay the highest. The highest paying states for CNAs are St. Paul, Minnesota; San Francisco, California; Seattle, Washington; Boston, Massachusetts; Washington, District of Columbia; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Phoenix, Arizona; San Jose, California; Fort Myers, Florida; Allentown, Pennsylvania; Sacramento, California; Denver, Colorado; Baltimore, Maryland; Portland, Oregon; Las Vegas, Nevada; Madison, Wisconsin; Portland, Maine; Mesa, Arizona; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Providence, Rhode Island. The highest paying states for LPN nurse practitioners are Boston, Massachusetts; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Mesa, Arizona; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Baltimore, Maryland; New York, New York; Phoenix, Arizona; Las Vegas, Nevada; Portland, Oregon; Seattle, Washington; Chicago, Illinois; Detroit, Michigan; Charleston, South Carolina; Houston, Texas; Denver, Colorado; Tucson, Arizona; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Raleigh, North Carolina; Sarasota, Florida; and Naples, Florida.

Now that you have all of the facts you should be in a good position to make your decision about which type of nursing career is better for you. Generally speaking it is a safe bet to start out as a CNA as you will be able to see whether or not you like nursing with only a small amount of time given to studying. However if you are sure about where your interests lie and that becoming a nurse is definitely the path for you to take then you should go for it and study to be an LPN, and perhaps even an RN, right from the beginning to save time later.

The post What Is The Difference Between An LPN And CNA Program? appeared first on Healthcare Careers Guide.