Hey Everyone,
I received another “ask me a question” and this one come from Rachal and here is what she asked:
“I am currently taking all my prerequisits for nursing school. I am in Arizona. Every where there is a year and a half wait to even get into the nursing program! Is there a test I can take to become certified as a LPN or CNA in the meantime? I currently have a MA degree.”
Nursing School Waiting List
Rachal, thank you so much for your question. That is crazy there is a year wait for you to get into the nursing program to become a Registered Nurse. That is awesome that you already have a MA degree.
I don’t blame you for wanting to do something in the mean time while you wait to get accepted. I would go with the LPN. It is a year of school at a vocational school and then you have to take a test to become licensed called the NCLEX-PN. I would check to see if there are any schools in your area that offer it.
If you don’t want to wait to do that you could do CNA which only requires that you are a high school graduate. Many local hospitals offer the classes for you to take to become a CNA. I think the class is like 6 weeks long and the you take a test. I think the LPN will get paid than the CNA but the CNA will be fast. I know that the big local hospital here has CNA classes offered every month.
I would think about it though because with your MA degree you might get paid more with that than you would as a CNA. Here in TN the cost of living is low so this hourly rate may sound small but on average CNAs here start out making $7-8 an hour. However, as a CNA you can get your ‘foot in the door’ for your nursing career.
Rachal, thank you so much for your question and good luck with everything. I hope the next 1 year and half flies by for you. If you ever have any more nursing questions don’t hesitate to hit me up!
Until next time,
Sarah 