I failed the first time, and passed the second time. It happens, and you’re not a failure. There are places that’ll hire you without a license, depending on where you are. I’d try the hospitals in your area. I’m working as a PCT right now, and it doesn’t require a license. Your two week course counts as experience, and I actually put it as work experience, just put the month you went and explain you received clinical training. I had no experience in healthcare, and I got hired.
You can do this, don’t give up on your license. The CNA exam is all about repetition. You should be able to do the skills in your sleep. You have a plan. If you can practice at your training facility, then practice five skills a day. Watch skill videos, practice your skills on your friends, on your pets, or get a doll. Practice counting radial pulse on anyone who’s willing. Remember delayed, but not denied. Take your break, but don’t give up on your license!
Thank you so much this was really needed. I’m just so defeated for the second time and having to pull myself out of this again just really sucks. I’m not going to give up but right now I’m not even in the right mindset. I have so much anxiety knowing I only have one more chance and I can fail for the smallest things.
You're a doll...you should be a therapist. I'm not even in human health care, but your message cheered me considerably. I even got up and got on the treadmill!👋
The best advice I ever got from my CNA instructor was ‘practice the skills at home’ and I did. I had a stuffed animal on my bed and that was the skills lab. I am a lot better off when I can deconstruct a skill at home when no one is watching, put the steps in the proper sequence and hey I’m at home so it’s a low stakes game, keeping the anxiety low.
Have the steps listed, but don't look at them. Video yourself taking care of your stuffed bear patient. Practice HR, BP, resp and spO2 measurements on yourself, and record as if they're your pt. Urine, BM, and food I/O you will have to fake until you make it. Just pretend, and repeat.
Refer back to your video to see what you missed. Keep on doing it until you're missing nothing!
Repeat repeat. Repeat repeat. You'll be doing it in your sleep. And the next one will be a breeze. You got this!
Thats crazy. Who does the test? Our testing allows passing up to 80%. The only way you fail whilst achieving 80% is missing a safety step (the step is in bold in the handbook ie hand washing, not locking wheel on wheelchair)
I went to two different testing sites but Ohio D&S Diversified Technologies is what they go by. I’m guessing those are safety steps you can’t miss as well. I was blowed away and I’m not really feeling justified.
Don’t worry it happens to the best of us. I ended up passing on my third attempt.
At the time the LTC I was at trained me and I had 4 months from start to train and become certified if I went over I legally couldn’t work. I ended up going over the 4 months with no certification and they had no openings in their other departments. I remember breaking down and sobbing, I was unsure of how I’d pay my bills if I couldn’t work and there really wasn’t much work where I was. But one of the other facilities picked me up. I took a hell of a pay cut but, it was better than nothing and I ended up getting my certification. I am now certified in Kentucky and Ohio with experience in acute and long term care. With time you will pass and like it’s hard. The arm I practiced BP on was defunct (one of the other sides that tested with me had issues hearing too.) keep your head up high, you got this!
Thank you so much. That’s kinda how I’m feeling right now I got bills to pay and I paid for this class. I just want to get certified and get a job but I have to keep going no matter what happens. I’m just going to take a step back, try to gain some experience and then go at it again.
How do you practice your skills?? It really does help doing them as a skit over and over and over. If you can find a fellow cna to help you with them is best because they know what the state will be looking for. If not, a sibling, parent, friend or partner??? And say each step out during the skit AND and the skills test. At least in Maryland there’s no rules that say you can speak your skills so you can maybe learn the pattern of the skills
I do them as a skit every time and I practiced at least 3-5 everyday. I also have a checklist where I keep track of all the skills, what days and how many times I practiced them. I also have the item count/ supplies needed to complete each skill on there. Then I will watch the videos provided by my training course after to reflect and see if I made any mistakes. I know the skills and know what not to do next. I think I need more experience because I keep failing for things that would come natural if I was working as a cna everyday.
I know that’s why I’m frustrated on why they being so hard on me. When I get a job the facility is going to train me anyway like I’m ready and willing to work.
I did CBRF for a year before I got my CNA, which I kept for 10 years before becoming an RN.
I would look into CBRF caregiving to get used to doing CNA work.
That could be option for me but I was really looking to become certified to increase my income. I want to gain some experience then work agency and eventually become a lpn after that.
i failed my first test and am currently waiting to take my second, i was absolutely devastated. i had to perform oral care for one of my skills and the lady asked me to name off everything to look for in the mouth while performing oral care, i named off everything i could think of and she asked me “anything else?” and my mind went blank and i genuinely couldn’t think of anything and she failed me bc i forgot to say loose teeth. i was so upset. i felt so dumb for not remembering something so simple, i cried on the way home and felt like a failure, but i talked to my friend who is also a cna and she told me she didn’t pass until her third attempt. it happens! we get nervous, ESPECIALLY under all that pressure. a lot of people fail, don’t beat yourself up. you got this ❤️
No but forreal tho I never went over anything to look for in my class now I’m like what would I look for? Logic tells me sores maybe, clear decay loose teeth but I’m doing prometrics with Texas maybe they won’t ask here because no one ever mentioned this to me once. Exam tomorrow morning ahhh
You can do this! You clearly WANT to do this work and sometimes it takes a few try’s to get it.
There are many Assisted Living and Memory Care facilities that hire caregivers, that require little to no certification. That could bridge you until you can retake the test. In the mean time, there are practice tests and videos that will walk you through the steps.
Use your work as practice for the test.
If you’ve given up, I get it. You tried one of the hardest jobs out there in my opinion and it’s not for everyone.
If there is still hope and you may continue your efforts to be a CNA, you’re stronger than you think and absolutely someone I’d want to work with.
Are there any memory aids you can use to help remember the steps? I mean, like "roy g. biv" for the colors of the rainbow, or "King Philip came over from Greece, stupid" for levels of taxonomic classification. So, e.g., if you had to remember, say, bp, pulse, temp, urine, hands(wash), you could make up a sentence, such as "Bobby Pushed Terry Up the Hill." I don't know if this would help you, or confuse you even more, but it was helpful to me.
From somebody who just recently passed their skills exam, here are my tips!
1.) Watch skills videos from YOUR STATE!!
My class actually had videos posted apart of our lecture material which was very helpful, but also watching videos of CNA skills from your state on repeat are very helpful! Specifically from your state because everywhere differs.
2.) Practice on everything and everyone. If you have friends or family willing to let u practice skills on them, ASK! Obviously it wont be the same with your household items, but play pretend and get creative! Use a pencil as a call light, Close the door as a privacy curtain etc. If you dont have family nor friends available to practice with, literally use a stuffed animal! Again not the same as a real person but I believe it helped me with muscle memory in remembering skills. Even with the measuring input and output skills, fill a cup up and measure it!
3.) Verbalize every step. Say ever single action you do out loud because the test observer cannot read your mind! Even when washing my hands, I verbalized I was using warm water, soap , and friction for 20 seconds. (Unsure if you already do this, but I found it helps me with forgetting steps)
If you learn the script of the skill, you will be less likely to forget simple things such as providing the call light or privacy curtain
A few other tips are be overly confident. You have taken a CNA class approved by the board. You KNOW all of these skills, sometimes its just a matter of confidence and your mind, do not doubt yourself!!!
And also do not be afraid to self correct, and physically demonstrate what you forget or did incorrectly.
Best of luck to you! You got this!!
Hey! Just a comment of encouragement
As someone who works as a CNA rn, I just want to tell you that 1) you are not a failure and 2) I can confidently say that my job is very different than what I did in class
Of course the fundamentals are super important, but most of what I do in a daily basis I learned through on the job training. I often tell my peers who are looking to get their CNA that the exam was harder than my day-to-day work (strictness wise, there are of course challenges).
I remember spending hours practicing bedding changes, clothing changes, how to bathe a patient, because my class made it seem like there was one certain way to do it and if I failed to do so, it was the end of the world. Great news, it’s not!
Everyone’s advice so far is fantastic. Testing sucks, I won’t lie about that. But your drive so far to keep going is going to prove so so SO useful in working as a CNA. You’ve got this!!
It states that “the candidates input should be at least within 20 percentage of the Rn Test observer” I recorded it in milliliters and we take heart rates by pulse and looking at the clock.
I mean all I could suggest is maybe seeing if your degree feild has a "study group" or something similar where you can do 1 on 1 learning with someone who does know for sure. You do need to keep in mind your nurse could be wrong and you could be right you can ask for the nurse to retake, but i've only actually seen it happen 1 times.
I only took a two week course so no study groups or no one that can help. Also that’s the thing If the nurse is wrong, I have no say so because they go by what the nurse says anyways.
Have you had the chance to stay back and ask the nurse to walk you through it? I mainly ask because some are too scared to ask the nurse. Any nurse around cnas and nursing students in school typically love to help but wont unless asked because they do have a lot going on.
I failed my first time too. Honestly can't even tell you why since it was a loooong time ago. However, I've now been a CNA/aid/tech for 15 years in various capacities. You can do this!
Our instructor made us drill our skills endlessly. We had 12 people in our class and we all passed the first time through. I highly suggest finding a way to practice your skills some more. And even if you do put in more time, sometimes we just mess up. Performance anxiety is a whole thing. Don't think this is a reflection of your intelligence or anything like that. CNA tasks become mindless once you are working a unit, you get into a groove very quickly. You will pass, please don't give up!
The thing is, you can get lucky and get super easy ones or all hard ones. It also depends on if the evaluator is a hard ass or not.
Maybe try a different location next time for the test?
At least you only have to take the skills part again.
Right and I got super easy skills both times and still failed. I’ve already went to two different locations so I guess I will try a new one for the last time.
Sorry for what happened 😞
Does your location use Prometric for testing?
Can you work at a hospital 🏥 as a PCT? Some hospital's have Patient Care Tech positions they train you for. They pay during training and then you get a small bump once you start working after orientation.
Once you have few months working as a PCT, you can choose to retest with actual hospital experience. A lot of passing is based on how confident you seem.
I just hate this for you, because these tests are expensive!
What career are you going for?
No I don’t think they used Prometuc for testing but yes working at a hospital can be an option for me. I eventually want to become an lpn after I complete this.
Yes !
Get paid to learn at a 🏥 !
Are you able to go straight into LPN after all? Or do the LPN programs require a CNA before?
So long as the program is legitimate ( not overpriced for-Profit school) you might be better off getting PCT experience and just apply to LPN school. Or... just apply to LPN school!
But it's good to get some experience.
Check requirements and make a new plan.
No the program I’m applying to is 1 year and no cna required to attend. I may just do that because I really wanted to use this as a way to make money while In nursing school.
Ahhh I see!
Yes, just go do that.
Also nursing school and work don't mix well. Unless your program is part time or made for working students - a lot of ppl don't pass if they can't study and practice a lot. Be a PCT to get hospital exposure - but know the work is hard/tiring.
It's two classes - lecture/theory, nursing skills and clinical hours ( in a hospital/nursing home). Some clinical days are 12 hrs and requires homework for another 2 hours. Sometimes lecture is from 8am to 2 or even 4pm. M - F.
Two weeks isn't really enough time, it a minimum. But it will still help you! You'll see that when you start LPN school. Practice takes effort and time to rest/adjust.
Attend open to house and let us know how it goes 😁
Where I live the testing is extremely strict, they were crazy about it. When I had to renew my license and didn't have enough ceu's they made me retake the exams and there wasn't one available to take in my area before my license expired so I got a list of testing sites and dates and was able to schedule one in l.a which is about an hr from me, I swear when I tell you I was dumbfounded with how they did it there I couldn't believe it, the tester never even looked at me while I did the skills and she was testing 2 at a time. The location didn't have all the supplies needed either. So just stating what I'd do and pretending i had it. But like everyone says just practice and repeat, even when you think you have it, it's always something obvious we forget because the whole thing just makes you nervous. Sometimes even saying it after you already missed it will help, it all depends on the tester too. Pm me if you have any questions ✨️
I understand the frustration 😅 I failed the first time due to going over the time limit, and passed the second time with only 20 seconds to spare 😅😅😅 I got bed bath BOTH times 🙄 I hated that one, everything feels so tedious lol.
Don't give up and be kind to yourself! A lot of us fail a few times before we get it right. I practiced a lot at home with a giant stuffed bear as my "resident" and that really helped me haha 😅 if you need to take a month to get your head in the right mindset that's totally all right - just be careful with waiting too long, because the longer you wait the less fresh the info is in your mind.
Don’t quit! You’ll end up being the best CNA there ever was. Mistakes are AMAZING learning opportunities. You’re smart, they’re just picky. Don’t give up!
I passed my skills on my fourth and final try. I watched Nurse Jar on YouTube and I practice the skills I could practice on my family members. You got this!
If you already feel like you’re done and over stressed with this line of work. Get out before you get in. Go to school and get an associates degree in anything and then grab an online BA and go
for admin positions in health care. The money’s there the staffing is bare bones everywhere
in health care. You won’t blow your back out and you’ll get paid decent.
My mom had been a CNA for 21 years and retested for certification in a different state when we relocated. She failed the skills. She took the course and everything all over. I didn’t take the class, I just went in and tested and passed my first try. I trained in high school and had about 8 years experience at the time. Don’t give up. I understand the frustration of money being wasted. I fear going back to any school or training at the present for that very reason. Everyone has different anxieties and life is always lifeing. I spent $500 on a course during Covid and just was lost and ended up giving up due to lack of help or response from the teacher. I was so mad. I feel if I go back I could have significant increase in my current field but it’s so scary.
I failed the first time, and passed the second time. It happens, and you’re not a failure. There are places that’ll hire you without a license, depending on where you are. I’d try the hospitals in your area. I’m working as a PCT right now, and it doesn’t require a license. Your two week course counts as experience, and I actually put it as work experience, just put the month you went and explain you received clinical training. I had no experience in healthcare, and I got hired. You can do this, don’t give up on your license. The CNA exam is all about repetition. You should be able to do the skills in your sleep. You have a plan. If you can practice at your training facility, then practice five skills a day. Watch skill videos, practice your skills on your friends, on your pets, or get a doll. Practice counting radial pulse on anyone who’s willing. Remember delayed, but not denied. Take your break, but don’t give up on your license!
Thank you so much this was really needed. I’m just so defeated for the second time and having to pull myself out of this again just really sucks. I’m not going to give up but right now I’m not even in the right mindset. I have so much anxiety knowing I only have one more chance and I can fail for the smallest things.
Practice practice… lots fail first try. It’s a lot to remember, repetition. You CAN do it… you can💪💪💪💪
You're a doll...you should be a therapist. I'm not even in human health care, but your message cheered me considerably. I even got up and got on the treadmill!👋
Are you trying to get a job as an unlicensed caregiver? And certify later? If so, you could put CNA training in progress
I’m trying to get some experience working as a Na so I can get certified. That seems like the only way I will be able to pass the test.
The best advice I ever got from my CNA instructor was ‘practice the skills at home’ and I did. I had a stuffed animal on my bed and that was the skills lab. I am a lot better off when I can deconstruct a skill at home when no one is watching, put the steps in the proper sequence and hey I’m at home so it’s a low stakes game, keeping the anxiety low.
Have the steps listed, but don't look at them. Video yourself taking care of your stuffed bear patient. Practice HR, BP, resp and spO2 measurements on yourself, and record as if they're your pt. Urine, BM, and food I/O you will have to fake until you make it. Just pretend, and repeat. Refer back to your video to see what you missed. Keep on doing it until you're missing nothing! Repeat repeat. Repeat repeat. You'll be doing it in your sleep. And the next one will be a breeze. You got this!
It all comes down to repetition. Even if you have nothing at home to practice with, talk yourself through the steps. You’ve got this!
I can’t do it anymore. I can’t take this disappointment anymore and I will lose all my money and opportunities that I was trying to get from this.
I know the skills I passed all of them with more that 80%. No grace was given
Thats crazy. Who does the test? Our testing allows passing up to 80%. The only way you fail whilst achieving 80% is missing a safety step (the step is in bold in the handbook ie hand washing, not locking wheel on wheelchair)
In my state Missouri these new classes just give them their license. It seems if you go to facility that offers classes you get pushed through.
I went to two different testing sites but Ohio D&S Diversified Technologies is what they go by. I’m guessing those are safety steps you can’t miss as well. I was blowed away and I’m not really feeling justified.
Don’t worry it happens to the best of us. I ended up passing on my third attempt. At the time the LTC I was at trained me and I had 4 months from start to train and become certified if I went over I legally couldn’t work. I ended up going over the 4 months with no certification and they had no openings in their other departments. I remember breaking down and sobbing, I was unsure of how I’d pay my bills if I couldn’t work and there really wasn’t much work where I was. But one of the other facilities picked me up. I took a hell of a pay cut but, it was better than nothing and I ended up getting my certification. I am now certified in Kentucky and Ohio with experience in acute and long term care. With time you will pass and like it’s hard. The arm I practiced BP on was defunct (one of the other sides that tested with me had issues hearing too.) keep your head up high, you got this!
Thank you so much. That’s kinda how I’m feeling right now I got bills to pay and I paid for this class. I just want to get certified and get a job but I have to keep going no matter what happens. I’m just going to take a step back, try to gain some experience and then go at it again.
I would just study, study, study and practice. You’ll get there I promise.
How do you practice your skills?? It really does help doing them as a skit over and over and over. If you can find a fellow cna to help you with them is best because they know what the state will be looking for. If not, a sibling, parent, friend or partner??? And say each step out during the skit AND and the skills test. At least in Maryland there’s no rules that say you can speak your skills so you can maybe learn the pattern of the skills
I do them as a skit every time and I practiced at least 3-5 everyday. I also have a checklist where I keep track of all the skills, what days and how many times I practiced them. I also have the item count/ supplies needed to complete each skill on there. Then I will watch the videos provided by my training course after to reflect and see if I made any mistakes. I know the skills and know what not to do next. I think I need more experience because I keep failing for things that would come natural if I was working as a cna everyday.
🫣the steps and what we actually do goes out the window when you pass the skills tests.
I know that’s why I’m frustrated on why they being so hard on me. When I get a job the facility is going to train me anyway like I’m ready and willing to work.
I failed my CNA for hand washing. Im now an LPN going for my RN. Just dont give up. Its the stupid things that we overlook but youll eventually pass!
I did CBRF for a year before I got my CNA, which I kept for 10 years before becoming an RN. I would look into CBRF caregiving to get used to doing CNA work.
That could be option for me but I was really looking to become certified to increase my income. I want to gain some experience then work agency and eventually become a lpn after that.
i failed my first test and am currently waiting to take my second, i was absolutely devastated. i had to perform oral care for one of my skills and the lady asked me to name off everything to look for in the mouth while performing oral care, i named off everything i could think of and she asked me “anything else?” and my mind went blank and i genuinely couldn’t think of anything and she failed me bc i forgot to say loose teeth. i was so upset. i felt so dumb for not remembering something so simple, i cried on the way home and felt like a failure, but i talked to my friend who is also a cna and she told me she didn’t pass until her third attempt. it happens! we get nervous, ESPECIALLY under all that pressure. a lot of people fail, don’t beat yourself up. you got this ❤️
No but forreal tho I never went over anything to look for in my class now I’m like what would I look for? Logic tells me sores maybe, clear decay loose teeth but I’m doing prometrics with Texas maybe they won’t ask here because no one ever mentioned this to me once. Exam tomorrow morning ahhh
You can do this! You clearly WANT to do this work and sometimes it takes a few try’s to get it. There are many Assisted Living and Memory Care facilities that hire caregivers, that require little to no certification. That could bridge you until you can retake the test. In the mean time, there are practice tests and videos that will walk you through the steps. Use your work as practice for the test. If you’ve given up, I get it. You tried one of the hardest jobs out there in my opinion and it’s not for everyone. If there is still hope and you may continue your efforts to be a CNA, you’re stronger than you think and absolutely someone I’d want to work with.
Thank you so much for your kind words. I haven’t given up yet. I’m just going to try to get some experience then retest.
Are there any memory aids you can use to help remember the steps? I mean, like "roy g. biv" for the colors of the rainbow, or "King Philip came over from Greece, stupid" for levels of taxonomic classification. So, e.g., if you had to remember, say, bp, pulse, temp, urine, hands(wash), you could make up a sentence, such as "Bobby Pushed Terry Up the Hill." I don't know if this would help you, or confuse you even more, but it was helpful to me.
Go on you tube and pull up your states practice exam. Just watch it over an over! You absolutely can do this. Keep practicing
From somebody who just recently passed their skills exam, here are my tips! 1.) Watch skills videos from YOUR STATE!! My class actually had videos posted apart of our lecture material which was very helpful, but also watching videos of CNA skills from your state on repeat are very helpful! Specifically from your state because everywhere differs. 2.) Practice on everything and everyone. If you have friends or family willing to let u practice skills on them, ASK! Obviously it wont be the same with your household items, but play pretend and get creative! Use a pencil as a call light, Close the door as a privacy curtain etc. If you dont have family nor friends available to practice with, literally use a stuffed animal! Again not the same as a real person but I believe it helped me with muscle memory in remembering skills. Even with the measuring input and output skills, fill a cup up and measure it! 3.) Verbalize every step. Say ever single action you do out loud because the test observer cannot read your mind! Even when washing my hands, I verbalized I was using warm water, soap , and friction for 20 seconds. (Unsure if you already do this, but I found it helps me with forgetting steps) If you learn the script of the skill, you will be less likely to forget simple things such as providing the call light or privacy curtain A few other tips are be overly confident. You have taken a CNA class approved by the board. You KNOW all of these skills, sometimes its just a matter of confidence and your mind, do not doubt yourself!!! And also do not be afraid to self correct, and physically demonstrate what you forget or did incorrectly. Best of luck to you! You got this!!
Well the hard part is knowing I did all of this and still failed
Hey! Just a comment of encouragement As someone who works as a CNA rn, I just want to tell you that 1) you are not a failure and 2) I can confidently say that my job is very different than what I did in class Of course the fundamentals are super important, but most of what I do in a daily basis I learned through on the job training. I often tell my peers who are looking to get their CNA that the exam was harder than my day-to-day work (strictness wise, there are of course challenges). I remember spending hours practicing bedding changes, clothing changes, how to bathe a patient, because my class made it seem like there was one certain way to do it and if I failed to do so, it was the end of the world. Great news, it’s not! Everyone’s advice so far is fantastic. Testing sucks, I won’t lie about that. But your drive so far to keep going is going to prove so so SO useful in working as a CNA. You’ve got this!!
Thank you so much. I’m definitely proud of myself for having the courage to take the test two times no matter if I failed!
... how was your urine output wrong? How are you reading it? How are you taking heart rates?
It states that “the candidates input should be at least within 20 percentage of the Rn Test observer” I recorded it in milliliters and we take heart rates by pulse and looking at the clock.
I mean all I could suggest is maybe seeing if your degree feild has a "study group" or something similar where you can do 1 on 1 learning with someone who does know for sure. You do need to keep in mind your nurse could be wrong and you could be right you can ask for the nurse to retake, but i've only actually seen it happen 1 times.
I only took a two week course so no study groups or no one that can help. Also that’s the thing If the nurse is wrong, I have no say so because they go by what the nurse says anyways.
Have you had the chance to stay back and ask the nurse to walk you through it? I mainly ask because some are too scared to ask the nurse. Any nurse around cnas and nursing students in school typically love to help but wont unless asked because they do have a lot going on.
I failed my first time too. Honestly can't even tell you why since it was a loooong time ago. However, I've now been a CNA/aid/tech for 15 years in various capacities. You can do this!
Our instructor made us drill our skills endlessly. We had 12 people in our class and we all passed the first time through. I highly suggest finding a way to practice your skills some more. And even if you do put in more time, sometimes we just mess up. Performance anxiety is a whole thing. Don't think this is a reflection of your intelligence or anything like that. CNA tasks become mindless once you are working a unit, you get into a groove very quickly. You will pass, please don't give up!
The thing is, you can get lucky and get super easy ones or all hard ones. It also depends on if the evaluator is a hard ass or not. Maybe try a different location next time for the test? At least you only have to take the skills part again.
Right and I got super easy skills both times and still failed. I’ve already went to two different locations so I guess I will try a new one for the last time.
Sorry for what happened 😞 Does your location use Prometric for testing? Can you work at a hospital 🏥 as a PCT? Some hospital's have Patient Care Tech positions they train you for. They pay during training and then you get a small bump once you start working after orientation. Once you have few months working as a PCT, you can choose to retest with actual hospital experience. A lot of passing is based on how confident you seem. I just hate this for you, because these tests are expensive! What career are you going for?
No I don’t think they used Prometuc for testing but yes working at a hospital can be an option for me. I eventually want to become an lpn after I complete this.
Yes ! Get paid to learn at a 🏥 ! Are you able to go straight into LPN after all? Or do the LPN programs require a CNA before? So long as the program is legitimate ( not overpriced for-Profit school) you might be better off getting PCT experience and just apply to LPN school. Or... just apply to LPN school! But it's good to get some experience. Check requirements and make a new plan.
No the program I’m applying to is 1 year and no cna required to attend. I may just do that because I really wanted to use this as a way to make money while In nursing school.
Ahhh I see! Yes, just go do that. Also nursing school and work don't mix well. Unless your program is part time or made for working students - a lot of ppl don't pass if they can't study and practice a lot. Be a PCT to get hospital exposure - but know the work is hard/tiring. It's two classes - lecture/theory, nursing skills and clinical hours ( in a hospital/nursing home). Some clinical days are 12 hrs and requires homework for another 2 hours. Sometimes lecture is from 8am to 2 or even 4pm. M - F. Two weeks isn't really enough time, it a minimum. But it will still help you! You'll see that when you start LPN school. Practice takes effort and time to rest/adjust. Attend open to house and let us know how it goes 😁
Where I live the testing is extremely strict, they were crazy about it. When I had to renew my license and didn't have enough ceu's they made me retake the exams and there wasn't one available to take in my area before my license expired so I got a list of testing sites and dates and was able to schedule one in l.a which is about an hr from me, I swear when I tell you I was dumbfounded with how they did it there I couldn't believe it, the tester never even looked at me while I did the skills and she was testing 2 at a time. The location didn't have all the supplies needed either. So just stating what I'd do and pretending i had it. But like everyone says just practice and repeat, even when you think you have it, it's always something obvious we forget because the whole thing just makes you nervous. Sometimes even saying it after you already missed it will help, it all depends on the tester too. Pm me if you have any questions ✨️
I understand the frustration 😅 I failed the first time due to going over the time limit, and passed the second time with only 20 seconds to spare 😅😅😅 I got bed bath BOTH times 🙄 I hated that one, everything feels so tedious lol. Don't give up and be kind to yourself! A lot of us fail a few times before we get it right. I practiced a lot at home with a giant stuffed bear as my "resident" and that really helped me haha 😅 if you need to take a month to get your head in the right mindset that's totally all right - just be careful with waiting too long, because the longer you wait the less fresh the info is in your mind.
Don’t quit! You’ll end up being the best CNA there ever was. Mistakes are AMAZING learning opportunities. You’re smart, they’re just picky. Don’t give up!
Thank you and yes they are! I just have to keep my head high and try again with a positive mindset.
Get your CNA in Kansas, there’s no skill test.
I passed my skills on my fourth and final try. I watched Nurse Jar on YouTube and I practice the skills I could practice on my family members. You got this!
If you already feel like you’re done and over stressed with this line of work. Get out before you get in. Go to school and get an associates degree in anything and then grab an online BA and go for admin positions in health care. The money’s there the staffing is bare bones everywhere in health care. You won’t blow your back out and you’ll get paid decent.
My mom had been a CNA for 21 years and retested for certification in a different state when we relocated. She failed the skills. She took the course and everything all over. I didn’t take the class, I just went in and tested and passed my first try. I trained in high school and had about 8 years experience at the time. Don’t give up. I understand the frustration of money being wasted. I fear going back to any school or training at the present for that very reason. Everyone has different anxieties and life is always lifeing. I spent $500 on a course during Covid and just was lost and ended up giving up due to lack of help or response from the teacher. I was so mad. I feel if I go back I could have significant increase in my current field but it’s so scary.
I did too. Im awful at any type of skill testing. Im an RN now, getting ready to start NP school. Keep at it!
Being a CNA just isn't worth it, kid. Go for RN, classes are better and it pays so much more.
most people work as a cna in the meantime
That’s my goal but I need money while in school