• An indecisive approach to which field in nursing you want to enter, culminating in you picking the wrong course
• Choosing to train at a CNA school, in which your decision to learn there was based entirely on ‘rankings’
• Picking a school that doesn’t specialize in your field
• Failing to factor in your needs and desires when choosing a nursing school
• Not researching and actually visiting enough CNA schools to make a proper and informed decision
• Being ignorant to the ‘true’ financial cost

By reviewing the most common mistakes people make, you can learn to avoid them and by using sound logic, pick the cna course and cna school that is suitable for you and your needs. It’s very important from the ‘get go’ to decide exactly what type of nurse it is that you want to become, and the environment that you’d be happy to work in. Knowing this, can help save you cash and you’ll avoid going down a path that might not be necessary for your type of degree. In all nursing degrees, theres a certain amount of overlap in the types of training you’ll recieve, but you’ll notice that some schools will focus on some areas more than others. For example, you might wish to pursue an Associates Degree to become a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant), and in that situation, a community college would likely be your best choice, as you would incur a lot less financial costs than if you were to attend an expensive university. Make sure you take a focused approach and path when choosing a Health Care Career

CNA School Rankings

Finding the school which is most suitable for you can be a daunting task. There are numerous websites which declare the top nursing schools rankings and ratings, and each site will no doubt have its own methods and criteria in which they rank, so how do you know which site is the best when they all have different #1 schools and different ranking criteria?. Well, the fact is, none of these sites are right. The ‘right’ school for you does not need to be what someone else has decided is #1. The right school for you should be based on what you personally want and need. It is possible to develop your own list of top cna schools based on the information available and by what your own needs are, and thats how i advise you go about it.

The problem with these nursing school rankings is that they are totally subjective. Some of them dont even accept schools that do not have dual accreditation, they are just disregarded. Others have no requirements for accreditation at all!!. Some top ranking nursing schools sites actually base their rankings on student reviews, while others use test results and pass rates to decide which ones are best. Others use feedback from professors from all the schools to determine where they rank.

You simply need to look at the rankings, and at the same time keep in mind what type of nurse you actually want to become and your specific needs in a course. You need to be certain your school has a training program for your chosen field of work, and you need to ask whether it is accredited or not. Your desires are also important when choosing a course or school. Is class size important to you? What about accessibility to professors?. Would you prefer to work with the top ‘minds’ in your specific field?… all of these thoughts and desires will mean you’ll need to thoroughly research each school, and luckily its not that hard to do. Most colleges and universities have staff that can answer all these questions for you, so don’t be afraid to ask. Also, check out each schools website as they often offer a wealth of information. Remember that the actual schools location is another important factor when choosing where to study, you need to be certain that you can travel back and forth to your school within your travel budget.

Needless to say, actually visiting schools is the most effective way to ensure that the school fits your criteria, and it’s very important that you make sure and actually do this before enrolling on a course. I’d recommend you visit at least 3 or 4 different schools to make a reasonably informed choice. The truth is, a lot of info you find online can be outdated, and rankings are based on opinions, statistics and sometimes driven by a financial incentive. You’ll only truely get a good idea of what a school is like by actually visiting it in person. You’ll get to see what the labs and classroom facilities are like, you can approach and talk with the staff, lecturers and students, and see which other facilities are in place such as libraries, computer rooms, nursery facilities etc.

Many schools offer some great recreational facilities as well, like Gyms, Clubs, Days out, Work placements and more. You’ll likely discover that the school you are visiting offers more than you previously thought just by visiting their webpage.

CNA Classes and Financing

A great mistake many people make, is that they ignore the financial aspect of cna training. There are plenty of schools out there that offer financing that goes above and beyond the usual financial aid and scholarships you can recieve. Some schools however do not, and will not, accept financial aide packets. If your finances are an issue, and for the majority of people they are, then be certain to know and understand what amount of financial support you are likely to need.  Alongside financial aid, its important to know how much aid you’ll need for a specific school. Many schools have ‘hidden’ fees that you may not be aware of at first, and until its too late. In these economic times, its a sad fact, but schools and universities are becoming quite creative and you can sometimes find extra charges for things like parking and healthcare. Make sure you research a school thoroughly and discuss the financial aspects with the staff before you decide to enroll, otherwise you make be lumbered with unforeseen charges after you start your course, which ultimately could mean you might need to drop out due to lack of finances.

Board members include 1 in all 50 states, Washington DC and all US territories. The NCSBN was founded in 1978, as organisers realised the need for regulation within nursing, excluding organisations representing professional nurses.

The main goal and responsibilities of the NCSBN is to inform about, and enforce a set of nursing standards, while keeping the Nursing Assistive Personnel Registry up to date. Licensees in this database include Certified Nursing Assistant I (CNA), Certified Nursing Assistant II (CNA II) and Medication Assistant Certified (MA-C). The NCSBN operates as a national ‘watchdog’, which co-ordinates issues that arise relating to discipline, education, and certification. Certain info, such as warnings and disciplinary actions taken against a CNA or nurse by a state board is shared with the NCSBN, which then compiles and stores the info, providing background resources for disciplinary issues and other actions taken.

When a complaint is made against a Certified Nursing Assistant, they may then become the subject of an investigation, which can then lead to an informal conference, and then when necessary a formal hearing. Actions addressing the issue of complaint might simply be resolved by re-educating the nurse, or restricting their practise in some way, however each action will carry certain specific probationary conditions. Where necessary, and in extreme cases where a CNA is found liable, a nursing assistant can have their license revoked. In this instances, all disciplinary actions will then become public record. In addition to this, any nurse or CNA holding a criminal conviction related to the functions of their work is obligated to report this to the board. The board will then proceed to determine if the offenders license should be revoked. In most cases, applicants convicted of a criminal offense will not be eligable for certification.

Federal regulations are also put in place, in order to help combat abuse and fraud, both in the health insurance industry and the health care delivery system.

In accordance to the NCSBN Standards for Assistive Personnel, CNA I  (certified nursing assistants) are bound by law to conform and practise to the following standards and regulations:

• Performs nursing tasks and functions within the range of functions authorized in the Nurse Practice Act and rules governing nursing.
• Demonstrates honesty and integrity in performing nursing tasks/functions/activities
• Bases nursing tasks/functions/activities on education, training and the direction of the supervising nurse.
• Accepts accountability for one’s behavior and actions while assisting the nurse and providing services to patients.
• Performs delegated aspects patient’s nursing care.
• Assists in observing patients and identifying patient needs.
• Communicates progress toward completing delegated nursing tasks/functions/abilities, as well as any problems or changes in a patient’s status.
• Seeks clarification if unsure of expectations.
• Uses educational and training opportunities as available.
• Takes preventive measures to protect client, others and self.
• Respects client’s rights, concerns, decisions and dignity.
• Functions as a member of the health care team, contributing to the implementation of an integrated health care plan.
• Respects client property and the property of others.
• Protects confidential information unless obligated by law to disclose the information.

In addition to this, employers that are found to deliberately or irresponsibly ignore board protocol and standards, eg: expanding the functions of a CNA, will be subject to disciplinary action. Institutions violations are recorded into the various public health databases, such as the HIPDB, just the same as an individual nurse found to be in violation would be.