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I keep hearing experienced nurses say that starting with CNA training is one of the best ways to build a strong foundation for a successful nursing career.?
My CNA instructor at Sisucare said the same thing based on her own experience, but I’m still curious what others think.
Why do you think so many nurses recommend becoming a CNA first?
Has starting as a CNA actually helped your nursing journey (confidence, patient skills, getting hired, etc.)?
If you could start over, would you still choose the CNA first route?
I’d love to hear your experiences and any pros or cons you’ve noticed.
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6 answers
Updated
Kara’s Answer
Hi Quinn! I am currently a CNA pursuing nursing school and I definitely think it is a great foundation for your path to becoming a nurse. Whether you are working as a CNA in a hospital or nursing home. A hospital setting is a little better since you deal with a variety of patients, and a lot more equipment whereas in a nursing home, it's usually the same residents you care for and usually the same equipment like hoyer lifts and wheelchairs. It is definitely recommended to become a CNA before you become a nurse since you will have experience in understanding why patients/residents behave the way they do and you get hands-on/ bedside experience!
Updated
Jonah’s Answer
Thanks for your question. In my case, I started in nursing by enlisting in the navy, and completing the naval hospital corps school which is curriculum equal to nurse practitioner training. As a native Californian, I qualified to challenge the California nursing board and became an RN with the help of the International Baccalaureate Organization for my education credentials. After attending another 2 years of school, I earned my BSN. If I'd not joined the military, I most likely would have bypassed CNA/RVN training and gone through either P.A. school or nurse practitioners schooling from the beginning. What matters is how fast do you want to jump into actual practice?
Hope this is useful.
Enlist in a branch of the military
Enroll directly in a physician assistant program or nurse practitioner program
Hope this is useful.
Jonah recommends the following next steps:
Yes, you are right. It depends on how fast we can jump into the actual practice rather than theory part, the skill-building is important when it comes to a nursing career. Since the duration of CNA is just a month or two, it can actually give us an opportunity to prepare through the skills part, which is very important for this career.
Quinn
Updated
Vianne’s Answer
I'm not a nurse or a CNA, but I've heard a lot about why many nurses suggest starting as a CNA, and it makes a lot of sense. Being a CNA gives you real, hands-on experience with patient care before taking on the full responsibilities of a nurse. You learn how to talk to patients, help with daily needs, and get used to the healthcare setting, which makes nursing school feel less overwhelming later.
CNAs also develop good observation skills because they spend so much time with patients. They notice changes in behavior, comfort, or health that might not be obvious on charts. Many nurses say this builds empathy and confidence early on because you learn to support people in vulnerable moments and work as part of a team before making clinical decisions.
Another common reason is that it helps people decide if nursing is the right career for them. Healthcare can be tough both physically and emotionally, and working as a CNA gives a real look at the pace and challenges. Even if someone continues into nursing, they already know about workflow, teamwork, and interacting with patients, which gives them a strong foundation.
CNAs also develop good observation skills because they spend so much time with patients. They notice changes in behavior, comfort, or health that might not be obvious on charts. Many nurses say this builds empathy and confidence early on because you learn to support people in vulnerable moments and work as part of a team before making clinical decisions.
Another common reason is that it helps people decide if nursing is the right career for them. Healthcare can be tough both physically and emotionally, and working as a CNA gives a real look at the pace and challenges. Even if someone continues into nursing, they already know about workflow, teamwork, and interacting with patients, which gives them a strong foundation.
I agree with your point regarding starting as a CNA can be beenficial in understanding the important skills, both emotional and physical, when it comes to a career in nursing.
Quinn
Updated
Briana’s Answer
That's a thoughful question. Many experienced nurses recommend starting as a CNA (Ceritified Nursing Assistant) because it gives you real hands-on exposure to patient care before you take on the full responsibilities of a nurse. Some reasons on why nurses recommend becoming a CNA first is because you will the learn the fundamentals of patient care. This means that you will be spending your time with patients which can sometimes include bathing, feeding, mobility and basic vital signs. The tasks can be simple but it can also teach and guide you on how to commuincate with the patients, how to build trust, how to provide compassionate care, and how to notice changes in the patient condition. Another reason is because you will get comforable in the healthcare environment. From experience, hosptials and long-term care facilities can feel intimidating at first but if you do decide to do a CNA first you will learn how the healthcare team works together, how to manage time during a busy shift, how to talk to doctors and nurses professionally, and how to handle difficult or emotional situations. Another reason is that it builds confidence. Students who work as CNAs during nursing school often say they feel more confident during clinical rotations because they are already comfortable with working with the patients and they are able to understand the workflow and charting basics. Confidence reduces anxiety, and less anxiety helps you perform better. Lastly, it can help with getting hired. Many hopsitals prefer hiring nurses who have experience. Which can entail with people who already worked as CNAs in their systems, understand bedside care, have proven work ethic in patient care roles, and some facilities even hire their CNAs directly into nurse positions after graduation.
Starting as a CNA has helped nurses from what the nurses have reported. They stated that starting as a CNA helped them in the following areas: stronger bedside manner, better teamwork skills, improved time management, more empathy for support staff, realistic understanding of what nursing actually involves. Becoming a CNA first also helps you decide early whether healthcare is truly the right path for you.
If starting over would many stil choose CNA first? Honestly it depends on your situaution first. A lot of nurses say yes because it made nursing school easiser, it reduced "shock" during first job, and it built resilience. However, many say no as well. Some reasons would include them already having healthcare experience in another way other or they needed to move quickly into RN for financial reasons. So it's not mandatory but it's also beneifical.
Some Pros and Cons as starting as a CNA would include:
Pros of Starting as a CNA
Real-world patient experience
Strong communication skills
Increased comfort in clinical settings
Better teamwork understanding
Networking opportunities
Resume strength
Cons to Consider
Physically demanding work
Lower pay compared to nurses
Can be emotionally exhausting
Balancing work with nursing school can be tough
Professional Perspective
Starting as a CNA doesn’t make you a better nurse automatically, but it gives you a deeper appreciation for bedside care. Nurses who began as CNAs often lead with empathy because they understand the foundation of hands-on care.
Starting as a CNA has helped nurses from what the nurses have reported. They stated that starting as a CNA helped them in the following areas: stronger bedside manner, better teamwork skills, improved time management, more empathy for support staff, realistic understanding of what nursing actually involves. Becoming a CNA first also helps you decide early whether healthcare is truly the right path for you.
If starting over would many stil choose CNA first? Honestly it depends on your situaution first. A lot of nurses say yes because it made nursing school easiser, it reduced "shock" during first job, and it built resilience. However, many say no as well. Some reasons would include them already having healthcare experience in another way other or they needed to move quickly into RN for financial reasons. So it's not mandatory but it's also beneifical.
Some Pros and Cons as starting as a CNA would include:
Pros of Starting as a CNA
Real-world patient experience
Strong communication skills
Increased comfort in clinical settings
Better teamwork understanding
Networking opportunities
Resume strength
Cons to Consider
Physically demanding work
Lower pay compared to nurses
Can be emotionally exhausting
Balancing work with nursing school can be tough
Professional Perspective
Starting as a CNA doesn’t make you a better nurse automatically, but it gives you a deeper appreciation for bedside care. Nurses who began as CNAs often lead with empathy because they understand the foundation of hands-on care.
As you mentioned, there are pros and cons to starting your career as a CNA. While becoming a CNA has its own benefits, it also comes with significant challenges as well. One major advantage is that it allows you to gain hands on clinical experience and build a strong foundation for future nursing roles. At the same time, the work can be physically and emotionally demanding, especially when caring for multiple patients with complex needs.
Quinn
Updated
Joseph’s Answer
I have a differing viewpoint. Other respondents are correct in that experience as a CNA can both be helpful as a nursing student and provide a foundation as a nurse. But do you know what will really generate valuable nursing experience? Becoming an actual nurse! If being a CNA appeals to you and/or can generate supplemental income in nursing school, by all means do it, but do not postpone nursing school simply to acquire experience as a CNA. Become a nurse and you will have the opportunity to quickly develop the skill sets of a CNA. In fact you should acquire most of those skills during nursing school itself (in Hawaii I was eligible to be licensed as a CNA after my first nursing clinical).
Also, in response to a previous recommendation I saw, I will say as a former Navy enlisted person, Navy Nurse and Navy CRNA, that I would NOT recommend enlistment as a route to becoming a nurse. Many hospital corpsmen are placed in settings where they do limited patient care and maybe only administrative tasks; there simply is no way to guarantee what job you will end up doing during a single enlistment. Enlistment is a decision you may make for other reasons, but I see it as unnecessarily postponing your nursing career. If you are interested in the military, the Navy has a number of commissioning programs that can fund a portion of your education.
Finally, as an APRN I will advocate for the nursing route. If you obtain your bachelors in nursing you will be able to enter diverse professions such as nurse midwifery, nurse practitioner, or nurse anesthetist. These are highly rewarding careers but that bachelors in nursing provides excellent opportunities employment opportunities by itself if you find yourself not ready for grad school. The premed coursework for physicians assistant does not necessarily qualify you for robust employment opportunities should the PA route not work out.
My recommendation; get into nursing school ASAP and pursue that dream if that is what you are aspiring to; do not defer for experience as a CNA or enlistment.
Also, in response to a previous recommendation I saw, I will say as a former Navy enlisted person, Navy Nurse and Navy CRNA, that I would NOT recommend enlistment as a route to becoming a nurse. Many hospital corpsmen are placed in settings where they do limited patient care and maybe only administrative tasks; there simply is no way to guarantee what job you will end up doing during a single enlistment. Enlistment is a decision you may make for other reasons, but I see it as unnecessarily postponing your nursing career. If you are interested in the military, the Navy has a number of commissioning programs that can fund a portion of your education.
Finally, as an APRN I will advocate for the nursing route. If you obtain your bachelors in nursing you will be able to enter diverse professions such as nurse midwifery, nurse practitioner, or nurse anesthetist. These are highly rewarding careers but that bachelors in nursing provides excellent opportunities employment opportunities by itself if you find yourself not ready for grad school. The premed coursework for physicians assistant does not necessarily qualify you for robust employment opportunities should the PA route not work out.
My recommendation; get into nursing school ASAP and pursue that dream if that is what you are aspiring to; do not defer for experience as a CNA or enlistment.
This is really helpful. I believe many of us weren’t aware of these options. Your suggestions are truly eye opening.
Quinn
Updated
Heather’s Answer
I was a certified nursing assistant (CNA) before becoming a registered nurse and I absolutely loved the experiences I had as a CNA. I am now a nurse educator (professor). I work with some students who are CNAs before coming to nursing school and others who have no healthcare background. While I think being a CNA helps many students with initial confidence (in terms of interacting with patients and providing basic care), I do not think it is absolutely necessary to be a CNA first. Traditional nursing school is designed to provide all the skills necessary to help students be successful, regardless of previous experience. I would suggest researching a variety of nursing schools and touring them to try to discover which one might be a good fit (see which one seems supportive and learn more about student services). Some of the most important things a student nurse can do is join the student nurse association, get linked with tutoring and other support services, and develop good study strategies and learn about their own learning style. Academic advisors can assist with all of the things mentioned.
Great. Where did you do your CNA Training?
Quinn