The Perks of Being A CNA

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Written by: Bella Muniz

Position, Member Since: Fundraising Chair, Joined Fall 2022

Major & Track: Health Science, Pre-Med

Current Year: 2nd Year

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As a Pre-Health student, sometimes it becomes too easy to get overwhelmed with the requirements needed for your field and you begin “checking” off boxes without delving into what you are actually doing. CNA, MA, EMS, scribe, etc., at first glance, might just seem like means to get clinical hours, however, they are so much more than that. Each of these jobs has its own experiences and environments that can help accelerate you on your healthcare journey, or do the opposite: reality-check you. 

As someone who has worked as a CNA, I am here to give you insight into the nursing assistant life and why I personally find it so valuable. For reference, I have been a CNA for a year now and have worked only in the hospital setting (so if you are looking for insight into the nursing home experience, that would not be me).

To start off, being a CNA is one of the most direct ways to get patient care experience and was the main reason I decided to get my certification as a nursing assistant, instead of a medical assistant, for example. Being a CNA is 12 hours of helping and aiding the patient as much as you can, trying to make this very vulnerable moment in their life as comfortable as possible. From feeding, bathing, taking vitals, etc, being a CNA gives you a connection with your patients that many other clinical experiences don’t grant in the same way. By the end of my shift, I always had the same thought: I hoped I wouldn’t see my patients the next time I came in for my shift. I hoped, instead, they would be discharged and recovered because as much as I would like to continue helping them, I would much rather see them healthier. There is no better feeling than coming into a patient's room, helping them get their stuff together and taking vitals one last time before they are discharged. Because, although it may be daily life for you and just clocking in to work, for them, this could be one of the lowest moments in their life and it’s up to you to help them through it. 

I will not lie to you, however, being a CNA is not all rainbows and unicorns. Because there are such highs, and also such lows, I believe that it is one of the most rewarding jobs you can have. Many of us have come into undergrad knowing we wanted to be pre-health, while some of us found that out along the road, but either way, we have come to understand we want to pursue a career in healthcare. But how many of us truly understand what a career in healthcare means? For me, I had volunteered in a hospital but nothing truly surmounted to the experience of being a CNA. First-hand working in the hospital, as a colleague instead of a volunteer, gives you an insight into healthcare like none other. You learn about the different workings of the hospital, from the life of physicians, nurses, PAs, phlebotomists, etc., it truly is a learning experience. If you are on the fence about what type of healthcare you want to go into, I highly recommend becoming a CNA. However, the experience of being a CNA can also help you understand if you really want to go into healthcare. As much as it is said, working in healthcare is definitely undermined, and as daunting as Biochemistry or Physics is, nothing can give you a comprehension of a healthcare profession more than working in the setting directly. It would be truly terrible to finish academically, only to realize once you enter clinically, that maybe this type of work is not for you. For me, the opposite occurred and I truly fell in love with patient care. Either way, working as a CNA gives you firsthand experience in healthcare and also in yourself. So whether you realize maybe the healthcare route is not for you, or you learn which track you want to go into, or being a CNA encourages you to work extra hard so you can make patient care your future, the experience is truly incredible. 

Finally, if you are interested in becoming a CNA, I highly recommend GatorCNA, a local organization in Gainesville. They provide a week of classes that give you great chances to pass the CNA exam and to start your nursing assistant career!