Discovering a Career as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)

Preconceived Notions

Growing up, I always had the idea that after high school, I would go straight to a four-year university, graduate, and then commence my career from that point on. Why? Because that's what I've seen everyone else do. I never thought that anyone could get into any type of successful career without going to a four-year university, especially not in the medical field. I always believed that to get into the medical field, you would have to go through a rigorous pre-med curriculum at a four-year college, go through another four years in med school, and then finish up with a series of internships and residencies. To me, that route seemed way too expensive and time-consuming. I did not realize until now that there's a quicker and cheaper way to get into the medical field than that.

Pursuing a Career as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)

I recently became aware of the process of becoming a certified nursing assistant (CNA), which has become one of the most easiest processes I have come to know. 

To start off, you don't even need a high school diploma to get enrolled in a program. This holds true for E&S Academy, in which the minimal requirements are two forms of government I.D., your social security number, and a basic physical. Once enrolled, you just go through a 90 hour program that will include both classroom and clinical education that will cover areas such as data collection, disease processes, infection control, and so much more. The tuition is only $1,300, and the best part is, CNAs typically make about $36,000 in the state of New Jersey. With a job outlook increase of 20% within the next 10 years, this CNA gig does not sound bad at all. For anyone who is looking to dive straight into the medical field or for anyone who is looking for a quick change, becoming a CNA seems like the way to go.