As a CNA, you provide essential care and help feed and monitor patients, but you are not afforded the same autonomy as a nurse. To transition to a nursing career, you must choose a BSN program, earn your degree, pass the NCLEX exam, and then you can begin your nursing career.
Starting your career as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) is an excellent way to enter healthcare. For those who don’t have the time or financial means to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree, CNA work allows you to help people without the added demands.
However, as a CNA, you won’t receive the same level of compensation, benefits, and scope of practice as an RN. If you’re looking to take on a more substantial healthcare role, there are several advantages to becoming a nurse, and it’s probably easier than you think. In this guide, we’ll discuss what it means to be a CNA compared to an RN, go through the steps to becoming a nurse, and answer some common questions about these professions.
What is a CNA?
CNAs act as nursing assistants in their daily work, providing primary patient care and helping nurses with minor tasks. CNAs work in hospitals, assisted living facilities, home health agencies, and nursing care facilities, fulfilling the basic needs of a functioning healthcare institution.
Duties and Responsibilities
CNAs work on the frontline of patient care, performing necessary tasks at patients’ bedsides. Some everyday CNA responsibilities include:
- Making beds and cleaning rooms
- Serving meals and helping patients eat
- Monitoring patients’ vital signs
- Assisting nurses with treatments and procedures
While the work CNAs do is essential, in terms of patient care, RNs are afforded more authority and responsibility than CNAs. Full-fledged nurses coordinate more complex patient care due to their more comprehensive education and licensing.
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Education and Certificates
To start working as a CNA, you typically complete a short, state-approved education program through a high school, community college, hospital, vocational or technical school, or nursing home. After that, you must complete your state’s competency exam to become certified. No further licensing is required.
Salary and Outlook
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in May 2023, the median wage for CNAs was $38,200 while the median salary for registered nurses was $86,070.
As a CNA, you won’t receive the same financial compensation as an RN, but the BLS reports that both fields are expected to grow between 2023 and 2033. The nursing assistant role is expected to grow by 4%, with 216,200 job openings annually, and the nursing field is predicted to expand by 6%, with 194,500 job openings annually.
How to Transition from CNA to RN
Although CNA work is rewarding, you can see there are many benefits to transitioning from CNA to nurse. As a licensed nurse, you can take advantage of greater flexibility in your work environment and the care specialty you choose. Knowing these benefits, let’s review how exactly you can become an RN.
1. Research Your Options and Choose a BSN Program
To transition from CNA to RN, you must first earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. After completing any prerequisite courses, you will officially be ready to start your nursing education. If you’ve already worked as a CNA, you have already set an excellent foundation for your academic journey.
At the University of St. Thomas (UST), our ABSN program allows students to transition from CNA to nurse on an accelerated timeline. UST’s ABSN program leverages students’ previous college credits so they can focus solely on a nursing curriculum and graduate in as few as 12 months.
Deciding on a BSN program isn’t easy. To help you decide, see our tips on how to choose a nursing school.
2. Complete Your BSN Degree
Once accepted into a BSN program, you’ll learn everything you need to know to become a competent nursing professional. You can expect to tackle multiple program elements, including nursing coursework, on-campus skills and simulation labs, and clinical learning rotations.
Nursing school is the time to explore and ask as many questions as possible. Taking every opportunity to learn will help guide you in choosing the best career path and becoming the best nurse you can be.
3. Take the NCLEX-RN Exam
After graduation, the last hurdle between you and your nursing career is passing the NCLEX-RN exam and earning your license. The NCLEX exam tests your readiness to practice safely as a registered nurse, using questions that evaluate nursing knowledge and clinical judgment. Nursing school is designed to help you succeed on this exam, but you’ll still need to put in the effort and leave yourself plenty of time to study before your test date.
4. Begin Working as a Registered Nurse
You will be ready to work as a nurse professional after completing your BSN degree and passing your nursing licensure exam. Numerous specialties and care options are open to you as a nurse, but many recent graduates choose to gain experience in a hospital setting. During your education, clinical rotations are an excellent opportunity to network with nursing professionals and can even lead to job offers upon graduation.
Not convinced? Discover five reasons why a BSN is important.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a CNA a nurse?
No, CNAs play a vital role in healthcare, but they do not have the training to perform the same level of care as a nurse. Their main responsibility is handling basic patient-care tasks, allowing nurses to focus on treating the underlying causes of the patient’s hospitalization.
What is the next level of nursing after CNA?
The next level of nursing after CNA is Licensed Vocational Nursing (LVN). Like CNAs, LVNs do not have the same training as RNs and cannot perform the same scope of tasks. Many use either of these roles as a stepping stone to earning a BSN and becoming a registered nurse.
Do you have to be a CNA before becoming an RN?
No, many future RNs choose to start their journey as CNAs if they do not yet have the financial means to earn their BSN or are unsure they want to pursue a career in nursing; however, there is no rule that you must be a CNA before transitioning from CNA to RN.
Does being a CNA help with nursing school?
Working as a CNA can be a great way to witness firsthand what a nurse’s daily routine looks like and assess your interest in pursuing nursing as a career. CNA work can also expose nursing students to concepts, processes, and procedures covered during their BSN education, giving them a head start in mastering the curriculum.
Start Your CNA to Nurse Transition at UST
At the University of St. Thomas, our hybrid online program makes career transitions as simple as possible. With online coursework and in-person skills labs and clinical rotations, our curriculum offers students the flexibility of deciding when and where to learn key nursing concepts. Plus, our program operates on an accelerated timeline, allowing you to graduate in as few as 12 months.
Contact a UST admissions advisor if you’re ready to transition to your nursing career today.