u/Ecstatic-Copy2153

Spent years in customer service/retail. Got tired of the hours and the unpredictability. Last year I committed to a short healthcare training program to get into something more stable. It was about 4-5 months of evenings and weekends while still working my day job.

Just finished and started applying last week. Felt weird putting something completely new on my resume after years of the same thing.

Anyone else here done a career focused training program (healthcare or otherwise) later in life? Curious what your experience was with the job hunt afterward.

I'm about eight months out of dental school and working in a private practice. I feel okay with exams and treatment planning, but my speed on direct restorations is embarrassing. I'm talking class twos taking me almost an hour from start to finish. My supervisor hasn't said anything directly, but I can tell he's getting impatient and my schedule is always running behind.

I've watched online videos, I've practiced on typodonts at home, but when I'm in a mouth with saliva and movement and a patient watching me, I tense up and everything slows down. I know repetition is the answer, but is there anything that helped you break through that plateau? Specific instruments, materials, or just a mental shift?

Also, how do you balance speed with quality? I don't want to produce garbage just to get people out of the chair faster, but I also don't want to be the reason the whole office runs late every day.

Any suggestions will be really appreciated.

I have been bouncing between retail and food service since I was 18. I have been looking at healthcare certification programs because I keep hearing there is demand. But I am totally lost which direction to go. Which one takes the least amount of time to get certified? And which one pays enough that I am not still struggling after a year?

I cannot afford to mess this up. I just need a path out of where I am right now.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Finished my CNA training a few weeks ago. Landed my first role at a skilled nursing facility. Felt pretty ready.

Three weeks in and my feet are destroyed. I have tried two different pairs of sneakers. My ankles hurt. My arches hurt. I come home and just stare at the floor.

What are you wearing on your feet for twelve hour shifts? Also any other new grad CNA tips? Some days I feel like I am just running and not helping anyone.