CNA job at a bran new hospital...and feel sad for the new grads

Nursing Students CNA/MA

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I've been a CNA for a year at a state prison. A couple of weeks ago a beautiful new hospital just opend a block away from my house. I never thought about applying there because I really liked working at a prison.

All of a sudden, the correctional officers wanted the CNAs to blend the food for the inmates with broken-wired jaws. I ended up doing a lot of blending of food, which got me really bored.

I turned in my application for the soon-to -open hospital. Two day after submission, I got an interview...and was hired in telemetry.

I'm so excited, but what sticks to my mind were the faces of the new grad RNs asking for a job. There was a group of them begging for a job. One even said she had a BSN, but weren't hired.

If I go to nursing school, will I have the same trouble?

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Generally hospitals look at people with experience. You had one year of CNA experience so they hired you as a CNA. These are RN's obviously don't have any experience and that's the problem. No one is really hiring fresh RN's so it's hard to get that experience. This seems like the case but I could be wrong. There are plenty of other reasons why someone wouldn't get hired.

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Specializes in LTC, SNF.

That just seems so wrong to me that a person could spend all that time and money to become a RN and not have any chance at employment. It's one of the things that makes me wonder if I'm going to start my pre-reqs LPN or RN. For now I think I'm just going to stick to the small certs like CNA, PCT, EKG and some other things like that. Hopefully it will get me a job and some experience for later on in my career.:coollook:

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I've heard that there are so many new nurses out in the field now there's not enough jobs for them all. In the State of Idaho where I live, there are even nurses laid off if you can imagine that. Hopefully this is a temporary problem....projections for the future show a continuing demand for qualified nurses.

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Specializes in LTC, SNF.

It may be but some how I think this is going to be a very big problem for some time. I feel some times like these schools are just trying to keep their own heads above water when they really know whats going on out here. It's all about the money for them.:cool:

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So discouraging :-(

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Yep, around here, new grads AND experienced nurses are having a hard time finding jobs. You have to get lucky and apply at the right facility at the right time. It's one of the reasons I haven't finished school yet - I am a junior in college, creditswise, but I just can't see spending more money at this moment until the job market gets better.

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Yeah, that's how it is. But if you are working at the hospital already, you will most likely get a job there. Every person I know who was working at a hospital during nursing school is now working at that hospital as an RN. It's the RNs who graduate and haven't been teching that have problems where I'm living.

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You may have a better chance because you already have your foot in the door and can build connections!! Keep the job and do the best you possibly can then hopefully you will be hired as an RN right out of school!!

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You may have a better chance because you already have your foot in the door and can build connections!! Keep the job and do the best you possibly can then hopefully you will be hired as an RN right out of school!!

The connections will be helpful. I've been making them since I was working at the prison as a CNA. Thank you!:smokin:

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Specializes in LTC.
The connections will be helpful. I've been making them since I was working at the prison as a CNA. Thank you!:smokin:

That is everything, some people still don't believe it's not what you know but who you know. Pretty sure those are the folks crying about the lack of jobs.

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Specializes in LTC, SNF.

This is one of the many reasons why a site like this is so important. And hopefully we can can all help each other stay working. Because I know personally I need all the help I can get, being a new CNA. So if at any time anyone has any leads on work just send me a message and lets talk.

I would greatly appreciate the help and advice from like minded people.:idea:

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