Hospital or LTC? Other options?

Nursing Students CNA/MA

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hi e'erbody!

:w00t: cnas rule!!:w00t:

i'm a cna. :rotfl:

anyway, i have only been a cna since nov 05 and i don't have much experience. i was wondering if some of you wonderful people could tell me about the differences between working in a hospital and ltc.

i have been working in an assisted living facility and it is pretty basic. i love my residents and my co-workers, but decided that this place is being run very poorly and i didn't want to be a part of it. sunday was my last day.:sniff:

i decided that i really don't want to work in a skilled nursing facility type nursing home because of how my cna clinicals affected me. i don't think i have the emotional strength to deal with the utter sadness and despair that i saw in the nursing home.

point-->> should i try to get a job in one of the local hospitals? how is it different from ltc? i'm sure each department is dramatically different. i was offered positions in er and l/d at a small suburban hospital and was just kinda wondering what cnas do there. i think that the official title was unit secretary/na i, is that just a clerical position?

i'm just confused and want to decide something before school starts in the fall. :confused:

thank you!!

Specializes in Nursing assistant.
chadash, i don't know what to tell you. hospitals can just be funny like that. i tried and tried at this one hospital without even getting an interview, then the same hospital called me in to interview for a transporter position, which i took. then i tried to get a cna/student nurse job at this same hospital after a year in the transport dept and never heard a word. i tried applying at another hospital that was one of those "submit online application"(unless your a nurse) type of hospitals. and one of my fellow classmates told me to call the HR dept. well, i did and had an interview the next day. i've been there 6 months now and am glad that the first hospital never gave me a chance.

don't give up. i think hospital cna work is alot better, that's MY opinion. try calling, try sending a letter (ask if there is any other certifications that would make you more of an asset to them such as in phlebotomy, ekg, rhythm interpretation, etc...

i wish you lots of luck,

jay

Thanks Jay! I will try that!

Specializes in ICU, ER, Hemodialysis.
Thanks Jay! I will try that!

here is another tip...i actually got this from the hr person at my hospital.

she said..try to talk to the manager of the floor that you want to work. if they are interested in you, they will call hr and say "hey where's chadash's resume. i want to set up an interview." i don't know why, but it seems some hr dept.'s have a DONT bother me, but if you want the job you have to bother me attitude. i applied to one hospital and used my professor as a reference (she also works at this hospital). she told me after clinical that i should apply there and use her as a reference. well i submitted my app online and still have not heard from them and that was like 8 months ago! hope that helps.

jay

Specializes in CNA; LPN Student.

I'm working ltc now, I've applied to so many hospitals but it's so hard to get hired!!

Specializes in ICU, ER, Hemodialysis.
i'm working ltc now, i've applied to so many hospitals but it's so hard to get hired!!

it seems to me that a lot of hospitals (at least in my area) prefer nursing students. nursing students are not "long term employees," but they have a goal they are working for and i think hospitals like that. also, they have a better chance of recruiting you as a nurse if you already work there. and, though we are not "long term employees," there is always a class behind us to take our place.

my question is are you a nursing student? if so, have you tried to call the hr dept and tell them that you are a nursing student and that you are interested in working for their facility? and like my post above stated, you can always contact the nurse manager from the floor that you want to work.

try this...tell them that you are going to nursing school...and you want to shadow a nurse on their floor for the day. i'm sure that most nurse managers would be ok with this as they would love for you to come work on their floor when you graduate (you know the whole nursing shortage thing?). so, after you shadow the nurse for the day, say, (only if it is true!), "this is exactly what i am looking for, do you all ever hire nursing students to work here as cna's?" this will get the ball rolling. they may respond that they are always looking for cna's, then you can respond "well i work in ltc now, but i really want to work on a floor like this when i graduate and i would really like to start working here now as a cna if i could." this may be all it takes, and if not, at least you got to shadow a nurse all day to see what a day on that floor is really like. and like i said, do not be fake, tell them that you want to work there only if it is true. it says something about your character!

to all those cna/nursing students having problems getting into a hospital, especially, chadash, try doing what i stated above. even if your not a nursing student...tell them you are really interested in working with that type of patient (ie: heart patients). tell them that you work in ltc and love the residents, but you've always had an interest in cardiac nursing, cancer nursing, etc...and you want to help care for that type of patient. just be honest! i love nursing and it comes through my voice. follow your heart and it will reward you!

good luck to everyone that tries the above. i wish you all much success.

sincerely,

jay

Specializes in Nursing assistant.
here is another tip...i actually got this from the hr person at my hospital.

she said..try to talk to the manager of the floor that you want to work. if they are interested in you, they will call hr and say "hey where's chadash's resume. i want to set up an interview." i don't know why, but it seems some hr dept.'s have a DONT bother me, but if you want the job you have to bother me attitude. i applied to one hospital and used my professor as a reference (she also works at this hospital). she told me after clinical that i should apply there and use her as a reference. well i submitted my app online and still have not heard from them and that was like 8 months ago! hope that helps.

jay

Thanks again for your reassurance and advice.

Specializes in Nursing assistant.

I read your last post after I wrote mine. Again, thank you so much for the info and encouragement.

Specializes in ICU, ER, Hemodialysis.
Thanks again for your reassurance and advice. I called a nurse that I worked for and with at an agency, and asked her if I could use her as a reference. She said" I will call the HR and recommend you!"

I do want to warn CNAs that, the conventional wisdom does not always work. I have worked some LTCs, and they literally shut down. It apparently did not hurt their business, they are up and running again, but it did hurt my resume. (looks like I hopped, but they did! :) ) Also, I worked alot of home health because people begged me, literally, to care for their parents "cause you are the best..." I don't regret caring for these folks, I loved them, but after 12 years of this, I have a crummy resume. My hubby says:No good deed goes unpunished! ;)

OK, so you layer jobs, have more than 3 pt at a time in private duty, you practically manage their care, and you are asked: Have you had more than 3 employers in the past 2 years? Well, duh, if you are taking care of 3 pts and doing a cleaning job on the side, yeppers.

So the idea that hard work is rewarded is not really true. The computer thinks you are a job hopper and spits you out like yesterday's bubble gum, when you are actually working your buns off....

So, fellow CNAs, get the hospital job right at the get go, and build that resume! Be warned: don't turn out like yours truly, old and unable to "multitask". Geesh!

lol

Well, I think that you will have a hard time if you apply online. Your best bet would be a face to face interview. A good nurse manager would hear the caring in your voice. A good nurse manager would WANT to have someone that truly cares for the patient vs. someone who just wants a job. I wish you much luck in getting into the hospital setting. Don't give up if that is what you want. I believe that I got my hospital job because I am a student nurse, but no one just handed it to me. I TRIED to apply online without a response, but then I call and it's "we'd love to have you on board." Maybe your nurse friend can help you out. You know what they say "it's not what you know, it's who you know!" Keep us posted.

Sincerely,

Jay

Specializes in LTC, Medical/Surgical.

i agree to some extent about acute care over ltc, but still think ltc offers stable caregiver to patient relationship and is more rewarding.

good thing to each is own, blessings in your adventures!

Specializes in ICU, ER, Hemodialysis.
i agree to some extent about acute care over ltc, but still think ltc offers stable caregiver to patient relationship and is more rewarding.

good thing to each is own, blessings in your adventures!

I agree. It all depends on the type of care that you want to provide. When I graduate in May, I hope to get into an ER. I still really enjoyed providing care for the residents in the nursing home I worked for, but there was just too much to do to the point that I felt that I could not give the care that I think they deserved. That's one of the reasons that I left. I also am very interested in emergency care. I am already a member of the Emergency Nurses Association.

LTC is rewarding, Hospital is rewarding...Caring is rewarding!

Specializes in All variations and sections of acute set.

Supermo:

Have you ever thought of working for a registry? It would allow you to try out different sections of a hospita as well as different positions that a CNA cna work in. I have never worked Long Term Care LTC so I don't know if it would be any different to SNF/AL. The job of CNA's is different in all the states so find out what is allowed for you to work and give it a shot. All the Best in your schooling.

I have worked in LTC for the past 7 years. There's alot of ups and downs to the job, especially in a nursing home!! The upside would be that I'm trying to make each day for the resident, a good one. The downside being death. It's true, you get attached to people in LTC, and when they die it's so sad, but I try to think of the good times we had with them, making each day count . I have flip-flopped with ideas of going to a hospital setting, but when it came down to it, I have too many residents that I'm attached too. In the long run, it'll be sad when they go, but I know we had a ball while they were still with us. In LTC you work your butt off for low pay, but the rewards are there if you can see the end of the tunnel.

thank you, thank you, thanks you! your recommendations have pretty much sealed the idea to do hospital work vs LTC. do hospitals pay ANY basic benefits so i don't have to live off my spouse?

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