Good idea to keep job in hospital while in RN school?

netglow, ASN, RN · Sep 24, 2012

Soxgirl2008, have you started school yet?

soxgirl2008 · Sep 25, 2012

I start clinicals in January. Why? I saw your post that most of your class with experience had the most trouble finding jobs. Why do you think that was? I'm just curious, because around here it seems the only people who don't have a hard time finding jobs are ones with healthcare experience.

lilkttnsRN · Sep 25, 2012

Yes, some hospital experience is a definite plus! I graduated this summer & have my RN but am struggling to find a job. I chose not to work during my ADN program because I wanted to concentrate on school, & I had a young family to raise as well. I am starting to wish that perhaps I had studied less & tried working as a PCA. A local hospital offered a new grad RN internship, and pretty much anyone who already worked there as a PCA, was accepted, whether or not they met the GPA requirement & they did not have to go through the rigorous interviews that external applicants did. Even outside of the internship, they mostly hired internally - new RNs who were may have been techs/hucs/transporters during school. Despite my good grades and a solid (non-medical) work history, I am working extra hard to stand out from those who do have healthcare experience.

seanynjboy, BSN · Sep 25, 2012

Hi
just wondering your thoughts re school and hospital job? I understand that New RNs are having a hard time getting jobs. Do you think its easier to get a job if you already work in the hospital(as a technician) ?
God Is Mighty

Keep the job if and only if you can juggle having a job and be in school. Some people in my program work full-time and are in school full-time and can handle it fine. Others do better when only focusing on school and cannot handle the juggle.

Do what is in your own comfort zone and if you decide to leave. Do not burn any bridges or leave on a bad note.

Good luck! :blink:

ChrissyLove123 · Sep 25, 2012

I work as a Nurse Extern. I am in the 4th block out of 5 in my BSN program. The Extern program allows me to work 24 hours per week when we are not in school (so, all summer & winter break) and then 24 hours per month while in school. That way I can focus on school, but still get the one-the-floor experience. It is so different from the student experience. I get to interact with the nurses and doctors (not to mention patients!!) than I do as a student. I know many hospitals have Externs, and they always tell us that "every day is an interview." We get to job shadow on other floors and more importantly, network within the hospital setting to work on getting a job while we are still in school.

RNitis · Sep 25, 2012

I have 2 years CNA experience that I got while attending nursing school. On my last semester I was speaking non stop to the nursing supervisor who would say "lets talk after you pass the NCLEX". Maybe it was because I told her I had to retake my last semester? I passed the NCLEX after 92 questions, showing I know my content. I know people who took 250 questions to pass their test. When I passed, I continued to try to speak to the nursing supervisor, but could never get an answer. I began asking other nurses who eventually said to "apply elsewhere". I took that as even though I was a great employee (besides lacking a little with late arrivals), she was not considering me as a candidate AT ALL despite other nurses constantly pointing out a lot of good qualities of mine. One time, I was present while she asked another CNA/RN student (one of her "Fav's, aka kissbutts") if she would like to start working as an RN now or wait until she passed her NCLEX! That was absolutely devastating to me as ANY time she asked me to stay late or pick up a shift (1st, 2nd or 3rd! when no one else would!) I would do it (never mind the fact that I knew I'd have a test the next day and should study instead, but she stated "if you do a favor for me, I may be able to do a favor for you in the future".) I felt completely used and ended up quitting, assuming "I'm an RN, I'll have no problem finding a job". I was wrong. 2 years later, I'm STILL looking for RN work.... Moral of the story: You never know. Depends on the nursing supervisors self OPINION/attitude of you, even if she's never seen your work (and all say I'm caring, compassionate and friendly -coworkers and patients..I just refuse to brown nose to get anything in life. Note to self: Maybe I should learn to...) I do find, though, that working as a CNA while attending Nursing school helped CONSIDERABLY and I wouldn't trade that for the world. It helped me feel more comfortable with clinical and patient care and at least I have the experience on my resume. (Nursing supervisor was for the whole hospital, not the floor I worked on. The floor I worked on went through nursing supervisors every year or so, actually the last year I worked there our floor didn't even have a nurse supervisor! We self managed, with the schedule being done by the receptionist who had been there for almost 15 years and the nursing supervisor only confirming it). That floor functioned just fine, until that nurse supervisor took over the floor. Not only did I leave, nurses and doctors had left also...

Wet Noodle · Sep 25, 2012

Nowadays, when many employers advertise for nurses with experience they mean experience as a registered nurse, because this is a very different skill set.

True. but I'd think that would still put you ahead of all the new RN grads with no clinical experience, most other things being equal.

Whether there is any advantage, much less whether it's significant, is largely local.

But I could be wrong. :wacky: (Shouldn't there be a smiley with question marks over his head?)

I haven't done a serious study, but it appears that, around here, people with previous clinical experience have had an easier time finding their first RN job, but in general it hasn't been very easy for most people. This area is a tough market for finding any kind of work.