Work Experience for getting RN job

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in Med/Tele.

Hey guys! I have heard from ppl that unless you already have medical experience it is very hard to find a job. I have never worked in a hospital but I have been a Pharmacy Tech for a chain pharmacy for almost 7 years and i graduate nursing school in less than a year. Do you think that being a pharmacy tech would help me get a job even though it's not in a hospital? I looked into getting a CNA job but i would be taking a major pay cut and I really can't afford it!

Thanks!

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.

While having a healthcare job in nursing school can't hurt you, I think the key is getting your foot in the door via networking, so having a healthcare job will certainly do that.

To further explain, I don't think being a tech will, in and off itself, get you a job in a facility or system that doesn't know you. However, it will increase your chances of getting a position in the facility or system where you work. My opinion is just based on the credentials of people who have gotten RN jobs out of school and what they did to get them, including me.

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Specializes in ER.

I'm not sure about being a pharmacy tech. I agree with the above poster, it's not so much that the people have the *experience*, it's that they know the right people that can put in a good word for them.

One person I went to school with worked in the lab at the hospital, so she had no actually floor experience, but she was a good worker, and the lab manager knew other managers and put in a good word for her, so she got a job in the area she wanted.

Do you know people that know people? That's the key to landing jobs these days, sadly.

(but I will say that I just landed my dream job with one year RN experience, and I didn't know ANYBODY. It was straight up apply online, meet with recruiter, meet with manager, got the job. So it does happen!!)

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Any chance of being a pharm tech at the hospital where you want to work? I agree with the other posters it helps you network with the right people. I think it is still a huge advantage, as your knowledge of pharm is probably far superior to other new grads.

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Specializes in Peds, PICU, NICU, CICU, ICU, M/S, OHS....
Any chance of being a pharm tech at the hospital where you want to work? I agree with the other posters it helps you network with the right people. I think it is still a huge advantage, as your knowledge of pharm is probably far superior to other new grads.

I second this advice :D

Being a pharmacy tech in the hospital would provide you many more opportunities than being a pharmacy tech in a chain pharmacy. The pharm techs where I work do many different things. One of their duties is delivering meds to all the in-patient units. This type of job would allow you to network and get to know the staff on all sorts of units. If you are helpful, friendly, interactive with the staff and patients, you will stand out. Good luck with the job search!

I feel so bad for so many new grads.....well I feel bad for the ones that have always wanted to be a nurse and going into this profession for the RIGHT reasons!

Sofla

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Specializes in n/a.

I agree. I don't think as much what you know, but who you know. I'm starting CNA school in August, and I'm hoping to get a job in a hospital. I'll probably have to work LTC for a year or so first. I have plenty of time though... I haven't even started my pre-reqs. I've heard that just working in the hospital (anything, billing, filing, whatever) can really help because you show that you're a good employee, hard worker, dependable, etc. Have you thought of volunteering at the hospital? That never hurts! Then you could stay at your current job but still get a foot in the door and maybe rub elbows with the right people. :)

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Specializes in Med/Tele.

Thanks so much for the advice! I saw a rph tech job at the hospital I wanna work at but it said full time and in a month i wont be able to work full time so that's a bummer. My pharmacy manager actually went to work at this hospital about 6 months ago so maybe this will help me get my foot in the door!

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Specializes in Telemetry, OB, NICU.

You can make connections in the hospital through your school clinicals too.

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A lot of people that I went to school with did not have hospital experience. It certainally doesn't hurt, if you can get a position at a hospital that you would like to work at, or even better, the floor or unit that you would like to work in at the hospital you would like to work at.

There are a lot of networking opportunities while you're doing your clinicals, especially your final semester when you do management and/or capstone/role transition/whatever it is called at your university.

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