Student Looking for Job in a Healthcare Setting

Nursing Students General Students

Published

Hello Everyone,

I'm new here and this is my first post!:balloons:

I'm looking for advice/suggestions.

I have just started taking the pre-reqs for the Nursing Program at my local community college in Maryland and I would love to work in a healthcare setting. My experience over the past 8 years has been in the financial/banking/investments field; primarily in an adminstrative capacity, and I am finding it hard to obtain a job in healthcare without healthcare experience eventhough I am applying for jobs closely related to my experience.

I have a couple of volunteer/internship positions at a free clinic and a hospital from high school (I knew back them but I became pigeon-holed into finance!) but these positions are not on my resume; no room right now, and the experience is over 8 years old.

I have considered volunteering, however with my work and school schedule that would be hard to commit to. Any advice or suggestions?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Maternity & Well Baby Nursery.

Hi Divinely_Me,

I am pretty much in the same boat as you. I worked for a few years in the corporate arena and don't have any healthcare experience either. I'll share what I learned from one of the instructors at my school and she recommended getting a job at the hospital as a CNA, tech, or unit secretary in the department that I would eventually like to work in. I hope to work in Maternal-Child nursing.

Good luck in your endeavors and :groupwelcome:

Cherry

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thanks for your reply Cherry Ames SN!

I will continue to apply for jobs and exercise a bit of patience. It usually takes a while to find a job even when you have the experience! :idea:

Also, if anyone can answer this issue: I hesitate indicating on my resume that I am pursuing a nursing degree because I wonder if the hospitals will think I am just trying to "get on" in order to obtain tuition assistance... but then I wonder if it will give me a leg up so I have two versions, one with my former Business degree pursuit and one with my Nursing degree pursuit. I pick and choose which one I use but mostly I use the one with the Business degree considering I am mostly applying for administrative jobs.... what do you guys think??

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU, High-Risk L&D, IBCLC.

:welcome:

I agree that you would be best to pursue admin work in the healthcare setting, specifically unit secretary. CNA and tech jobs will usually require you to have some clinical experience under your belt - it depends on the institution of course, but usually it's one semester of clinicals.

I would be up front about your goals and future plans to become a nurse. Nurses are needed so bad these days that hospitals are willing to do what they have to do to get them in the door! Case in point - I got a tech job my second semester of nursing school, and for my third semester the hospital gave me $4500 toward my tuition.

Best of luck to you!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Ortho, Neuro, Detox, Tele.

Keep in mind, many tuition programs require x amt of service after. Admin jobs are probably your best bet. Most everything else requires some sort of education. CNA is usually a semester long class with 8 weeks of clinical. I did mine with T & R nights 4-9:30 for a semester, than had to take exam from state(IL). Just a thought, you ever think about activities/social service with LTCs or residential facilities? We have GROW houses, programs, etc. where people just need a HS education....

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I was kind of in the same boat. Lots of stuff on my resume, but completely unrelated (my first career was in theatre stage management). I enrolled in a CNA program, but it was literally so much time so I couldn't do it with my school schedule, so I had to drop it. I ended up getting a job (started just about a month ago) as a residential care tech. at a home for developmentally disabled adults. I absolutely love it. There's state mandated requirements done through the company, including intensive meds training, HIPPA, and CPR/First Aid, and ongoing monthly training, all paid. I'll eventually get my CNA, but I think this position now will defenetly help me as a nurse, because it's caregiving, with varying personalities and levels of functioning, and the residents ages range from young adult to geriartic, so I'm learning a lot! Some people who work there do have their CNA, or other experience, but my hearts in it, and I think that's why I got the job. They are always looking for people who are passionate and truly want to work with the residents. Might be something to look into...

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Welcome to the board!

I work at a Pharmaceutical company as an administrative assistant and they pay for 100% of my tuition. Maybe try that. Once I graduate, then I'll get my experince outside of the administrative world (other than my clinicals of course).

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU.

If you do decide to pursue a CNA/unit secretary type job, I'd be upfront about nursing school. At least in our area, it's vastly easier to get a job if you are in or actively pursuing NS. It's pretty much assumed for a job like that you will be wanting furthur education--in fact managers bring that up in interviews as a plus for the job.

Good luck on getting a job. Hospitals tend to be pretty good working with you and your constantly changing school schedule :-).

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment