Summer Employment for Nursing Student, No CNA

[tbbtpeach]

Hello! I just had a quick question.

I am about to enter the nursing program in the fall. It's a BSN program and I've already finished pre-reqs, been admitted, yada, yada, yada. :) I really don't have any nursing experience. I don't have a CNA or any type of license.

That's just some background.

So, my question is, next summer (I already have a summer job this summer, non medical, 1 time summer help type of deal) could I work in a hospital (even without a CNA?) I mean, I will have gone through the first year of nursing school so I'm sure I could be of some help somewhere. But, obviously, hospitals/clinics have laws that may not allow this...

(makes me wanna kick myself that I didn't get my CNA last summer. But now it almost seems like it would be a waste of money and time.)

Anyway, I thought I'd ask! Allnurses is my lifeline. I don't have much experience so thank you all for any and all answers!

[applesxoranges, BSN, RN]

Look at job postings now in your area at all major hospitals and try to read the fine print. Do they say that a CNA is required? Many list requirements for clinical experience. Some states will let you take the CNA test after one or two clinicals.

My hospital called them patient care techs and they needed one semester of clinicals. Then the nurse externs needed 2 semesters. EMTs are preferred for the ER pct though.

Nurse techs or nursing assistants at a rival system just needed 1 semester.

The third system preferred one clinical semester for their nursing assistants.

Unit clerks are more rarer now but they work with the paper side of things on units with sometimes acting as a backup PCT.

I would begin familiarizing yourself with what facility requires what.

[LoriRNCM, ADN, ASN, RN]

I took my CNA cert test after first semester. You have to have the required number of clinical hours and a letter on college letterhead from your director. That way you don't have to pay for CNA class. At least that's how it is here in VA.

[aeris99]

HHA in my area hire non-licensed people for PCSP (personal care service provider) roles. This is bascially homemaking duties: laundry, errands, cooking, cleaning etc. It's good practice working with clients. Just mind that the company doesn't push for you to practice outside of your scope. One company I worked for had PCSP's bathing and changing wound dressings. (Not allowed in my state.)

I have my LNA license but due to lack of childcare for my son, I am staying home this summer and providing childcare for a friend. I am also looking at volunteering in a hospice setting if I can figure out how to fit it into our schedules.

[BusyBee91]

I'm not sure what the rules are in your state, but 2 thoughts. I've heard that psych hospitals (think Sheppard Pratt) can hire and train nursing assistants who aren't certified... not sure if that's true here (or anywhere) but, in a lot of places, you can sit for the CNA certification exam after your first semester (year?) of nursing school. So if you're looking for work for the summer after you've been in school, then you could probably work as a CNA. Most of the student nursing positions in my area are for nursing students who have taken the CNA exam.

[ThatBigGuy]

Working as a caregiver in a long term care facility or nursing home is a pretty good option. A lot of places don't require licensing, and some will even allow you med passing duties. The turnover at these places is usually high, so they're always looking for quality help.

[tbbtpeach]

Wow, thank you everyone! This is why I love allnurses. I would have never known any of these opportunities existed! I'm definitely interested in sitting for my CNA exam after the first semester or year of Nursing school. I do remember when a family member was in the hospital one time, there were two student nurses working there during the summer...maybe I could do something similar.

I would love to get paid for a summer job that was continually teaching me useful and pertinent information about my career than sitting behind a desk...learning nothing.

[xiomara17]

I live in NY. I have seen many job listings for student nurses in Albany. I think it would be a great way to get exposure.

[Vana21, ADN, BSN, RN]

I work at my hospital as a monitor tech and when I finished my foundations class my director had a position called a PSN "Professional Student Nurse" which basically was a CNA without the cna certification, and the psn's can do some nursing hings (when directed by the nurse) such as inserting foley's and drawing blood and inserting IV's after we were checked off by the education department.

[Nolli]

I worked as a Nursing Assistant during school with no license because I was considered as having met all the educational requirements of a CNA by the state as long as I was enrolled in nursing school and I continued to satisfactorily pass my clinical courses. I was required to regularly submit proof of progress/passing grades and maintain a 3.0 or higher (the 3.0 was a hospital specific requirement). I'm not sure how it is in your state, but you may want to look into it as here we're considered to have reached the temporary CNA status upon completion of our very first clinical rotation. Tech jobs such as patient care tech also may be open to you.

[xiomara17]

Thats is a good way to obtain experience. How many semesters did you work as a PSN?