While eating breakfast at a local diner in my scrubs, my waitress was excited to share the news that she, "finished my CNA clinicals yesterday!!"
"Great! How was it?" I asked. She starts nursing school soon.
"Depressing," she said. "It was so sad. Those people hardly have any visitors. My client didn't even have a pair of socks. Just two unmatched ones."
"Yeah, I know what you mean, I worked in a nursing home for two years. Are you going to work as an aide while going to school?"
"NO WAY!" she answered. "They don't make any money and that job looks terrible!"
I nodded, "Yes, it can be hard, but you really do learn a lot. I wouldn't have my med surg job today if I hadn't started in a nursing home."
"I don't know about that," she said, shaking her head. "I had surgery at a clinic the other day and the aide got her job right out of CNA school. Monday through Friday and no weekends!" She continued, "I think she had a really good hookup there."
"Yeah....but that's kind of like winning the 'CNA with no experience' lottery," I told her. There was nothing I could do to convince her that experience in healthcare would help her find a job after graduation. She is going to graduate, apply for jobs, get no offers and blame everyone else for, "Not giving her a chance."
There is absolutely no reason for hiring managers to choose new grads who never worked in healthcare over those who have.
Students, get to work. I know other jobs pay more, but if you really liked those jobs, you would not be going to nursing school.