Fast food vs Dietary aide

Nurses Career Support

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Hello all, I'm a nursing student and only have one more semester left. Hopefully, will be graduating in December 2016. I don't have any experience in healthcare. Right now, I'm working full time in a fast food restaurant, which is 5 min away from my house. Not too long ago, I received an offer for an interview in a nursing home. The interview is for a dietary aide position. My dilemma is that this potentially new job is 30 min away from my house, and the salary would be less than I make at the moment. Also I wouldn't have a flexible schedule as I have right now. On the other hand, the dietary aide position could land me a nursing job in the future. I suppose my question is, do I have better chances of getting hired quicker as an RN, if I work in the nursing home?

Specializes in Ambulatory Care-Family Medicine.

There's two ways to look at this.

1. Your fast food job could show future employers job longevity if you are there over a year when you finish school. It also has the flexible schedule that you need during school and pays better.

2. Dietary aid could get your foot in the door at that LTC facility and could possibly lead to a job offer when you finish school. There's no guarantee of that though, the pay us less, worse schedule, and longer commute.

I would stay at your current job. You don't have to have healthcare experience when you graduate. Many people, including myself, never worked in healthcare prior to nursing school. Also as a dietary aid you won't get a lot of direct patient care experience like you would if you were a CNA, so the experience may not really help you in the long run.

Thank you so much for your answer. I really appreciate it

There's two ways to look at this.

1. Your fast food job could show future employers job longevity if you are there over a year when you finish school. It also has the flexible schedule that you need during school and pays better.

2. Dietary aid could get your foot in the door at that LTC facility and could possibly lead to a job offer when you finish school. There's no guarantee of that though, the pay us less, worse schedule, and longer commute.

I would stay at your current job. You don't have to have healthcare experience when you graduate. Many people, including myself, never worked in healthcare prior to nursing school. Also as a dietary aid you won't get a lot of direct patient care experience like you would if you were a CNA, so the experience may not really help you in the long run.

Agree 100%.

kbrn2002, ADN, RN

3,820 Posts

Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.

As long as this is an either/or choice for you I suggest staying right where you are. A dietary aid position will give you little to no help as the position has nothing at all to do with with nursing. The only possible advantage would be if it is a facility where you would have enough regular contact with the DON to make a positive impression. Then the dietary aid position might give you an advantage as the DON will know who you are and can certainly ask the dietary manager easily enough about your work habits. But in my opinion that foot in the door advantage is probably not worth the loss of pay, longer commute and less flexible schedule.

Thank you all for the responses. I have made the decision of staying in my current job. One of the main reasons, is that I need a flexible schedule since nursing school demands a lot from me. Thanks again!

amoLucia

7,736 Posts

Specializes in retired LTC.

Good decision! You've only one more semester of school. What other posters comment makes mucho sense.

Erythropoiesis

305 Posts

You do what you need to do to get you through school. The job you hold while in school really doesn't matter all that much to an employer--they just want to know that you're going to be a competent employee. I would never take a pay cut for experience. Like others have said, you only have one semester left. Don't sweat it.

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