PCA job for high school student

[AriMer24]

Hi! I am a junior in high school and I have been wanting to be a nurse ever since I was twelve. When I was fifteen, I took a volunteer position at the transplant hospital by my school. A year later, ( my dad's a kidney doctor and has known the nurses on the floor for years) he told them to train me as a PCA and they did. I can take vital signs and do all the other things the PCAs do. The only problem is that I am not certified and I am still in high school and I want a job. Is it possible?

[AriMer24]

I am emailing community colleges in my area, but they are not emailing back. I will try calling them and if I have any questions or any comments of interest I will post them.

[Tinkk]

You might find a job as a CNA in a nursing home, but I think most hospitals require a high school diploma, at least in my area.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

You do NOT need any sort of cert to work as a PCA. Being CPR and first aid certified might look good on your resume, though.

My daughter has ataxia telangiectasia, and we hired an awesome high school student to be her PCA. I chose her because she is energetic, loves to take my girl to fun activities, and most importantly- she is flexible and reliable. She is now in nursing school, and is thrilled to have this job because it looks good on her resume :) I found her on craigslist, and I recommend you advertise there.

I think the OP is talking more about CNA type jobs than in-home PCA positions. There are some hospitals that call their nurses' aides "PCAs" (Patient Care Assistant or something like that) since most of the people working in the roles are not actually "certified". I know what you're talking about, as I am also from MA (I'm not sure if all states have similar programs or call these employees PCAs), but I think the OP is talking more about a CNA-type role.