Certification and/or job recommendations for a pre-nursing student

[izalou]

Hello!

I am a 25-year-old career-changer (it's funny to pretend that I've even had a career at this point) beginning prerequisite courses for direct entry BSN to MSN programs. I studied Architecture as an undergrad at Yale, and have worked in the tech world for the past few years. I'm still trying to figure out what specialty is the best fit for me, but right now I'm leaning toward a CNM/FNP dual focus, though there aren't too many of those programs out there.

Currently, I am volunteering as a birth doula with the San Francisco General Hospital Volunteer Doula Program and am working as a "personal attendant" for a quadraplegic woman -- I don't know if this is the proper title. Maybe home health aide? I have no formal training or certification as a home health aide, but the woman prefers to train her own attendants. I'm also coordinating birth doula trainings for the woman who taught my training (this isn't a medical role, obviously)

My questions are as follows: in addition to the current positions I described above, would it be wise for me to pursue some sort of certification (CNA, Home Health Aide, Hospital Aide, etc) before nursing school so I can get my proverbial foot in the door of the medical world? I've heard that getting an RN or NP position straight out of school is challenging, and I'm worried that I'll need to have had some sort of experience in a medical setting.

What are your thoughts and/or experiences?

[Marina.h]

I want to give this a bump because I have very similar questions and have the same idea for my career path (3 years left of my BSN then hopefully Vanderbilt for dual CNM/FNP).

How often have you attended births as a doula? Does it interfere with school?

[twinner05]

My best advice is to find some sort of part time nursing aide job in a hospital. It will benefit you in 2 ways. One is that it will help grow you as a nursing student along with clinicals(experience). And 2, it will help you land a job either at that same facility or other hospitals post graduation. Its tough finding a new grad rn job. Therefore your application with prior experience will stand out more vs the avg non experienced new grad rn.

[TexRN, BSN, RN]

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[Kimbsntobe]

I agree with twinner05..but I think your volunteering will count as well..you can go the nurse aide route to have experience in a hospital setting but working with doulas...I would ask advice from the CNM/FNP that you come in contact with hopefully they can give you advice on how they did it...give it a try can't hurt...Good Luck that's also my specialty I want to get my CNM/FNP Good luck and happy catching'