Ability to get job with no prior experience?

[changeofpaceRN]

I'm really worried that when I graduate, I won't be able to secure a job because I have NO experience in the medical field. I know some will say get a job as a cna. Seriously, I don't feel like I could work and keep my studying up to par. I don't want to cram for the exam and forget the material, I study every night for hours at a time. Any words of wisdom are welcome and your experiences too! Thanks!

[suzanne4, RN]

You will actually find it very beneficial to you to have some work experience under your belt, it will actually make school easier for you. Even just one 8 hour shift per week, and on vacations.

[LeesieBug]

It was not realistic for me to work during school. It would not have been good for me, my education, my kids, or my employer because I would have been spreading myself too thin.

Not working during school had absolutely no bearing on my ability to land the exact job I wanted. I was nervous about it, as I have not had a "real job":rolleyes: for about fifteen years....stay home mom, followed by four years of full-time- school/full-time-mom. It was not a problem at all.

Deciding on whether or not you can handle a job with school is a very personal decision only you can make, as only you know what kind of responsibilities you have, and how much you can handle taking on. If you feel it would be too much, don't think that you HAVE to get a job in the field during school in order to land a job after graduation.

Good luck with things.:)

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

Here is another poster with similar concerns.

https://allnurses.com/forums/f50/no-experience-148738.html

Don't fret. Finish school. Then look for a job. Employers know that you can't work without the specialized training you are getting in nursing school. That's just the way it is. Working as a CNA isn't necessarily going to help you. I worked as a CNA during my second year of school because I needed the money. I still don't believe it helped me other than to become more proficient at doing basic care and give me sore, reddened hands from all the hand washing I did.