Anyone a COPE Clinical Care Extender?

shelbias · Feb 5, 2009

The CCE program is the best way for a person with no medical background to see if a career in the healthcare industry is right for them. I was in the program for a couple of months until schedule conflicts at work and school prevented me from participating.

1. All you need to do is send your application. Once selected, they will ask you to come in for an interview. Just do your best and answer their questions. That's pretty much how I got in.

2. I did all of my clinical shifts at Queen of the Valley Hospital in West Covina. It's a bigger facility than the other options.

Good luck!

Maikafer-RN · Feb 6, 2009

I didn't find it to be too difficult to get "hired."

Pretty much everyone who filled out an application was told to come for an interview. They were group interviews with about 4 applicants and 2 interviewers. We each got 2 or 3 questions (I think) and then I forget what happened after that (whether they told us on the spot or if we got a call).

I had to do 3 8 hour days of orientation (all on weekends) - but lunch and breakfast were provided.

You need to get BLS certified and get a TB test and your Hep B (which you'll need anyways if you're going into nursing).

I had no healthcare experience prior to this and actually hadn't even been in a hospital before and I thought it was an excellent opportunity for me. I felt like once I was in nursing school, I wasn't afraid to talk to patients or other nurses and I felt comfortable in the hospital setting.

I did my CCE at Hoag Hospital in Newport. I had rotations through medical pulmonary, telemetry, GI lab and L&D but the hospital pretty much offered experiences in any unit (even ER and sub-ICU I believe).

They are a really nice hospital and I hoped that my experience there would help me get a job once I finished school but they never posted any openings for new grads and every time i called they kept telling me to check online...but anyways...I say go for it and try to do as much as you can while you're there.

jordangirl2345 · Mar 7, 2009

what kind of questions do the ask in the interview??? I didn't know it would be so much like the hiring process in order to be able to volunteer!

mellowyellow2 · Jan 16, 2010

I recently went through the entire interview/app process a week before christmas.

My location was at St. Mary's Medical Center in Long Beach.

You have to schedule an interview online and yes, dress business casual. They asked us to bring our applications to the interview and there were about 10 applicants and 3 people doing the interview. I think there are a total of about 5 or 6 questions and the first few are kind of icebreaker questions and more laid-back. There were about 3 or 4 questions that really got to the root of what they were looking for. Just be sure you're able to commit to the program of working at least once a week for 3-4 hours, have a true goal of being in healthcare, and just really be yourself. Generic answers are not always the best bet.

For instance, when asking what quality you'll bring to the program, trust me, someone will say "hardworking."

Sometimes they let you choose which questions to answer, but for the in depth questions they ask everyone their own question and some questions are repeated(used more than once).

There is also a written essay that they make you do before the interview starts. Nothing too difficult, just an opinion essay.

They email to let you know your acceptance and they require you to have a TB test from the last 3 months, 2 MMR shots in your lifetime, Hep B, and to be CPR certified. Everything else they'll let you know once you start the program.

Hope this helps!

scabrera · May 27, 2010

Does any one know what specific questions they ask in the interview?

dowens8 · May 31, 2010

It's not like a work interview at all. Most people that interview get in. They ask questions like if you come across someone who starts throwing up what do you do. Are you able to to handle stressful situations and if you need to throw up what do you do. But even if you answer wrong they don't really care they just want to see if your compitent.

scabrera · Jun 1, 2010

what about the exam you take after the three day orientation? Is it hard?

dowens8 · Jun 1, 2010

You get this like packet and for the 3 days of training you go over everything and then your tested on it. I studied the night before and got an A on it but if things don't come easy to you just read over the whole manual and they tell you most of the things that are on the test. So they will tell you to star this slide or what not. So it's not very hard. you must get 80% to enter into program.

scabrera · Jun 1, 2010

thanks for your help. My orientation is next weekend. Hope i make it =)

jamaica820 · Jun 7, 2010

Hey Stacey -

I am actually interviewing for the CCE program on June 13. How was your interview, did you get into the orientation group?

I am nervous for the interview! I tend to work well under pressure, so hopefully this helps out during the interview and I don't clam up!

Thanks, any insight would be great.

Jamie

Aurora22 · Jun 12, 2010

Jamie,

Don't be nervous! It's a group interview and the environment is not very threatening or high-pressure at all. The questions are done in a round-robin style and you're not being viciously grilled or anything like that. The questions progress from work ethic/dedication/ability to commit-type questions to situational questions that kinda figure out whether you can think critically and quickly. You'll do fine, I'm sure. I had my interview last week.