At the end of my rope......

Nursing Students CNA/MA

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:crying2: So today I went job hunting, its been awhile because I have no transportation and I have to rely on others to take me places (but while I'm at home I search the internet all day everyday for Nursing homes hiring in my area). Anyway I called 35 place and out of the 35 only 4 were hiring for CNAs, so I went to those 4 places early in the morning dressed like I already had a interview equip with everything I needed in case they wanted to interview me on the spot. 2 of the 4 places hiring kindly excepted my applications and told me to call them back in a week, 1 place told me to go to their website to complete the app. (which I wish they would of told me over the phone). So the first 2 places hiring made me feeling like I took a big step towards employment at a nursing home FINALLY!(they were really nice and seem as if they liked my application:) ) But then I got to the last hiring job on my list, which was at least 35 minutes away from my house unlike the last 3!, I walked in asked if they were still hiring and lady gave me and app. I was the longest app of all 4 jobs (including the app I completed on the internet) took me at least 20 minutes to complete then the person I was to give the app to stepped away from her desk for 30 minutes. I'm not complaining about the time all of this took because if it ended with me having employment at their facility (which was a SNF) than it was totally worth it. Anyway 20 minutes after I handed in my app I got an instant interview :D I just knew I was about to get hired ( boy was I wrong :uhoh3:) As soon as I told the the Interviewer I didn't have any experience she cut me off and told me she sorry she wasted my time but they were only hiring experienced CNAs :crying2::eek: (of coorifice I wanted to cry) She then asked why if I had my Certification for a year didn't I have any experience :confused: I said " Well everybody seems to want CNAs with experience!" and she replied "you're right Nursing homes don't hire CNAs here like they used too " :mad: (the last thing I wanted to hear!) I walked out of there with a smile on my face even though she ruined my whole day..... I'm not giving up on finding my 1st CNA job but todays experience has really put me in a depressed state, Its already been a year of no employment and its very stressful.........btw I live in Michigan and unemployment is horrible here! .........sorry for the long post just had to vent...:grn:

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I wish you the best.

It sounds like you are working your buns off trying to get a job and I think that says good things for you.

It is a shame nursing homes are only wanting experienced aides.

Nursing homes were always the best bet for a newbie to get a foot in the door and use and improve upon their learned skills.

When I became a CNA, the world was my oyster and I got to pick and choose.

If it is not that way now, where DO newbies go?

And what caring and hardworking aides are being passed by because they have no experience?

Please call back any of the places you have already applied.

Remind them, politely, that you are still interested. Sometimes being proactive and persistent makes a favorable impression because it signifies that you WANT to work and WILL work hard.

Hang in there!

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Please call back any of the places you have already applied.

Remind them, politely, that you are still interested. Sometimes being proactive and persistent makes a favorable impression because it signifies that you WANT to work and WILL work hard.

Hang in there!

Thanks for the kind words, I will most definitley be calling back a few places very soon.:)

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Specializes in Peds OR as RN, Peds ENT as NP.

I do not know how you feel because I was trained and hired immediately by my employer but do NOT give up. Try looking at some staffing agencies around. Also apply for patient care tech jobs. Continue being persistent!

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Specializes in LTC.

Maybe place ads for caregiving services? If someone hires you to care for their parents or something, you can count that as experience.

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Specializes in LTC/Rehab.

http://www.extendicareus.com/facilities.aspx?s=1&e=25&fld_service_ddl=3&fld_stateprovince_ddl=mi

extendicare is a healthcare agency that functions plenty of nursing homes and facilities. i'm not sure in what area of michigan you live in, but even if it's a few miles away from home, work there for at least a year to gain experience and then work someplace closer to home. i live in pa, and i actually called the ' tendercare health center of adrian' and they said that they are always accepting applications. normally with agencies like this (especially long-term care) they require 0-2 years exp. so they would train you if your certified. i work for a healthcare agency system that is very similiar to extendicare. so good luck! phone numbers on the website for each facility. i would call a location close to home, and ask to speak with the staffing coordinator. i'd ask if they were hiring cna's. if 'yes', also explain that you have little to no exp. if they say 'that's not an issue', then proceed with the application process. the 'adrian' facility told me they have apps at the nursing home. if/when you get lucky dress professionally.

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Maybe place ads for caregiving services? If someone hires you to care for their parents or something, you can count that as experience.

Oh yes!

Or check ads for someone wanting help.

I did that and found a job with a woman wanting help for her father who was already placed in a nursing home but she wanted him to have 1:1 help. She felt he needed more help than the staff could give him.

This led to me getting two further jobs in the nursing home by families who saw me working with the first man and were impressed by my work.

The third job I got lasted almost five years!

If you do this, leave an articulate and detailed message about yourself.

The key to getting that first job was the fact that I was clearly understood when I left a message and, in the words of the daughter (who placed the ad) I "didn't sound ignorant".

lol

Yes, ads are an option, it is experience and people are desperately seeking help for loved ones.

Good luck!

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Well, it was a year before I got my CNA job. I applied to the local hospitals about 300 plus times. A good portion of the homes wanted experience. I looked at a few agencies and other nursing homes. By pure luck, I found two that would have hired me without experience. One could only offer me PRN cause of my school schedule. The other I got hired with. ^_^ It's a state home with good benefits. I even mentioned in the interview most places want experience.

Although I will tell you that experience means nothing sometimes. There was this guy who had worked med surg unit for 15 years as a nurse tech and he was horrible. He couldn't put briefs on and wouldn't answer lights. He was fired eventually.

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