Best jobs for nursing students?

[goldenanchor]

In your opinion, what are the best job options for nursing students?

I have one classmate who is a pharmacy tech and it fits great with her schedule because she can work weekends or before/after class and it gives her some healthcare exp.

I have heard home health aides, hospital aides and CNA positions are also good for nursing students?

I am working in healthcare as admin, but the hours are hard because it's only day so I'm trying to feel out what else I could do that would have a larger array of hours to choose from.

[guest769224]

Pharmacy tech would be excellent. You'd become familiarized with all the meds. I vote CNA/tech.

It can often be a shoe-in when gradation hits. It entails direct patient care, where pharm tech, not so much. Easy certification and flexible hours. You could try just one 12 hour shift a week while in school, in a hospital or SNF.

[PurpleLover]

Here the hospital offers nurse extern positions, which is kinda like clincal. We are assigned a nurse and we take care of pts under their guidance. The only and best difference is you get paid!

[dexm]

CNA/PCT/nurse aide/tech, etc - whatever you want to call it!

I am beyond grateful for my PCT/PCA experience. Many may see it as bed baths, helping patients go to the bathroom, and blah blah blah, but lets be honest - when you're a new grad in your first nursing job and you know absolutely NOTHING, but you DO know how to clean up your patient who pooped up and down the bed, you win. You won't look like such a newb and you'll feel amazing because at least you can do something right!

Also, like a pp said, as a CNA/PCT/PCA you are a shoe-in for jobs at the facility you work at (and others, probably). And not just on your floor. I definitely would not have the job I got right out of graduation if it wasn't for the stellar rec from my old manager to my would-be new manager. Seriously. If you have a hospital in mind you want to work at once you graduate, be a tech there while you're in nursing school. It's beyond worth the effort.

[Stephalump]

I worked as a unit secretary and I loved it! I really got to know the ins and outs of the floor and all the people who worked there - physicians, admin, nurses, etc. When I worked as a tech I learned a lot of valuable things about patient care, but I was also getting those lessons in clinicals. I felt like being a unit secretary filled in a lot of holes that school didn't.

[brillohead, ADN, RN]

CNA/PCT/nurse aide/tech, etc - whatever you want to call it!

^^^THIS^^^

I graduated a little over a year ago. My classmates who were already working as a CNA/tech/whatever when they graduated all had RN jobs immediately after graduating. Those of us who had no healthcare experience had to scrounge for jobs.

Also, if you're in a good-sized hospital, you may even be eligible for tuition reimbursement during school.

Most hospitals around here will hire you as a PCT after you've completed your first Med-Surg class/clinical, even without a CNA certificate.

[kp1987]

A lady recently suggested to me to get certified to teach CPR classes. Thought that was kind of cool to do during school