Bon Secours Job for Nursing School?

[Teacher2Nurse21]

Hi All,

I received notification a couple of weeks ago that I was accepted into Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing! Woo hoo!! I am a career switcher, and I am currently finishing up my eighth and last year as an elementary teacher.

I have experience working as a Unit Secretary for Bon Secours, so I’m hoping to obtain a Unit Secretary or Patient Care Associate job with Bon Secours as I start nursing school. I have received pretty fast automated responses to saying my applications to these positions will not be moving forward. Due to policy, they’re unable to tell applicants why their applications will not be moving forward.

Does anyone have any advice for a new nursing student like me? I know that Bon Secours is a great organization to work for and that’s why I’m so psyched to have gotten into their nursing school! Any advice is a appreciated! ?

[wildnursebrendan]

Congrats on the acceptance. School will be challenging and fun. As for finding a job while in school, the unit coordinator role might hold a little weight if you apply as an RN in that specific hospital, but anywhere else they would way rather see CNA experience. And that can be hard to get. If you already have your CNA license and get a unit coordinator job though it would probably be easy to get them to cross-train you for PCA.

It can be discouraging for sure. I had 8 years CNA experience and when I moved for nursing school it still took at least 40 applications before I got a PCA job. It's just luck sometimes whether you get picked out of the stack or not.

Have fun. I had 2 teachers in my ABSN class and they did great.

[Teacher2Nurse21]

Hi @wildnursebrendan,

Thanks so much for your reply! I’m not sure what a unit coordinator is, I do have unit secretary experience. I’m not sure if that’s the same as unit coordinator. I am coming from teaching to nursing school, so I do not have my CNA license. I will not be eligible for CNA certification until I finish my first semester of school. A Patient Care Associate position is a step below a CNA, which is referred to as a Patient Care Tech. I am not eligible yet to be a CNA/ PCT, so I am looking for PCA positions.

Thank you for the encouragement; I will continue applying ?

[wildnursebrendan]

Secretary and coordinator are the same thing, and a "PCA" basically means CNA, at most hospitals it's the exact same responsibilities like EKGs, blood sugars, vitals, all that. They have to have a CNA license or be done with a semester of clinicals usually. Anyways good luck and network at clinicals. A bunch of people with no experience got CNA/PCA jobs on floors we rotated through, while I was struggling to get interviews with a kickass resume. Be bold and ask for a job. Good luck!

[herwitsend]

Hey! I will be a Junior 2 at BSMCON this fall. In order to get a PCT job, you have to either be a CNA or have finished your first semester of clinicals. I imagine this is why you are getting passed over.

In the fall, there will be a job fair at the college where you can be hired on the spot. Bon Secours managers come to the college looking to fill their positions specifically with our nursing students. The timing is perfect for applying because you will be almost done with your first clinical and it is great for getting onboarding and orientation done over the holidays.

Advantages to working for BS while in school: 20% off tuition, and some tuition reimbursement (depending on your unit)!!

[herwitsend]

Also, CONGRATULATIONS and Welcome!!! I will see you at Power Up. I am one of the Peer Tutors. Peer tutoring will save your life (or at least your GPA)!!

[Teacher2Nurse21]

Hi @herwitsend, thanks for the response! I wasn’t applying for the PCT positions, because I am not a CNA nor have I completed a semester of nursing school. I was applying for a unit secretary position. Thankfully, I was able to get a job with another hospital and it turns out they over a better tuition stipend. It all worked out! I will see you in August ?