CNA base pay

Probably depends on whether you do nursing home, hospital or home health. I would guess hospital would pay more? But probably would be more towards the $8 end.

Thanks Lana, that's about what I figured. I want to work at a hospital because I want to get that experience since I will be in the med-surg unit next semester.

Hi! I believe that the hospitals will pay more for CNA work. I know that the CNA's (called CTA's - cross-trained assistants) at Hillcrest can make as much as $8.00/hr. Although Hillcrest is downtown, it is a nice place to work. I hope that this helps you out and best of luck in school!! :)

I know you asked this a while back, but I'm planning to get a CNA job this fall part-time and was talking to a guy in my LPN class about it. He said St. John's pays the best in town and starts at $9.40 without experience. Then there's also shift differentials.

By the way, have you finished your first year yet? If so, don't some of the hospitals hire second year students as Nurse Techs? (and help pay for school?)

Well I've applied at a few hospitals here in town and I haven't heard anything from them. I am starting to think that it might be because on all the apps I put that I was a nursing student. So they probably don't want to hire me because they know that once school starts again in the fall I will cut my hours back significantly.

I'm going into level 2 and I know for sure that St. Francis hires nursing students who have finished level 1 as techs. I don't know about the others.

I can't believe I'm having such a hard time getting a job. For some reason I thought hospitals really needed nurse aides.

At St Francis did you apply for their position of Patient Care Tech (nursing student option ) or something like that? I've been told not to apply through human resources, but to contact the nurse manager on a specific unit directly. Not sure how I'm going to do that but that's my goal for this week.

I worked as a Patient Care Partner at Saint Francis Heart Hospital while I was in LPN school and they were great about working around school schedules and I started out at over $9.00 / hour with little experience. They also do self scheduling so if you know there are certain days that you cannot work then you don't schedule yourself on those days. I started out on a weekend option position and there were several differentials for those positions. Shifts are 12 hours so you only have to work three days per week and if you are not weekend option you only have to work two weekend shifts per month. Let me know if you want any other information.

I worked as a Patient Care Partner at Saint Francis Heart Hospital while I was in LPN school and they were great about working around school schedules and I started out at over $9.00 / hour with little experience. They also do self scheduling so if you know there are certain days that you cannot work then you don't schedule yourself on those days. I started out on a weekend option position and there were several differentials for those positions. Shifts are 12 hours so you only have to work three days per week and if you are not weekend option you only have to work two weekend shifts per month. Let me know if you want any other information.

Is their weekend option set up so that if you work 24 hours you it's equivalent to being full-time? I've heard that some places do that.

OURN83 - I heard about another option last night if you're just wanting to get some experience. One of the girls in my class works for Interim healthcare, which is a temp agency. She works through them, but only does jobs that are at St Johns. You tell them when you want to work and they schedule you. She said it's been a great way to see different units at the hospital. She also said they get paid more by working through Interim that through St Johns, but there are no benefits like you would get from SJMC. According to her, if you went in today and applied, did the drug test and physical, they would have you working tomorrow. I don't know how true it is, but it might be worth checking out. Going through them might be easier since you only want to work this summer. Just thought I'd throw that out there because I've been going over all my options. I can't start working until August because I'm taking Chem 1 this summer plus my LPN program, plus online A&P2, but I decided to start looking early so hopefully something will be lined up and waiting for me (fingers crossed!)

She also said NurseFinders was good, but I don't know which hospitals they place people at. If you specifically want Saint Francis, just call their HR and ask what temp agency they use. Most of the time they'll tell you. Goodluck and let me know if you get a job!

OURN83 - I heard about another option last night if you're just wanting to get some experience. One of the girls in my class works for Interim healthcare, which is a temp agency. She works through them, but only does jobs that are at St Johns. You tell them when you want to work and they schedule you. She said it's been a great way to see different units at the hospital. She also said they get paid more by working through Interim that through St Johns, but there are no benefits like you would get from SJMC. According to her, if you went in today and applied, did the drug test and physical, they would have you working tomorrow. I don't know how true it is, but it might be worth checking out. Going through them might be easier since you only want to work this summer. Just thought I'd throw that out there because I've been going over all my options. I can't start working until August because I'm taking Chem 1 this summer plus my LPN program, plus online A&P2, but I decided to start looking early so hopefully something will be lined up and waiting for me (fingers crossed!)

She also said NurseFinders was good, but I don't know which hospitals they place people at. If you specifically want Saint Francis, just call their HR and ask what temp agency they use. Most of the time they'll tell you.

I was sent to the VA in Minneapolis through an agency as a Nursing Assistant, the VA liked me and asked me to sign on, and started me at 13.70/hr. I had just began nursing school then, and after being a permanent employee for a year, they are reimbursing my tuition each semester, as I signed a contract to work with them for three years upon graduation. I love it there, and I've worked and done rotations at several other hospitals. VA nurses are generally very satisfied with benefits/working conditions there...

That's cool, but we're in Oklahoma!