i have found this site very informing, any feedback or suggestions will be greatly appreciated...
my problem: i live in southern california and have had my cna certification since march 2008, i also took an acute care tech course which i completed this may. i finished both courses at the top of my class and have been looking:uhoh3: for work everywhere and anywhere...nursing homes, hospitals, rehab centers, agencies etc. i've filled out applications by walking in, and on-line. no call backs:sniff:! most places want at least 1 yr experience.
i started this journey determined and excited, i still am, but just a little frustrated...trying to stay positive:d.
i would like to work as a cna while in school.
what am i doing wrong:smackingf? any suggestions on how i can improve my job search tactics?
Good for you! You were persistent and won out in the end. I know you will do a good job. Hang in there and learn as much as you can. Pay attention to what the nurses do and don't be afraid to ask them questions. Most nurses like to help CNAs that are going into nursing.
I, too, was offered a position yesterday at a Rehab/LTC Facility with excellent benefits and above average pay for one without experience and a week of clinicals remaining before completion of my CNA course.
Best wishes to you, and all who are still searching for employment. You will find something soon, I'm positive!
Congrats to those whose persistence paid off! That really gives me a smile for a change. I received my cert 10/31, and like the original post have hit just about every place imaginable. It's only been a few weeks, and I scored a small assignment through Visiting Angels, but I need more hours and practical experience. When I began my CNA class back in August, it seemed CNA jobs were everywhere, even at the major hospitals. Now the lack of CNA jobs is unmistakable, outside of the occasional Per Diem offerings from agencies. It's really hard to balance any kind of scheduling out if one wants to go to school. One LPN school I checked out required students to clear 3 weekdays for a 12 hour period because of fluctuating clinical scheduling. I asked the admissions counselor how that would be possible with a full-time job? You would have thought I had a third eye, given her secretary's look of amazement. But as you might have guessed, her reply was simply that most students work part-time. Give me reasonable clinical hours, and I'll find a full-time job I can handle, what's the problem? So I'm faced with the dilemma of finding a flexible job that will work around school, a problem I never saw coming. This has all been sort of a reality check, as the common consensus in these parts was that jobs would abound for anyone pursuing a career in nursing, at almost any level. I'm trying not to second guess myself on the decision to pursue nursing, but as another poster noted, it's hard to get a break with no experience in LTC, or a hospital. Everyone has to start somewhere, I just wish some of these places would lighten up so I can put my skills to work. Not 6 months from now. The home health assignments will trickle in once in awhile, but I've been advised to avoid them if at all possible by a friend who is a head nurse. His advice was to get on at a hospital or nursing home ASAP, and use the skills I'd been trained for, or I'd forget them over time. Another nursing friend said after she specialized in home care for many years, there came a point where no hospital would even look at her. The only way she was finally able to get a job at a hospital, was to basically beg by divulging her state of desperation after being unemployed for quite some time. But that's why I came here. Hearing all of this stuff after awhile, makes your head spin. Reading posts here gives me hope, and gain a better perspective. Believe it or not, I've never been so eager to go to work in my life! All I need is that one chance :)
Turnover in CNA work is HUGE though. Keep calling to check everyplace you applied...they go through people so quickly that even if they aren't hiring one day, they may be the next. Don't give up...it might take some time, but you'll find something! And I think you'llfind that once you get some experience under your belt, places will be dying to have you. :)
Codeda
83 Posts
Congrats!!!!!! That is awesome! Hopefully I can find something too soon and join you in the club!!! Good luck