CNA working in hospital Questions!

[cheizy]

Hey everyone, I was wondering is there anyone who got a job at the hospital right out of CNA school? Also how different is working at a LTC facility as opposed to working at a hospital? hours? etc. thanks!!

[beth66335, BSN, RN]

The Red Cross program I did actually catered to both. We had clinicals in both LTC and acute care.

I did Red Cross too, and I got hired to work in a hospital before I was finished with the class! We did clinicals in LTC for 4 days and I didn't like it . The CNAs there told me the work was very hard and they never had enough help. I loved working in the hospital and I actually had advance w/inhouse training to a Phlebotomy/ECG tech before I left when I started NS. If you work in a hospital you get to see medical procedures too which is cool.

[rockytopRN2b]

I did Red Cross too, and I got hired to work in a hospital before I was finished with the class! We did clinicals in LTC for 4 days and I didn't like it . The CNAs there told me the work was very hard and they never had enough help. I loved working in the hospital and I actually had advance w/inhouse training to a Phlebotomy/ECG tech before I left when I started NS. If you work in a hospital you get to see medical procedures too which is cool.

The Red Cross program has an excellent reputation. Our instructor told us the local hospitals would waive their six-month experience requirement for new grads if they knew they came through the Red Cross program. During our last week of school we had recruiters from all the local hospitals, agencies and hospices coming by to give us presentations about why we should work for them. They brought us all kinds of cool swag too.

A number of people had offers before we graduated. I interviewed with one of the recruiters during class and got my hospital job offer on graduation day.

The program was expensive but definitely worth it!

[baby bluz]

I agree with what Rancelumsden said about skills required and the skills you will learn. I did a year of LTC before getting in at the hospital. I liked some things about LTC, but it was definitely a lot harder on my body. If you aren't sure about working at the hospital, maybe you could start out on the night shift. It's a little more mellow than the day shift, and in most places you get a fairly decent shift pay differential. I work 7pm - 7:30 am at the hospital, and I make $90 more per (2-week) pay period than I would if I worked the same number of hours on the day shift. Even at nights it can be very fast-paced, but it's great. Just be persistent if you are interested in working there. It took me three months to get an interview. I just kept applying on-line and showing up nicely dressed at the personnel office. I think they finally hired me just to keep me from coming in so much. LOL.