confused!?!? help!!

Nursing Students CNA/MA

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I am applying to nursing school next fall and want to get some experience so I have applied for CNA jobs. I have been offered a job at a LTC facility with my classes starting in two weeks. Also I have a friend who works on a med surg floor in the hospital and said her supervisor was interested in hiring me but the supervisor has not yet contacted me and is now on vacation. The hospital job is the one I want. Should I wait and see what happens with it or should I just go ahead and start in LTC? I am anxious to get going and I think that's why it's such a hard decision!!!! I have never worked in either setting before so I don't know which would give me more experience. I'm so confused.

I know what you mean. If I were you, I would wait for the hospital job if possible because of the fact that you are going to nursing school soon. You will probably be exposed to more new things and it will put you way ahead of all the other students as far as knowledge. Also, if you decide that you really like that hospital, they may offer tuition assistance!

Kim

Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

You will gain valuable experience either way, so, my suggestion is to take whatever comes first. If the supervisor gets back, consider going there to hear what they have to offer as well, and then make your decision.

I do think that hospital CNAs get more of a variety of experiences and are exposed to more; however, you can make the very best of whatever comes. An advantage to LTC is that the residents are the same; you can become familiar with their preferences and habits while allowing a bit of time for yourself to acclimate to the client. I did both, and have a variety of experience on from both sides.

If you wait for the one in the hospital which you don't know for sure if you'll get, you might miss the opportunity in the LTC facility. But I think both are great opportunities to expand you learning in the nursing field. Do what your heard desires.

Sorry ... little confused. Will you be starting your CNA classes at the LTC facility? or do you mean that you are already a CNA and will be starting your probation period as a CNA at the LTC facility?

Have you met with the supervisor at the hospital? She may be interested, but, is there a position available or could she be thinking for future hiring?

If I was you, I would take the position at the LTC facility. When the position at the hospital is available, I would leave the LTC.

Our DON will tell us that she has interviewed a new employee ... takes a week or two with the reference check, BCI, etc. We have had several in the past year that never came back, and there were two that worked a week or two then quit.

We had a CNA work for a couple hours and went to lunch and then never returned... We thought she just didn't know what time she was supposed to come back but she never came back. LOL

Thanks for all the replies! I have decided take the LTC job for now. I will feel really bad leaving if the hospital works out, but if it's a better offer I will really have something to think about! And who knows maybe LTC will be for me. Thanks again

At your job, when you get a chance to talk a little to the nurses, make it a point to start to find out from them what the job market in your area is like. If you do decide to leave the LTC job for the other job when it becomes available, try to give proper notice and write a gracious letter of resignation. You want to create as good an impression as possible at all places of employment because you never know when you might have to go back there for a future job. The jobs where I worked as a CNA were the same places I got hired at and worked as a nurse. This was in an area where all healthcare jobs were few and far between. I didn't really find out this fact until I started to work.

Specializes in ER, CCU.

You'll Prolly Enjoy The Hospital More, Less Incontinent Care And Basic Bathing, But The Experience Wouldn't Hurt, You Could Always Start At The Nursing Home Then Drop Down To Prn If You Get The Hospital Job.

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