Decent job(s) for a student waiting to re-apply to nursing school?

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Hi everyone,

I'm new to allnurses (this is my first post). I'm looking for some advice, maybe some of you have been in a similar situation:

Here's my story: I applied to as many nursing schools as I could afford to in January. I was accepted to: a BSN program out-of-state for the Fall of 2013 at a private school and waitlisted for an ADN program in state. I decided to go for the BSN, but it's recently come down to the fact that I just cannot afford the tuition and I'm about to withdraw my place in the program. :(

I plan on re-applying to more affordable schools next year, however, the majority of BSN programs in my area only take applications once a year. I have finished all of my prerequisites, in fact I'll be graduating with my Associate's Degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences, A.S. with honors this week. I've been a volunteer EMT for the past year (which I love) and I have a full-time non-medical related job. I refuse to give up on my dream of becoming a nurse even if it means waiting an entire year. In the meantime, I'm thinking of getting into the hospital side of patient care to complement the EMS experience I have (and to earn a little more money for school) while I wait.

For those of you who are working in a hospital, nursing students, or who are licensed nurses, what jobs have provided you with a lot of hands-on, quality patient care experience in a hospital? I just don't know much about the individual responsibilities/differences between a CNA, PCT, ER Tech, [insert any other hospital job along those lines I may have missed]...ect, but any suggestions or opinions would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for reading, I'm looking forward to getting to know you all here on allnurses :-)

Nicole

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Specializes in Peds, Float, Ambulatory, Telemetry (new).

I would recommend CNA. I was a CNA prior to getting into the nursing program and I found it very helpful because I had the direct patient care down and I was very comfortable around patients. PCT is also good too. I think they are CNA but they can draw blood, do blood glucose and some other things. I am not 100% sure on ER tech and their responsibilities.

Hope I helped.

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Specializes in CRNA.

I am an ER Tech and can tell you it depends on your level and what the hospital will allow. At our hospital most of the Techs are Paramedics. We start IVs, draw blood, do POCTs, do 12 leads, direct bedside care, and transport. The only thing that we can't do in the ER that we can do in an ambulance is give medications, except for IV fluids and O2, and intubations.

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Yes you did, I really appreciate your input avaloncar, thank you! I'll be looking into it.

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Thank you CowboyMedic! Interesting about having to be a paramedic to be an ER tech, is that common in your area? My goal is to become a Paramedic after nursing school. I'm from CT and I just applied for an ER tech position in my area, but they only wanted EMT-B/BLS certification and experience.

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Specializes in CRNA.

I live in Tulsa, OK and most of the ERs are going to Paramedics as Techs. We also have some CNA/AUA that work in the ER but most of the core staff are Paramedics. What are you looking at doing with RN/Paramedic? Sounds like you might want to work on a Medical Helicopter. We have a couple RNs in our ER that plan on getting their Paramedic license to work on a helicopter.

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Very cool! Yes, my future goal is to work on a helicopter as a Flight Nurse. I had an opportunity to do a ride-a-long with a medical helicopter service in my state and it was that very night I fell in love with EMS and nursing. Almost three years later that "spark" is still there and it continues to drive me forward.

How about you? How long have you been a Paramedic? Are you in nursing school?

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Specializes in Oncology, Critical Care.

If your an emt take a arrhythmia course and phlebotomy course and you can work as an ER technician. Otherwise CNA will prepare you best for nursing

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First I got my CNA license. Then I worked as a CNA in LTC to get experience only 12.00 an hour. Now I work as a PCT on an infant and toddlers unit in the hospital. I love it :) My pay is 16.50 an hour. But because I work nights I get a 10% of my pay for 7p-11p and 20% for 11p-7a, $2.00 extra on top of my differentials on the weekends and time and a half plus my differentials on holidays. I love it, plus I work 2 nights a week 7p-7:30a. I will be starting the ADN program this fall.

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Specializes in CRNA.
Very cool! Yes, my future goal is to work on a helicopter as a Flight Nurse. I had an opportunity to do a ride-a-long with a medical helicopter service in my state and it was that very night I fell in love with EMS and nursing. Almost three years later that "spark" is still there and it continues to drive me forward.

How about you? How long have you been a Paramedic? Are you in nursing school?

My goal is to be a CRNA. I started in EMS to become a Firefighter/Paramedic, but since I've started in the the ER my whole career path has changed. I had a CRNA as a preceptor during my OR clinicals for intubations and I really enjoyed what they did but was so concentrated on Fire/EMS that I just never gave it a thought until 6-8 months ago. July will be 5 years as a Paramedic. I'm taking my Pre-Reqs starting this summer and hope to be admitted to the Bridge program next summer, then graduate Spring 2015.

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Apologies for the delayed response CowboyMedic -- that sounds like a great career, good luck with your program!

I really appreciate all of the responses on this thread, thank you!

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Specializes in Oncology, Critical Care.

I actually recently became a pharmacy technician. Pay is pretty good, hours are excellent and built around my school schedule. I can work at any pharmacy that has open pharm tech hours (within CVS/Pharmacy). I learn about pharmacies and pharmacology, as well as observe a pharmacist talk to patients and learn more about drugs than many of my professors taught us in pharmacology. I share your background as an EMT, it's a helpful factor in becoming a pharm tech.

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