We all hear the horror stories of fresh nursing grads who can't find jobs after school. Well, I don't want to be one of those people and I thought I'd share the steps I have taken as of now and for the future to hopefully prevent that from occuring:
I got my CNA license last October but haven't found a job because I wanted to focus more on acing my prerequisites. After having finished all my classes this past Fall 2013 semester, I got a job at my local community college as a student assistant, at the very school I applied for nursing school.
After my first semester of nursing school, I plan on applying to a hospital as a Patient Care Technician (I am qualified for this because I previously got my CNA license), and I will be even MORE qualified because I will have completed the "Nursing Fundamentals" course. The experience from this class combined with the clinicals will be very good.
While at the hospital, I will network with the nurses and staff (hopefully unit managers, too), and let them know how serious I am about my motivation, career goals, and ambition.
After getting my RN license, I will immediately apply to my local university's RN-BSN bridge program....... The catch is that I will still do PCT work undercover (to make sure I get some money).
Once I get my BSN, I should have absolutely no problem finding a nursing job, right?
That's really good to know. I like to think ahead because I want to put myself in a good position to succeed. Sometimes, in my spare time, I would visualize certain scenarios in my head regarding nursing school, the clinicals, the opportunity to shadow/interact/interview staff, and say in my head the things I would say and do to help me get ahead of the game. This is not important not just for me, but for everyone else in my prospective cohort. I want everyone to be successful.
Guess what? I've been a PCT for 3 years and just graduated and can't find an RN job. Doesn't work that way for everyone
I am sorry that you haven't found a job yet, but you mentioned that you JUST graduated. Where have you looked? Do you have any insider connections at any of the facilities you applied to?
Yes I do. Plus the hospital system I've worked for the past 3 years. I gathered form your OP that just because you are a PCT you will automatically get a job right out of school. Just telling you that it isn't the case for all PCTs.
Yes I do. Plus the hospital system I've worked for the past 3 years. I gathered form your OP that just because you are a PCT you will automatically get a job right out of school. Just telling you that it isn't the case for all PCTs.
I actually attempted to revise some of the wording of my OP. I actually didn't mean that if I did PCT work that I would automatically get a job (I didn't communicate that as effectively as I should have); I meant to say that if I did so and so, then it would be easier for me to find employment as a RN, as compared to others who have not or who are completely switching from different work fields (retail, food service, etc.)
Based on my preliminary research, I concluded that -- although I would not have been working as an actual registered nurse -- I would be in a better position to get that entry-level nursing position, as opposed to those aforementioned individuals.
But, as you say, this may not be the case for everyone--- I get that. I cannot think of any other kind of work that would prepare me to be a nurse that is as similar to actual nursing as PCT work, except maybe corpsman or cna work?
"I meant to say that if I did so and so, then it would be easier for me to find employment as a RN, as compared to others who have not or who are completely switching from different work fields (retail, food service, etc.)"
In many cases, it does not make it easier. Even LVNs with multiple years of acute care experience get turned down because they lack RN experience as new grads. Networking doesn't hurt (unless the people you network with are not impressed by you), but it may not help either.
I've heard some hiring managers are more likely to take a chance on a new grad with a very stable work history. They want someone who's going to stick around for a while after they invest in training them. A ten year job at one retail store may be more impressive than working as a CNA while in nursing school or "hopping" from one medical job to the next.
I cannot think of any other kind of work that would prepare me to be a nurse that is as similar to actual nursing as PCT work, except maybe corpsman or cna work?
You still have to keep in mind that even the best PCA/CNA/Corpsman/Medic is not taught to think like a nurse. They're taught to do nursing tasks, and therein lies the real difference.
There is definitely benefit in learning how to manage your time, give a bed bath, and turn a patient. However, in the end, those skills are moot if you're not pairing those skills with prioritizing your tasks, doing a skin check, and understanding the importance of turns, respectively. There's knowing how to do something, and then knowing why.
There is definitely benefit in learning how to manage your time, give a bed bath, and turn a patient. However, in the end, those skills are moot if you're not pairing those skills with prioritizing your tasks, doing a skin check, and understanding the importance of turns, respectively. There's knowing how to do something, and then knowing why.
Thank you for that insight. I can definitely see the difference between knowing how versus knowing why.
My question is, what can I do? What can I do to set myself apart? Other than effectively communicating my transferable skills via my resume/reference/cover letter/interview; following up via phone calls or in person; getting letters of recommendation; doing internships; joining and actively participating in nursing associations; having a positive and proactive mindset; handling myself in a professional and courteous manner; treating every clinical as a job interview, what can I do?
None of these things listed will give me RN experience, which seems to be the common theme in each and all of your responses; however, I am a young person. One cannot expect an individual to know ALL of the ins and outs of the profession without the hands-on experience that you are looking for. And no matter what I do, according to you guys, I won't have experience. So, again, what do you suggest for me to do?
None of these things listed will give me RN experience, which seems to be the common theme in each and all of your responses; however, I am a young person. One cannot expect an individual to know ALL of the ins and outs of the profession without the hands-on experience that you are looking for. And no matter what I do, according to you guys, I won't have experience. So, again, what do you suggest for me to do?
There is no magical solution. Just be your best and hope for the best. Your ideas are not bad, but they've been tried by plenty of others who haven't gotten much of a return in their investment. In other words, hope for the best but expect the worst.
What about at the hospitals where you do your clinicals? I had a long talk yesterday with my nursing advisor and my long range plans. She gave me excellent ideas on the things I want to do while in nursing school to secure a job afterwards. I would look around the immediate area to see what your hospitals offer.
I think PCT experience is somewhat overrated if being an RN is your goal. At best you can learn a lot IF you work with the right nurses in the right environment, but more than likely you are going to be running around non stop all shift doing menial tasks that are relatively easy to learn and will most likely be covered in Nursing school or experienced during clinicals. I don't see much difference between Nursing home experience and hospital experience aside from the hospital will allow you to network more and maybe give you a little more familiarity with procedures and equipment you wont see in a nursing home, but most of which will be covered to some extent in nursing school or seen during nursing clinicals.
I've worked in 3 hospitals as some form of tech. One I worked with awesome nurses and decent techs, and I learned a lot. The other two have been a mixed bag. My current job has really burned me out on the whole PCT thing. Many of the PCTs where I work have the worst attitude, and it gets old after a while. Its bad enough having to deal with crazy patients and family all the time without having to deal with staff who have their own issues. I think the smaller the hospital the better it is for techs. At a smaller hospital the techs have more responsibility and there are higher standards. The larger the hospital the lower the quality of techs(and on some floors the RNs), the lower the patient care standards, and the less helpful and friendly other staff are. At least that's been my experience working at increasingly larger hospitals. The larger hospitals will have more specialized units and I guess you might see some things you wont see at a smaller hospital, but if anything your responsibilities as a tech are less.
Manny92
102 Posts
Thank you.