Does the shift matter, experience-wise? - New CNA

Nursing Students CNA/MA

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Background: I'm a 18 y/o CNA (since April of this year). and I'm working PRN at an LTC. I primarily work the 10pm-6am shift. I went in for a hiring event at a hospital a few weeks ago. I didn't expect to get the job, as I had less than a weeks experience at a different LTC facility. I wanted to know what to expect when I have the adequate experience to work as a hospital PTC. At the hospital interview they told me that with 6 months experience in an LTC, they would consider me. I think they may have said this because I was clearly young and nervous. If I'm accepted in October, than I will begin an ADN program next spring.

Question: I am concerned that working primarily the night shift will be an issue experience-wise. Will it make it more difficult to be hired at a hospital as a CNA/PCT, if I have less experience working the 1st and 2nd shift? Will the hospital care that the majority of my experience is night shift?

Also, this current LTC is the only decent reference I have. It is my 2nd job, the other LTC was my first. Would it help my resume to get a another PRN position elsewhere? So that I will have 2 professional references instead of 1?

Apologies for the rambling. I know I'm probably overthinking this.

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I have no idea but I do wish you the best.

Are you able to get adequate sleep?

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Just now, Kooky Korky said:

I have no idea but I do wish you the best.

Are you able to get adequate sleep?

Thanks!

Yes, I am. I adapted to the night shift much more quickly than I thought I would.

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Specializes in NICU RN.

I don’t think the experience matters to what shift you are offered. I know at my facility they have a hard time staffing nights. If it’s the same at that one then you may be just fine. Good luck on your nursing journey!

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4 hours ago, Peachez1 said:

I don’t think the experience matters to what shift you are offered. I know at my facility they have a hard time staffing nights. If it’s the same at that one then you may be just fine. Good luck on your nursing journey!

I hope so! Thanks for the insight.

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Specializes in mental health / psychiatic nursing.

Honestly, being able to work nights is probably a plus as these are usually harder positions to fill. Even if you are hired for swing or day, having the ability to pick up nights or stay late is well appreciated by managers.

Your references don't just have to be former/current managers - are there others who could speak to your work-ethic and personal skills and qualities? Perhaps former non-healthcare job coworker or supervisor, or a volunteer position supervisor? Being so young and just out of highschool (I'm assuming) it would not be inappropriate to reach out to a teacher or coach as a reference. Its better to have a reference who really knows you well and who you can count on to speak highly of you, then specifically a health-care related manager at this stage of your career.

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4 minutes ago, verene said:

Honestly, being able to work nights is probably a plus as these are usually harder positions to fill. Even if you are hired for swing or day, having the ability to pick up nights or stay late is well appreciated by managers.

Your references don't just have to be former/current managers - are there others who could speak to your work-ethic and personal skills and qualities? Perhaps former non-healthcare job coworker or supervisor, or a volunteer position supervisor? Being so young and just out of highschool (I'm assuming) it would not be inappropriate to reach out to a teacher or coach as a reference. Its better to have a reference who really knows you well and who you can count on to speak highly of you, then specifically a health-care related manager at this stage of your career.

Thank you for the reply! Due to great turmoil in my family life I dropped out at 16. Also, just before high school I moved districts. During this time I lost touch with teachers, volunteer supervisors, and the like. I was not in a good head space at the time, and I regret that I did not continue these relationships. My first position (the current position is my second job) I only held for a week, because I found this position that is much closer. I did not form any relationships there due to the short time. I still have many months before I have adequate experience to get a hospital position. I have a few current coworkers who I think will be good references when the time comes. When I start the ADN program in the Spring, I will try to make connections there as well.

Will my resume look any more attractive if I got another position? As in, I would have two concurrent facilities under my experience? I'm not sure if a hospital/any employer would consider my resume if it has only one facility as experience.

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Specializes in mental health / psychiatic nursing.
13 minutes ago, elliepark said:

Thank you for the reply! Due to great turmoil in my family life I dropped out at 16. Also, just before high school I moved districts. During this time I lost touch with teachers, volunteer supervisors, and the like. I was not in a good head space at the time, and I regret that I did not continue these relationships. My first position (the current position is my second job) I only held for a week, because I found this position that is much closer. I did not form any relationships there due to the short time. I still have many months before I have adequate experience to get a hospital position. I have a few current coworkers who I think will be good references when the time comes. When I start the ADN program in the Spring, I will try to make connections there as well.

Will my resume look any more attractive if I got another position? As in, I would have two concurrent facilities under my experience? I'm not sure if a hospital/any employer would consider my resume if it has only one facility as experience.

Having turbulence and turmoil can make connections difficult, but I am glad you are in a more stable place now! If there are individuals who were particularly supportive to you, or who you were close to previous to/during that time, it may not hurt to reach out (assuming you have some way to contact them) to reestablish connection. I ended up reestablishing connection with a high school coach several years after I graduated from high school. He was delighted to hear from me after a mutual acquaintance provided a means to contact him so I could let him know I was doing well. We still keep in somewhat sporadic contact.

I would make sure the manager who worked with you for only a week would give you a positive reference, and would suggest considering current coworkers or classmates if they won't.

Having one position is not necessarily a bad thing, you are clearly still very early in your career. If you have the time and ability to handle a second job and want to gain experience in a secondary setting (and/or need a second job for financial reasons) go for it, but limited experience is not an automatic disqualifier for a hospital position. Usually they just want to see at least 6 months to 1-year CNA experience.

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2 minutes ago, verene said:

Having turbulence and turmoil can make connections difficult, but I am glad you are in a more stable place now! If there are individuals who were particularly supportive to you, or who you were close to previous to/during that time, it may not hurt to reach out (assuming you have some way to contact them) to reestablish connection. I ended up reestablishing connection with a high school coach several years after I graduated from high school. He was delighted to hear from me after a mutual acquaintance provided a means to contact him so I could let him know I was doing well. We still keep in somewhat sporadic contact.

I would make sure the manager who worked with you for only a week would give you a positive reference, and would suggest considering current coworkers or classmates if they won't.

Having one position is not necessarily a bad thing, you are clearly still very early in your career. If you have the time and ability to handle a second job and want to gain experience in a secondary setting (and/or need a second job for financial reasons) go for it, but limited experience is not an automatic disqualifier for a hospital position. Usually they just want to see at least 6 months to 1-year CNA experience.

I will definitely see about reaching out. I know that a local hospital has PCT positions that are specifically open to nursing students. I'd imagine that it would not hurt to mention that I'm a nursing student to future employers, as I will reach that 6 months - 1 year of CNA experience while I'm attending the ADN program.

I have a bad habit of overthinking, and your advice has given me some perspective. Thank you for the insight!

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Specializes in CNA.

I'm no expert on hiring or staffing, but I have 5 years of hospital experience about 2 years of LTC experience.

I would imagine that the hiring manager/hr would put you into a position at a new facility (LTC or acute care hospital) probably on the shift you already have experience on, but of course that would be only if they didn't need more people on another shift instead.

I've found the two different environments to be significant though. The hospital I'de been employed by had about 350 beds. And the LTC I'm working for now has 100. And the size of the facility matters kind of a lot... how many co-workers you'll have, how it's organized, etc. There are generally differences also in what your responsibilities are to some degree, how many patients you would be assigned and how much support you might or might not get.

You will get to a hospital sooner or later, if that's where you would like to end up and you'll figure out what the biggest adjustments will be needed. And regardless of the shift, you'll be great!

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