ED Tech while License Pending???

Guests · Jul 20, 2014

Hey all! I am still license pending for another possible 6-8 weeks (due to the lovely state of IL...grumblegrumble). I am thinking of applying for an ED Tech position while I wait for my license to come in. What do you experienced nurses think? Is it a waste of my time or is it a good foot in the door to what I hope will be my nursing specialty?

Why would anybody hire you as a tech for such a short period of time?

If you can manage, it would be good for you but I think you're going to find it difficult-to-impossible to get a tech position if they know that you're just trying to get a foot in the door.

Also, what experience do you have to offer? Nursing school doesn't really equip one to work as an ED tech. We preferentially hire medics into that role.

NurseEric81 · Jul 20, 2014

I'm not a medic but have been an EMT for 7 years in various EMS roles. I was hoping that based on my EMT and my license pending status, I would be a qualified candidate. Thanks for your response.

Guests · Jul 20, 2014

The question you need to answer for yourself is *not* whether it's worth *your* time but whether it's worth *their* time.

What would be the benefit to a department in hiring you since you will obviously jump ship to a FT nursing job as soon as you're able?

There's no harm in trying but it's pretty tough to imagine that any department is going to hire you as a tech for the short period of time that you'll be waiting for your license to come through.

Give it a shot, though... perhaps it will work out.

zmansc, ASN, RN · Jul 20, 2014

First, what do you mean by license pending? In my state, once you graduate you can get a GN (Graduate Nurse), then when you take your NCLEX and pass, you have your RN in a few hours. So, you should be able to practice immediately or if the facility doesn't allow GNs, then as soon as you pass your NCLEX.

We did have some new grads last year who were employed at the hospital during RN school, and they tech-ed to help make ends meet after graduation before they got an RN job (hospital was laying off at the time). So, I don't see why you couldn't do it, but I would guess it would be hard to find someone to hire you knowing your going to be that much of a short-timer.

NICUmiiki, DNP, NP · Jul 21, 2014

I'm an ER Tech and most of us are offered jobs before we graduate. When we do graduate, we are allowed to work as a tech up until we receive our temporary license. At that point, our pay rate changes and we start orientation as an RN. The techs who do not get offered a job in the ER cannot work as a tech after they are licensed as an RN or a graduate nurse.

While you would qualify to work as an ER tech at my facility (they hire nursing students and EMT-Bs), they would most likely would not hire you because of the short amount of time you would be there.

LakeEmerald · Jul 21, 2014

At my hospital, you can apply to be a Nurse Extern if your license is upcoming (usually within the year). The pay is tech pay, and you would work as an ED tech. Once the license comes in, you become an RN. This is for new (or soon to be new) grads and works great for our department since we seem to always need techs and RNs. Also, you are more qualified than most other nurse extern applicants because you have the EMT certification. Hopefully, you can apply for a similar type of position in your city. Then no one will be upset when you transition to RN. Hope your license comes in soon. Best wishes to you.

RN2014g · Jul 21, 2014

In my state, once you pass your nlcex and your license is pending, you cannot work as a tech anymore.

zmansc, ASN, RN · Jul 21, 2014

In my state, once you pass your nlcex and your license is pending, you cannot work as a tech anymore.

Curious, why can't you work as a tech anymore? Are you saying a RN can't take a tech shift? I won't say we do it often, but it is done, since it's usually overtime for the RN, they are a fairly overpaid tech so RNs aren't offered tech spots unless we are in a very tight spot.

We also have had folks who were techs in the ER, passed their NCLEX, and continued to tech (at tech wages) until they found a job as an RN. We didn't treat them any different, their scope of practice as a tech was no different than before, they couldn't give meds or anything like that, and as the RN for the patient I was still responsible for whatever they did to my patient. But, that doesn't mean they can't work as a tech (at least in my state).