Florida CNA/PCT-Possiblities

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I was wondering if any pre-nursing students have been hired as a Certified Nurse Assistant/Patient Care Tech without the certification. I really want to be able to gain some experience and I didn't know if maybe hospitals would take you if you are in school and teach you. I am in Tampa/St. Pete if anyone knows hospitals there that would do this. Ideally I would like to be at St. Josephs Women or All Childrens.

Thanks in advance for your advice.

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I'm a pre-nursing student and I recently got a job as a CNA at Mease Countryside hospital. I did take the test to get certified, but I had no CNA experience before this job. They trained me during my first days there with a preceptor. They are also sending me to a class to become a PCT soon.

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Thats really great news!! I wasn't expecting to hear that. Thank you so much for your response. If you don't mind me asking, what are your hours and what clinical area are you in? Do they train you everywhere or in a specific area? I am not going to picky at this point obviously, but I would love NICU or Peds so much (this seems unrealistic to get with only pre-reqs, but I am hopeful). Did you call & talk to someone at the hospital? Where did you take the CNA test?

I guess I am a little concerned about how they will view my resume & how I can get a call back because I have only worked in real estate...nothing health care related. I did apply for an Admin position online at St. Josephs & never got a call back. I think I will try calling them and see if I can sit down with someone & explore the options they offer. That maybe a better way to get my foot in the door. :)

Sorry for all the questions but theres a lot I seem to not know.

Any other insight or tid bits would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks Again.

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I was wondering if any pre-nursing students have been hired as a Certified Nurse Assistant/Patient Care Tech without the certification. I really want to be able to gain some experience and I didn't know if maybe hospitals would take you if you are in school and teach you. I am in Tampa/St. Pete if anyone knows hospitals there that would do this. Ideally I would like to be at St. Josephs Women or All Childrens.

Thanks in advance for your advice.

Hi MicRNsomeday..Im from Tx and soon moving to Tampa. I failed my Nclex pn in Tx so i plan to retake in Florida. I cant work as a GVN anymore so i applied at a hospital in Tampa for a PCT. I am also wondering if you have to be certified as a CNA or they take you in because LPN program is done. If you find out anything i'd be greatly appreciated...

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Tele, IM, OB/GYN, neuro, GI.

We were told once we finished our first semester of LPN school that we were eligible to sit for the CNA exam but we don't have to do the clinical hours or class as that was covered in the program. It's $125 and six hours. Most facilities will hire a CNA with no experience because you are tested on the skills needed in order to get your certification. You can't be a CNA without certification as a LPN. Some hospitals do offer employment for nursing students but it usually for RN students and they put in contract once you receive your license. PCT's are able to draw blood so they either went to school to be a PCT or the facility that they are employeed as a CNA and were taught how to draw blood.

If you do get your certification most hospitals in the area will pay for a portion/all of your nursing classes but they also put you into a contract to work for them once you graduate and this is only dome if they are able to use you in the future.

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Specializes in Utilization Management.
I was wondering if any pre-nursing students have been hired as a Certified Nurse Assistant/Patient Care Tech without the certification. I really want to be able to gain some experience and I didn't know if maybe hospitals would take you if you are in school and teach you. I am in Tampa/St. Pete if anyone knows hospitals there that would do this. Ideally I would like to be at St. Josephs Women or All Childrens.

Thanks in advance for your advice.

I've heard that some hospitals offer a "nurse helper" or "sitter" position and once you get your foot in the door, they'll train you and you can get tuition reimbursement as you go through nursing school.

I know an RN who started as a transporter and another one who started out in housekeeping also, so you might want to get an entry level job anywhere in the hospital just to get networking with the insiders.

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I'm not sure about a pre-nursing student, but once you attend your first semester, many nursing students can work as a PCA in many of the local hospitals (I live in the Bradenton/Sarasota area). I currently work as a HUC/CMT, but I'm hoping after I get my first semester I can get more involved with patient care.

Kris

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Thats really great news!! I wasn't expecting to hear that. Thank you so much for your response. If you don't mind me asking, what are your hours and what clinical area are you in? Do they train you everywhere or in a specific area? I am not going to picky at this point obviously, but I would love NICU or Peds so much (this seems unrealistic to get with only pre-reqs, but I am hopeful). Did you call & talk to someone at the hospital? Where did you take the CNA test?

I guess I am a little concerned about how they will view my resume & how I can get a call back because I have only worked in real estate...nothing health care related. I did apply for an Admin position online at St. Josephs & never got a call back. I think I will try calling them and see if I can sit down with someone & explore the options they offer. That maybe a better way to get my foot in the door. :)

Sorry for all the questions but theres a lot I seem to not know.

Any other insight or tid bits would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks Again.

I work the 7-3 shift, and it is a med/surg/telemetry floor. I applied online, and didn't hear anything for a week or so, so I called them asking if they had seen my application yet, and later that day I got a call for an interview. I was interviewed twice, then they offered me the job. You have to send an application to take the CNA test, and they give you the date and place to take it. http://www.prometric.com/NurseAide/FL.htm I think you should try calling them about a week after you applied online. Good luck!

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You are awesome!! Thank you so much for the info.

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Specializes in Cardiology.

After I completed my first semester of the RN program, I was able to be hired as a PCT. No testing required, just proof of schooling. You learn most the skills you need for tech work in your first semester. Then I oriented with an experienced tech for two or three weeks before starting on my own. Tech work has a lot of great benefits; time management skills, getting comfortable with patient care, getting used to how the hospital works, etc.

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Specializes in EMS, ER, GI, PCU/Telemetry.

i used to work at a hospital in St. Lucie County, and most of the Nurse Techs/PCT's that we had were in nursing school. I think the criteria that they used was once they completed fundamentals, they could get a certificate from the DON at the school they went to and apply for a job...

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