Likeliness of getting a job without healthcare experience?

AgentBeast, BSN, RN · Oct 30, 2010

It really depends on the part of the country you are located in. Even more specifically it depends on the feelings of the person doing the hiring and firing at whatever facility you are looking to become employed at. More health care related experience is never going to hurt you. Whether or not it helps you land a job is bound to vary wildly.

Sun0408, ASN, RN · Oct 30, 2010

Well for me, I was a waitress for 10 years before becoming a RN.. I landed the first job I interviewed for.. Actually both jobs I interviewed for offered me the job. I think your work history is more important than the work.. I don't think nurse managers want to see someone that job hops.

chinacatSN · Oct 30, 2010

It depends on where you are wanting a job. Do you want to work LTC or do you want to work in the ICU? Many nurses I know and many students in my class do not have CNA experience. However, for those of us that DO have CNA experience nursing school as been much easier. It may give you an edge when trying to find a job after graduation. I, personally, think that all nursing students should work as a CNA for at least a few months. It gives you valuable experience at gives you an idea of what working in certain clinical areas is like.

Also - what about being a CNA don't you like? Because sometimes as a nurse (actually, many times) you may not have enough CNAs to get all the work done and you will have to do CNA duties. I know here at the local hospital it's not unusual to find RNs giving bed baths, changing linens, or cleaning up incontinent BM because there aren't enough CNAs working. If you don't like the work itself, I might reconsider becoming a nurse. In clinicals for nursing school, you will probably have to do total patient care. We have to, and that means doing everything the patient needs within your scope of practice. If you like your work but just don't like where you work, I would suggest finding a different job. Where I live, working as a CNA at a hospital is much easier than LTC - the patient to CNA ratio is much smaller (maybe 6 patients per CNA, where at the nursing home it's more like 20 per CNA). You might also consider an On call/temp agency. With a temp agency, you'll work at a variety of different places and get to pick and choose your hours. You usually don't get benefits, but the pay is usually better - with some agencies, the pay also fluctuates. You can demand higher wages if they call you in short notice or if it's a holiday.

HTH!

magn1jes · Oct 30, 2010

Thanks for the responses. I don't know where I want to work when I graduate, but I do know that I don't want to work in a LTC facility. Things I don't like about my job: the hours, a few lazy coworkers, feeling like it is interfering with my school and life. I don't have any good reasons to not like it, but I have no reasons why I like it either. I was hired on as PRN, but have been on the schedule the whole time. I am also pregnant, and really feel like that is influencing my feelings, but can't do anything about it.

AgentBeast, BSN, RN · Oct 30, 2010

Thanks for the responses. I don't know where I want to work when I graduate, but I do know that I don't want to work in a LTC facility. Things I don't like about my job: the hours, a few lazy coworkers, feeling like it is interfering with my school and life. I don't have any good reasons to not like it, but I have no reasons why I like it either. I was hired on as PRN, but have been on the schedule the whole time. I am also pregnant, and really feel like that is influencing my feelings, but can't do anything about it.

If the job is interfering with your ability to successfully complete the educational program then drop the job. Dropping a Nursing Assistant job is going to hurt your prospects of landing a RN/LPN job a hell of a lot less than not finishing school.

Up2nogood RN, RN · Oct 30, 2010

Thanks for the responses. I don't know where I want to work when I graduate, but I do know that I don't want to work in a LTC facility. Things I don't like about my job: the hours, a few lazy coworkers, feeling like it is interfering with my school and life. I don't have any good reasons to not like it, but I have no reasons why I like it either. I was hired on as PRN, but have been on the schedule the whole time. I am also pregnant, and really feel like that is influencing my feelings, but can't do anything about it.

If you are able to work one day a week I would look for a prn job in a hospital as a cna(specifically stating on your app that you're in NS). All of our aides that have finished NS ( myself and 3 others) have been hired as new grads on our unit.

I transferred to my unit even though I was an LPN in a bridge program, to work as a CNA. When interviewed the NM asked me why I would work as a CNA when I was an LPN, and I told her I wanted to work there as an RN. I had worked in that hospital for 5 yrs as a CNA so I had a lot of good references from nurses already working on this unit.

It never hurts to think ahead and can really help your chances of getting a decent job out of NS.

magn1jes · Oct 30, 2010

If you are able to work one day a week I would look for a prn job in a hospital as a cna(specifically stating on your app that you're in NS). All of our aides that have finished NS ( myself and 3 others) have been hired as new grads on our unit.
I transferred to my unit even though I was an LPN in a bridge program, to work as a CNA. When interviewed the NM asked me why I would work as a CNA when I was an LPN, and I told her I wanted to work there as an RN. I had worked in that hospital for 5 yrs as a CNA so I had a lot of good references from nurses already working on this unit.
It never hurts to think ahead and can really help your chances of getting a decent job out of NS.

I would love to work in the hospital here, but would definitely need more experience before I would even be considered for the job, and I doubt that I would get hired while pregnant. I am definitely am trying to look to the future, but am having a hard time making it through this first trimester :lol2: I think my good attitude has been abducted by an alien. Oh, to work 1 day a week (or less)!

Thanks for the info, and story!

Oh, and the place I work is a part of the hospital system, but not in the hospital itself, so that is why I would like to try and stay... I just keep hoping for things to get better, but seem to only think negatively about the job. :uhoh3:

Up2nogood RN, RN · Oct 30, 2010

I would love to work in the hospital here, but would definitely need more experience before I would even be considered for the job, and I doubt that I would get hired while pregnant. I am definitely am trying to look to the future, but am having a hard time making it through this first trimester I think my good attitude has been abducted by an alien. Oh, to work 1 day a week (or less)!
Thanks for the info, and story!
Oh, and the place I work is a part of the hospital system, but not in the hospital itself, so that is why I would like to try and stay... I just keep hoping for things to get better, but seem to only think negatively about the job.

I know LTC is a hard place to work, I did it for 6 yrs or so. If where you work now is affiliated with a hospital system it will make it easier to transfer when you're ready. Can you ask not to work so many hours? I also sympathize with being pregnant in LTC, I did it twice (on nights)!

For what it's worth our NM hired a new grad cna (who is also in college for pre-reqs) and another who was 5 months pregnant when she started :)

good luck with whatever you decide is best for you/baby and NS!