Published
In my personal experience, I would suggest that you try to work in psych. I know it is not a popular field, but I was not certified when I got my first job at a psychiatric hospital. I ended up on the dementia unit and loved it. You can get a lot of training that can help you to learn the skills that go along with being a CNA/PCT. You can also learn a lot from the nurses on the unit. I have learned a lot and I'm still learning. I was even able to use that experience to help with my CNA certification paperwork, which was accepted and I was able to test and pass for it. There are other avenues, you just have to spend some more time looking.
I will say that you have taken a great first step by asking for help and guidance on this board :)
It will be pretty difficult to get any job this close to graduation. It would take about a months to get through the interview process, background check and drug screen, and get a start date. Then they have to orient you. Then like 3 months later you will graduate as a nurse and may or may not stick around.
You may be ok at a LTC/SNF, but they would require a CNA/LNA. Summer internships are applied for before spring starts so those are missed. Might be best to just hang tight and wait to graduate.
aabdelhadi
24 Posts
Hello all,
I finished my third semester of nursing school earlier this month and I have been desperately looking for a summer/fall job as a PCT or aide/transporter at pretty much all of the nearby hospitals in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area. I have applied to about 25 jobs as of late and I have so far been unable to score anything.
I don't have experience in this field (aside from what I had done in clinicals) nor do I have a CNA license or anything like that, but I am very eager to learn and I want to gain some experience before I am shoved out as a nurse when I graduate. I have talked to a friend of mine who works as a nurse @ one of the Banner locations and she said they don't hire non-experienced PCTs.
My message is for those who have applied as PCTs (or some other related health care job) with no experience and were able to secure a job, because I really would like to know what else I can do to make myself more marketable. I've got letters of recommendation and references that I can use but I am at a real head scratch as to how to progress. I have contacted a lot of these employers by email/phone regarding the status of these positions and they've all stated that "it's all updated online and someone will contact you if they're interested" but, by the time I check on these positions most of them have been rejected. I have applied mainly @ HonorHealth and Banner. I am all ears for any tips/thoughts anyone has.
Thanks for chiming in, and sorry if this message sounds desperate!