How Does One Become a "Tech"?

[PacoUSA, BSN, RN]

Been reading on here that many people, particularly nursing students work as "techs" in hospitals. This would be something I would like to do while I am in school, on a limited basis of course to supplement my income a bit and continue my experience in a hospital. How does one become a tech, and what is the training involved for the job?

Thanks!

[PEBBLES1]

In my hospital, if you had at least 1 semester of clinical rotation on a medsurg floor, you can become a CNA.

[gillytook]

At our local hospitals, they will hire you after your first semester of a nursing program with clinicals. One of the student nurse allowing you to increase your responsibilities as you get signed off on your skills. Some students went to work as a HUC/UA before they began the nursing program. It is a secretarial/receptionist job on each unit that gave them experience with the computer system, tests and procedures. Others got the training to become monitor techs.

[intuition]

Our hospital requires you have a CNA in order to be a patient care tech. I was able to become a nurse tech, once I was within the last year of nursing school.

[motivated2nurse]

I actually did an externship in the summer and was hired as a tech afterwards.

[TheSquire, DNP, APRN, NP]

Around me, hospitals require student nurses to have taken an assessment course and completed their med-surg clinical before hiring them as a tech - which means that students in my program can work as a tech after their second quarter.

[shrimpchips, LPN]

Depends on the hospital. Some require only 1 semester of clinical experience; some require 2; some require med-surg clinical experience; some require an STNA/CNA but in lieu of experience you can have a med-surg rotation instead; some also require letters of recommendation from your instructors.