How did you get your job?

[scamper22]

I'm considering becoming a medical assistant, CNA, or nurse. I look through job vacancies and they all ask for at least one year experience. They aren't hiring someone fresh out of school. How does anyone get work when they're doing that?

So, I'm curious how did you get hired?

I'm in Denver Colorado. I was checking job openings here.

I'm beginning to think I have to do it like my sister did. She started in a hospital as a housekeeper and went to school on the side for CNA. Then they hired her because she already worked there. Their wanting a year experience was waived because they hired internally. Is this the only way you can get in??

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

Not a great answer, but "it depends".

If you are working as a CNA while in nursing school, your employer might be more inclined to hire you once you become a nurse simply because they know you (and, presumably, like you and your work ethic). Experience CANNOT be waived, but if they're comparing New Grad A to New Grad B, and New Grad A is already a great employee, there's an advantage there.

Nursing shortages are rare and regional, you probably found that out in your search through the want ads. However, CNAs tend to have a higher turnover and therefore can be more likely to find employment after the (brief) certification course is completed.

The thing you have to ask yourself is what do you WANT to do? A nurse is a much higher level of education and professional committment than a CNA. And a Medical Assistant is neither of the above, but is most often used in clinic/office settings and also is not a nurse.

It's a tricky question on 'how do you get experience if no one hires without experience', but being employed somewhere FIRST is often helpful when moving along their chosen career path.

Good luck!

[NightBloomCereus]

I got hired as an RN at a hospital I was already working in as a clerk. Hospitals here want 1 year experience too. My hospital will only hire new grad nurses if they're internal, and we have to go through a transition program.

Lots of my classmates got nursing jobs right away who were already working in the same organization, usually as CNA's. I'm not sure how they got their CNA jobs though. The ones who were working as MA's while in school usually took a little longer to find a nursing job since MA's tend to work in doctor's offices, which don't hire nurses as readily as hospitals and LTC facilities.

The length of education and pay scale for CNA's and MA's are similar. The education is only a few months and the job is challenging and rewarding, but the pay is on the lower end. Nurses go to school for longer, pay more for the education, have more challenging coursework and have a much higher salary. It's all according to what you're able to do at this time of your life. For nursing also consider whether you would want to go for your LPN or RN.

Best of luck.

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

It was a different time. I handed my resume out at a job fair and had 5 calls for interviews the next day.

[firstinfamily, RN]

There are some facilities that hold CNA classes within the facility and hire those graduates as CNAs. The LTC facility I worked for did this. As mentioned above, there is usually a high turn over of CNAs, the work is very demanding physically. The LTC facility helped prevent a shortage by holding CNA classes---one of the managers who had her MSN for teaching held the classes, the students were trained in the facility, took their certification course and were offered a position when they had passed their test. Look to see if there are any such facilities where you are that train and hire the CNA's.

[PomMom65]

I worked as a CNA while I was in LPN school. I was dependable, pleasant and stayed out of any drama that may have went on. When I graduated I was hired me as an LPN. I was very blessed that my boss took a chance on this new grad. I have been a nurse for 11 months now and I am back in the LPN - RN bridge program. I will also keep this job as an RN.

Most LTC facilities have CNA classes. You can be hired and they provide the training and then you test. Best of luck to you!

[tokmom, BSN, RN]

This is when being old pays off. I was lucky enough to be in a true shortage. It's a wonder I wasn't snatched off the elevator, heading too HR.

I would suggest maybe going to a lesser known facility. I say that because we have two hospitals in our organization that have difficulty finding nurses because of location. We are critical access and every person wants the cool hospital that is in the cities and they cringe at coming to us because it's not seen as cool and it's more of a commute. Sigh...

[agriggs]

You could also be a phlebotomist! It's easy to get certified and that is great experience if you want to be a nurse.

[rubato, ASN, RN]

I got hired as a CNA in a hospital with no experience because I was a nursing student (somehow, that gave me a leg up). Then, because I'd been a CNA, the hospital hired me before graduation as a nurse, pending NCLEX pass.

[BSNbeauty, BSN, RN]

I literally stalked the NM and recruiter until I got an interview. I had a friend that worked at the hospital give me the NM direct number and then the stalking began. That was 18 months ago and Im still employed there. Honestly my dream job !!!!

[noyesno, MSN, APRN, NP]

Networking/Knowing People.

[verene, MSN]

I applied to an ad in the paper looking for a CNA to work in a Mental Health ALF. I think the mental health designation must have scared off a lot of applications because they called me for an interview right away and I started working there a week later. I enjoy my work and the faculty has very low turn over of CNAs so it actually feels like a very stable job.