How to land a job as a PCA without hospital experience

[WannaBNursey, ADN, ASN, RN]

I've worked with a home health agency as a CNA for a year and 2 months before going to school and then working as a private duty CNA. Since my patient moved away, I need to find another job and I've always wanted to work in the hospital setting. How do you transition from doing everything on your own to working with a group and what should I expect from working in a hospital? Has anybody ever interviewed for a hospital, how do these go? I haven't had an interview yet, but I've sent out 5 applications between two hospitals, so hopefully I'll get a call back soon. What are the interviews like for hospital? Will it hurt my chances that I've only worked with individual patients since I was certified?

[WannaBNursey, ADN, ASN, RN]

Thank you for that, but I'm not really interested on paying extra for certification, I'm already having issues paying for nursing school! I would like to use my CNA skills in a hospital setting. In Florida a CNA and PCA are nearly interchangeable terms.

[On_the_on, BSN]

In Florida a CNA and PCA are nearly interchangeable terms.

That is not exactly true, it varies in parts of Florida. I lived in the panhandle and worked as a patient care tech (which was an unlicensed job) in a hospital for two years. This position was considered to be "below" a CNA certification, simply because it did not require a license. After I moved down to the Tampa Bay area I was applying for PCT jobs in hospitals and everywhere I applied was really excited to have a PCT with experience! It was then that I quickly found the difference between the two! In Tampa a PCT is "above" a CNA, PCT's here are also responsible for dressing changes, BS checks, ekgs and blood draws. The licensing for a PCT in Tampa consists of a six month program.

Now granted, I was doing all of that in the panhandle, but under the nurses license or in the case of er techs, the doctor's license.

[WannaBNursey, ADN, ASN, RN]

That is not exactly true, it varies in parts of Florida. I lived in the panhandle and worked as a patient care tech (which was an unlicensed job) in a hospital for two years. This position was considered to be "below" a CNA certification, simply because it did not require a license. After I moved down to the Tampa Bay area I was applying for PCT jobs in hospitals and everywhere I applied was really excited to have a PCT with experience! It was then that I quickly found the difference between the two! In Tampa a PCT is "above" a CNA, PCT's here are also responsible for dressing changes, BS checks, ekgs and blood draws. The licensing for a PCT in Tampa consists of a six month program.

Now granted, I was doing all of that in the panhandle, but under the nurses license or in the case of er techs, the doctor's license.

Thanks for correcting me! I knew that PCT's did more, like check blood sugars, but I didn't think there were drastic differences. The jobs I applied to required a CNA license, so I assumed that PCT or PCA= CNA in a hospital.

I'm also in Southwest Florida area, Port Charlotte to be exact. Nice to meet a fellow Floridian!

[On_the_on, BSN]

It probably is the same, or close to it, there then. The positions I have seen here require the PCT licensing. The only CNA jobs I have seen are NH's, private care or HH. Also, apparently there is a "caregiver" position here that does respite care and housekeeping in home. Good luck at your interviews! :)

S/N: I wonder if it varies from county to county? Any other CNA's/PCT's?whatever know?