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Hi,
I would do a resume because your other work experience can surely apply to nursing in some ways and if nothing else show a positive work history. I'd also add the number of hours you spent in clinicals and some skills you learned that will be an asset when you get a job as a tech. Good luck!
I found that hospitals were extremely interested in hiring CNAs who were in NS. It's a good way to ensure themselves of an RN a couple of years down the line . No harm in doing a resume, but I didn't do one and had no problems whatsoever finding a job.
Good luck :). Being a CNA was a great learning experience and I'm really glad I did it.
At the hospital I work at.. they love nursing students as CNA (they are actually called Nurse techs) See if they offer such a position when you are applying because it pays a little more and there is still no commitment to working at that hospital when you are done with school. Also, go online to Yahoo.com and they have a really easy resume maker. I think it is under hotjobs (on the left).
Good Luck:sstrs:
Go for the hospital job!!
I understand how you're feeling, as I was in the same boat as you back in 2004. At that time, I was a single mom of a 4 yr/old, working full-time(in a non-healthcare related job), & attending nursing school/clinicals part-time in the evenings. Because leaving my job(at the time) would've forced me to take a $5/hr paycut, I put-off getting a healthcare-related position as long as possible and just relied on experiences from clinicals to get me through(which isn't saying a whole lot). It wasn't until mid-2nd semester when "all the stars lined up" and I finally was able to attempt the job switch. I only applied for a CNA position at one hospital and it was where my 1st semester clinicals were held(on a Med/Surg unit). Much to my surprise, they hired me right away. Even though I lacked in patient-care experience, I caught on right away and fell in love with my job. Fast forward to today, four years later, and I am still employed with this hospital, on the same Med/Surg unit, and am now a LPN and constantly being asked when I'm returning to school to finish the RN program.
So my point to saying all of this is to give you a "confidence booster" that you can & should apply for a hospital CNA job and shouldn't let inexperience scare you away from anything. Also, once you get a hospital job and start working, you'll witness, learn, & experience so many things which will benefit you in nursing school & beyond. Take advantage of this because alot of what is taught in nursing school doesn't make sense until you see it actually play out in real-life with a patient. Also, I don't know if this is offered at any of the hospitals in your area, but at mine, once you've completed 2nd semester of nursing school you can apply for a Nurse Intern II role where you basically function as an RN under the direct observation & supervision of an RN. You give all the meds, do assessments & all it's charting, etc, etc. More good experiences to get you prepared for the future.
Good luck to you.
ABNI
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