In Nursing School, Hoping to Gain Experience as a PCT

Sour Lemon · Sep 7, 2020

29 minutes ago, IvanaNana89 said:

Hi All!

I am currently in nursing school and, since I have been out of healthcare for so long, I applied to a few hospitals as a PCT. I have been blessed to have several offers at a very prestigious hospital, one I would certainly dream of working in once I become a RN. My question for you is does the specialty matter this early in the game or will I gain valuable experience that will help me through nursing school regardless? The specialties I am choosing between are BMT/Hematology/Oncology and Surgical IMCU.

Admittedly, the surgical unit was the floor I initially hoped for. But I would love any perspective or advice you have for me, or any insight as to what I can expect from these units as a PCT and a nursing student. Thank you!

oh, and just a bit of my background: I was an EMT and I absolutely loved it! It is what inspired me to pursue nursing.

Experience as a PCT is valuable, but at the same time, it doesn't "count" as nursing experience. It may help you network or get a foot in the door, but there are plenty of PCTs that are not hired on as nurses after graduation, especially in saturated markets.

I would caution you to realize that you won't be a "nursing student" at work. You might see some things or learn some things during rare down time, but for the most part you will stay busy completing assigned tasks. The nurses on the unit will also stay busy, and although they may like teaching, they may not have the time to do much of it.

What are you currently doing for work? It's sometimes better to stay parked where you're at. As a new graduate, my employer seemed most excited about my stable work history. It gave them the impression that I might actually stick around for a while if they decided to bring me onboard.

IvanaNana89 · Sep 7, 2020

38 minutes ago, Sour Lemon said:

Experience as a PCT is valuable, but at the same time, it doesn't "count" as nursing experience. It may help you network or get a foot in the door, but there are plenty of PCTs that are not hired on as nurses after graduation, especially in saturated markets.

I would caution you to realize that you won't be a "nursing student" at work. You might see some things or learn some things during rare down time, but for the most part you will stay busy completing assigned tasks. The nurses on the unit will also stay busy, and although they may like teaching, they may not have the time to do much of it.

What are you currently doing for work? It's sometimes better to stay parked where you're at. As a new graduate, my employer seemed most excited about my stable work history. It gave them the impression that I might actually stick around for a while if they decided to bring me onboard.

Absolutely, I have no grandeur dreams of being treated any differently because I am in nursing school. I am most eager for the exposure and generally becoming comfortable working in a hospital.

I appreciate your insight! I have been a bartender for the past decade. I have been with my most recent company for 4 years, but was furloughed during the Covid shutdown. So, I could go back...but it felt like a push to dive in to something that could help me in my future career.

Career Columnist / Author · Sep 7, 2020

That's a very smart move to hire on as a PCT at a prestigious hospital where you'd like to eventually work as an RN.

But not for the reason you think.

Think of it as auditioning for your first RN job. While working as a PCT, establish your network, and let charge nurses and managers know you are in nursing school and would like to work there someday.

Nursing managers would far rather hire a known quantity over an unknown quantity. They will already have a sense of your teamwork, your reliability, your soft skills.

What this does is make you an "inside hire" when the time comes. Either of the floors you mention would be good- and when it comes time to interview for an RN job, managers talk among each other. Whoever you work for now will surely be asked about you by the potential hiring nurse manager.

Best wishes

SarHat17, ASN, RN · Sep 7, 2020

I agree with Nurse Beth's post. Either unit would be an excellent foot in the door.

I have worked at my health system since 2007. I started as a Nutrition Tech, running the cash register and delivering trays, then moved to Admitting in the ED. I went to nursing school during that time, and once graduated, I started as a RN. I have my ADN, and although many classmates of mine applied at my health system, I really believe having a foot in the door already helped me get my RN position. (There were 3 of us that already worked for the health system and all 3 of us were offered RN positions, while others who worked other, non-healthcare jobs were not. I obv do not have specifics of everyone's offers or interviews, but that was the general consensus.)

One thing, though. My nursing school at the time did not require you to hold a CNA license prior to starting in nursing school. I believe I would have started off stronger, particularly with time management, if I would have had experience as a CNA/PCT. If I could do it over, I would have tried to transition into more of a direct patient care role earlier while attending school. Time management is HUGE when you are the RN; and I think I would have been more prepared if I had more of the practical experience.

IvanaNana89 · Sep 8, 2020

Nurse Beth & SarHat17,

Thank you both for your perspective and your support! I am so excited to get started. I can see what you mean about this position potentially acting as my “audition” should I pursue a job with this hospital. I think that is great advice to start building good relationships now, and to tell nurse management my hope is to work as an RN once I complete my degree:)
I am happy to hear that either unit would be beneficial. I had some concern that beginning in a unit with a very specific specialty would put me at a disadvantage when it came time to apply as an RN. But I can see how learning skills like time management and generally becoming more comfortable in a hospital setting cannot be underestimated. Definitely helps me to feel confident that this transition was the right move!

Thank you for taking the time to reply!

Hannah13Banana, ASN, RN · Sep 11, 2020

Applying to a hospital that you’d like to work at after graduation is great way to get your foot in the door! Show your managers and the nurses you work with how hard working you are and then you’ll have some glowing recommendations that truly carry weight when you do graduate.

As far as gaining experience during school, you’ll probably learn the same amount on both floors. Your role will be patient care: ADLs, VS, blood sugar checks, helping with mealtimes, etc. Working as an aide is a great way to make skills like transfer and ambulation and ADLs a piece of cake. I know they seem less important than the “sexier” nursing skills like IVs, meds, and assessments, but making your patient feel comfortable and like a human being can help you build a meaningful rapport.

Besides, once you can do a bed bath on anyone, anywhere, in your sleep, you have so much more energy to devote to learning your other skills correctly.

Like a previous poster mentioned, it is not considered “nursing experience” on your resume, but that doesn’t mean that the experience won’t be beneficial and relevant to you anyway.

You’ll learn a lot about how working in the hospital really works, how you fit into the teamwork dynamic, and you’ll be able to work with great role models. Learn about the type of nurse you want to become. I don’t mean what speciality, I mean are you a team player, are you great at communicating therapeutically with your patients, how do you treat your assistive personnel, etc.

Best of luck to you, in your job pursuits and in school!

peach2218, CNA · Sep 13, 2020

I was a PCT at a nursing home for 4 years and I've been at my new hospital job as a PCT for 3 months. I'm in my second semester of nursing school. My dream is to work in the NICU or L&D/Obstetrics, but right now I'm on a trauma floor. I think any hospital experience is good experience, regardless of what specialty you're aiming for after you graduate. You can always transfer units at the hospital if a position opens up. My hospital requires us to wait 6 months before we can apply to work on other units.

Most units deal with pre and post op patients, so you might gain valuable experience on anything from the cardiac unit to neuro to Med-Surg to ortho. Just get your foot in the door and go from there!