Job/experience questions

RN4NICU, LPN, LVN · Mar 31, 2005

As far as jobs go, without any healthcare experience your best bet would be a nursing assistant or a patient care associate (pretty much the same thing). There are probably other jobs (such as unit secretary) that you may qualify for, but they would not really give you exposure to what the nurse does. The CNA/PCA would only give you a limited idea of what the nurse does. The best way to find out if nursing is for you is to speak with a nurse recruiter at a local hospital and ask if you can shadow a nurse. The only way to find out what a nurse really does (short of going through school and becoming one) is to spend time with a nurse. Other jobs may offer some degree of exposure, but as many on these boards will tell you that have worked in other health care jobs and then became nurses - they may have THOUGHT they knew what nursing was about, but when they actually learned the role of the nurse, they found reality to be very different from what they thought.

Good luck in making your decision.

rsh3rn · Mar 31, 2005

Look into your local hospitals many of them have what my facility calls a nurse extern. even while you are in prereqs you can learn life in several depts and get paid for it. They actually teach you basic nursing tasks which will be great in clinicals. These programs are very common in my area (Hershey, Pa) If I can help you let me know, your post dosn't have your location. I am sure these programs are a national occurance though

RN4NICU, LPN, LVN · Mar 31, 2005

I am pretty sure nurse externships require you to have already completed your first year of clinical.

rsh3rn · Mar 31, 2005

I am pretty sure nurse externships require you to have already completed your first year of clinical.

I don't know about other areas, but we definitely take students without any clinical put them some classes for a few weeks then assign them to RN's to learn the ropes. I was one and also have precepted several. They are doing basic stuff, baths ambulation I&O's and vitals, and from time to time more involved tasks with their preceptor

RN4NICU, LPN, LVN · Mar 31, 2005

I don't know about other areas, but we definitely take students without any clinical put them some classes for a few weeks then assign them to RN's to learn the ropes. I was one and also have precepted several. They are doing basic stuff, baths ambulation I&O's and vitals, and from time to time more involved tasks with their preceptor

Around here, it is a liability thing. Someone who has not yet had clinical does not have the education or training to do anything beyond CNA duties, so all our "nurse externs" must have a year of clinical, because they actually perform some nursing tasks under the guidance and supervision of a preceptor. We do have lots of pre-nursing students that work as CNAs/PCAs, but they are not eligible for the extern program until after the first clinical year. I don't think the nurse extern position is really appropriate for someone who has not yet entered the clinical portion of a nursing program.

night fox · Apr 1, 2005

Well, I went to a hospital today.

They had me leave a note and they would give it to the recruiter. They said she will call me. I think the extern program would be neat, but over here it seems like you do have to have completed some of nursing school. I have a feeling they're going to just tell me to apply for the Nurse Tech positions.

We'll see though!

night fox · Apr 6, 2005

I meet with a recruiter tomorrow to see what options are availible! :yeah: