I am about to start my last semester here in Florida. I have made it a point to keep a positive attitude through-out my nursing school journey and have not pondered the "what Ifs"
As I near the end, I have begun to apply to Nurse Tech positions with the goal of gaining more hospital experience and also making connections. I have applied a dozen times so far, mostly for "per diem"/ Pool positions, which require only a few shifts per month. I have had no luck, not even a call or request for an interview.
Like many of us males, we do not have previous CNA backgrounds, as compared to our female counterparts. So my resume "work experience" contains zero hospital or patient care jobs, but I meet 100% the job qualifications and description for a "Nurse Tech". They also have "Patient Care Techs" and those are reserved for CNA/Techs with a State License.
I'm starting to get a bit worried that if I can not get hired, nevertheless even make it out of the HR office to the nurse manager's desk for consideration for a Tech position, I am screwed when it comes to get hired as GN, since I will pretty much have the same info/background on the resume.
I went over my resume and cover letter with my cousin, who is works in the HR department of a federal department in D.C
I am about to start my last semester here in Florida. I have made it a point to keep a positive attitude through-out my nursing school journey and have not pondered the "what Ifs"
As I near the end, I have begun to apply to Nurse Tech positions with the goal of gaining more hospital experience and also making connections. I have applied a dozen times so far, mostly for "per diem"/ Pool positions, which require only a few shifts per month. I have had no luck, not even a call or request for an interview.
Like many of us males, we do not have previous CNA backgrounds, as compared to our female counterparts. So my resume "work experience" contains zero hospital or patient care jobs, but I meet 100% the job qualifications and description for a "Nurse Tech". They also have "Patient Care Techs" and those are reserved for CNA/Techs with a State License.
I'm starting to get a bit worried that if I can not get hired, nevertheless even make it out of the HR office to the nurse manager's desk for consideration for a Tech position, I am screwed when it comes to get hired as GN, since I will pretty much have the same info/background on the resume.
I went over my resume and cover letter with my cousin, who is works in the HR department of a federal department in D.C
GPA 3.55
Any tips/pointers?
Hello OP
First of all, I don't like the term "murses" althought some guys are cool with it. It just sounds unprofessional in my opinion.
Concerning men and jobs, I think some are being quite naive to say job prospects are equal for both males and females. That is not the case for male driven professions and certainly not the case in this female driven profession. There are some areas that are pushing for more males mainly for diversity requirements, and somes areas where a male will never be considered hands down. Females will always have the upper hand...that's just the reality.
Now concerning job prospects, I followed a similar tract as yourself trying to and actually got a CNA job during my last semester. I had no hospital experience but I did have some years as a EMT like 10 years before I decided to go nursing school but other than that, nothing relevant to health care.
Had I the option to do it again, I would say do not take a nursing tech or CNA position in your last semester and I have several valid reasons based on my experience:
1. The hospital that hired me as a CNA with promises of moving me up to RN once passing my NCLEX betrayed me and it never happened. Between my inital interview and getting RN, managers changed and All their awesome stories changed once I got my RN to.."sorry we have too many new nurses with
2. Working as a CNA was only a distraction from studying for my NCLEX once I did finish nursing school. Firstly, everyone will constantly haggle you about when you going to take the test and when you going to be an RN and if you passed or not. Not a big deal, but it was just plain annoying to hear it literally everyday.
3. Not only does it make for a bad working environment but it also delayed me taking the NCLEX and wasting maybe 2 months of my life. If you complete school and focus totally on passing the NCLEX you will be able to start applying for real jobs quicker. Not to mention having more time to study and in additional working in a hospital might actually confuse you as to the real world and the nclex world.
4. If you do get a tech job and later become the RN on the same floor some of the staff both RN's and CNA will have problems with your transition...ignore what they say about "everything will be fine" because I've seen it happen. Some RNs will still treat you like a CNA and some CNAs will refused to take instruction from you. In other words you will have to work extra hard to get respect from the staff. It is not my experience, but like I said, I've seen it happen.
5. CNA experience still equates to NO EXPERIENCE. This experience did not give me an upper hand during any of my interviews. It was hardly even mentioned. If you kept nursing journals during clinicals, I'd refer to these NOW and start working on interview preparation, things you excelled at, made a difference in, your weaknesses, strengths etc and networking during your nursing clinicals. Many of the questions I got I referred back to my clinicals during school so refreshing on those will make you more prepared for RN interviews.
EDIT: Also start talking to instructors about recommendations and if you can use them for references. Most hospitals including ask for 4 references using instructors and your clinical preceptors. Some may even ask for 2 letters of recommendations so get those lined up during your last semester.
Despite all the negatives, there are some of my classmates who had positive experiences. Firstly, wait until after you graduate and then apply to Nurse Tech positions. I'm also in Florida and Florida Hospital has a lot of these and they are specifically designed for GRADUATE RNs who will be taking the NCLEX-RN within 6 months. All my classmates who had these positions were immediately transitioned to RNs literally the day they passed NCLEX. These are the only type of positions I would go for and not just for regular CNA positions posted.
Now mind you some people have circumstances where they absolutely have to get a job and with a family and kids I really had no choice, but if I had planned my exit strategy from school better, I would not have opted for a CNA job.
The other issue you may be having, which is not gender related is as one hiring manager told me, they just at first did not see the sense in hiring me as a CNA when I'm going to be an RN soon, so you may be experiencing some of this rejection especially being your last semester and if they are looking for a long term CNA positions.
The other issue you will be dealing with is I could tell you that Florida hospital and many other hospitals recently hired a bunch of new grad RN's of those who graduated in August and in December. All of the males in my cohort got jobs there or elsewhere. For FH in particular they hired during October and again in January. So with a bunch of new grads on the floors right this minute, that may not be keen on hiring a CNA who is going to be an RN soon.
You may not be in Central Florida but Call up the recruiters in your area and find out when they are hiring the next batch of new grads, it might be in May/June just after you graduate, so that's why I say focus on passing NCLEX rather than a CNA job and you'll be an RN sooner.
FYI once I got the ball rolling with my RN applications I got 4 job offers and my GPA is lower than yours (honestly some employers ignore GPAs). So keep your head up, there are jobs in Florida and you will get there.
Post your resume to the career section and get advice from nurses in the field. Omit all personal info/places real school/job names etc.
Good luck and PM me if you got any further questions.
My advice would be to apply for FT/PT positions. It is difficult to train someone without experience when they only work a few shifts a month. Many facilities will not hire someone for a per diem position unless they have relevant experience. I don't think your gender has anything to do with it. Male nurses are quite common these days. It could also be possible that hospitals aren't calling you back because you will be graduating soon and they don't want to invest money in training you for a position you will not stay in for more than 6 months.
I agree..gender has nothing to do with it. I think it is because there is this misguided perception out there that male nurses get instantly hired or preferential treatment. It simply is not true. I am a nurse that happens to be a male. I got none...ZERO..special treatment when getting my position due to my gender. Read through a lot of these posts by male nursing students and they often have this perception they will just walk in and get hired. Sorry...is not going to happen. For the OP..you just have to stick with it. If you can expand your search wider that would help. Look for places where they need nurses. When I first graduated 8 years ago I moved to Wyoming. I got awesome experience and hired right away and cost of living was cheap. Not to mention great snowboarding. Pay the price now and you get rewarded later.
ArrowRN, BSN, RN
4 Articles; 1,153 Posts
Hello OP
First of all, I don't like the term "murses" althought some guys are cool with it. It just sounds unprofessional in my opinion.
Concerning men and jobs, I think some are being quite naive to say job prospects are equal for both males and females. That is not the case for male driven professions and certainly not the case in this female driven profession. There are some areas that are pushing for more males mainly for diversity requirements, and somes areas where a male will never be considered hands down. Females will always have the upper hand...that's just the reality.
Now concerning job prospects, I followed a similar tract as yourself trying to and actually got a CNA job during my last semester. I had no hospital experience but I did have some years as a EMT like 10 years before I decided to go nursing school but other than that, nothing relevant to health care.
Had I the option to do it again, I would say do not take a nursing tech or CNA position in your last semester and I have several valid reasons based on my experience:
1. The hospital that hired me as a CNA with promises of moving me up to RN once passing my NCLEX betrayed me and it never happened. Between my inital interview and getting RN, managers changed and All their awesome stories changed once I got my RN to.."sorry we have too many new nurses with
2. Working as a CNA was only a distraction from studying for my NCLEX once I did finish nursing school. Firstly, everyone will constantly haggle you about when you going to take the test and when you going to be an RN and if you passed or not. Not a big deal, but it was just plain annoying to hear it literally everyday.
3. Not only does it make for a bad working environment but it also delayed me taking the NCLEX and wasting maybe 2 months of my life. If you complete school and focus totally on passing the NCLEX you will be able to start applying for real jobs quicker. Not to mention having more time to study and in additional working in a hospital might actually confuse you as to the real world and the nclex world.
4. If you do get a tech job and later become the RN on the same floor some of the staff both RN's and CNA will have problems with your transition...ignore what they say about "everything will be fine" because I've seen it happen. Some RNs will still treat you like a CNA and some CNAs will refused to take instruction from you. In other words you will have to work extra hard to get respect from the staff. It is not my experience, but like I said, I've seen it happen.
5. CNA experience still equates to NO EXPERIENCE. This experience did not give me an upper hand during any of my interviews. It was hardly even mentioned. If you kept nursing journals during clinicals, I'd refer to these NOW and start working on interview preparation, things you excelled at, made a difference in, your weaknesses, strengths etc and networking during your nursing clinicals. Many of the questions I got I referred back to my clinicals during school so refreshing on those will make you more prepared for RN interviews.
EDIT: Also start talking to instructors about recommendations and if you can use them for references. Most hospitals including ask for 4 references using instructors and your clinical preceptors. Some may even ask for 2 letters of recommendations so get those lined up during your last semester.
Despite all the negatives, there are some of my classmates who had positive experiences. Firstly, wait until after you graduate and then apply to Nurse Tech positions. I'm also in Florida and Florida Hospital has a lot of these and they are specifically designed for GRADUATE RNs who will be taking the NCLEX-RN within 6 months. All my classmates who had these positions were immediately transitioned to RNs literally the day they passed NCLEX. These are the only type of positions I would go for and not just for regular CNA positions posted.
Now mind you some people have circumstances where they absolutely have to get a job and with a family and kids I really had no choice, but if I had planned my exit strategy from school better, I would not have opted for a CNA job.
The other issue you may be having, which is not gender related is as one hiring manager told me, they just at first did not see the sense in hiring me as a CNA when I'm going to be an RN soon, so you may be experiencing some of this rejection especially being your last semester and if they are looking for a long term CNA positions.
The other issue you will be dealing with is I could tell you that Florida hospital and many other hospitals recently hired a bunch of new grad RN's of those who graduated in August and in December. All of the males in my cohort got jobs there or elsewhere. For FH in particular they hired during October and again in January. So with a bunch of new grads on the floors right this minute, that may not be keen on hiring a CNA who is going to be an RN soon.
You may not be in Central Florida but Call up the recruiters in your area and find out when they are hiring the next batch of new grads, it might be in May/June just after you graduate, so that's why I say focus on passing NCLEX rather than a CNA job and you'll be an RN sooner.
FYI once I got the ball rolling with my RN applications I got 4 job offers and my GPA is lower than yours (honestly some employers ignore GPAs). So keep your head up, there are jobs in Florida and you will get there.
Post your resume to the career section and get advice from nurses in the field. Omit all personal info/places real school/job names etc.
Good luck and PM me if you got any further questions.