Jobs that will help you get an rn position quickly upon graduation

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I am going to graduate in a little over a year and i was wondering what jobs would be best to have while in school if i want to get an RN position as fast as possible after graduation. Do you have to be a CNA, extern etc...or could you take a nutition tech or similar position and expect the experience to aid you in future employment prospects (at that hospital or others). I ask because i have been applying to various positions with no luck in the extern /CNA realm, but have had a few call backs for less glamorous positions(this is rather perplexing though considering i have a BS in psych and 2 years experience in health care already). My current job, while not in healthcare, is nice in allot of ways and i wouldnt want to dump it for something that wont do me any good after graduation. We all know it is very tough for new grads, but the ones that i know that have graduated in the last year, who were working in hospitals during school, were hired internally as RN's within weeks of getting their license....the ones who were not working...not so much. Some are still unemployed 6 months later.

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Specializes in Cardiac &Medical ICU, Emergency Medicine.

Nursing schools and hospitals like people who were waiters/waitresses at some point in their lives. Why? W/W see many people throughout the day (kind of like patients), they are able to multitask, think quickly on their feet, and have good time management skills. They are also a valuable part of the restaurant and need good team work. All of these qualities carry over into nursing

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Specializes in ER.

I worked as an ER Tech/ Ward Clerk while in nursing school. GREAT EXPERIENCE as well as giving you that needed exposure. See if you can get hired on at a hospital you are interested in working at, not in dietary - how is that going to help you? I guess nutrition you'd be on top of things but you need to find something closer to the nurses. Benefits I got from working on the floor and then ER: knew the personel, management, doctors; knew the hospitals system - paperwork (big time saver there!), computer ordering program, etc. Another thing, my wife graduated with her BS in psychology and we ran into the same problem of her feeling degraded or what not over a position that she felt she was over qualified for: if you're not going to go back to school for your masters or plan on working in any type of psychiatric field then you need to view your degree as a BS in general studies. That thinking helped her... Hope it helps you!

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Specializes in ER.

Oh.. And no offense but why would you want to work as a CNA? Youre in nursing school.. Dont you get enough bathing, bedmaking, "wiping" ? Lol!!!

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Specializes in Neonatal ICU (Cardiothoracic).

Most hospitals offer a nurse externship to second-semester nursing students...and many hire nursing students as patient care techs...great exposure, and a great way of getting your foot in the door, and first dibs on job openings within the hospital. NETWORK NETWORK NETWORK with managers, staff, etc. Honey attracts flies better than vinegar :)

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Specializes in Oncolgy, Neuro, Med/Surg.

Get a job at a local hospital as an CA/Tech/whatever they call it in your area. That way you will be seen by the people in charge of hiring GN candidates for that unit. When I graduated my facility hired 18 acute care GN's, 14 of us already worked there as CA's, in fact every CA that graduated at the same time as me had a job. Our network of hospitals hired a total of 105 GN's and had over 900 applicants

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