Need Job Advice..

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Specializes in cardiac/education.

I am entering nursing school in July and have an opportunity to go to a group interview conducted by hiring managers at a hospital near my house. The interviews are being held for nurse assistant positions, but don't specify having to be certified, which I am not.

My plan was to quit my FT job in June as I will take a pay cut to do CNA work, but my current job does not work with my class schedule. This hospital is very close to me and it was one of my top choices for a position. I am hopeful in that the ad does NOT say you have to be certified and the only experience it says is needed is "recent nurse assisting training or hospital experience". I have a few concerns about the interview:

1. If I go to the interview, would it be inappropriate to ask to begin work in June? I really would hate to give up the next two months of higher pay, since I will need the extra $$ in nursing school. If they offer me a position, I hate to give up the opportunity for a few months extra $$, you know? What would you do?

2. I am also very concerned that I don't have the skills to begin working as a NA. I only did my clincals for my nurse assisting class and it was not even in a hospital! I have only taken vitals a few times, BP about a dozen times. I am petrified that taking a job in a hospital full time as a nursing assistant would be like throwing myself to the wolves! Because of my lack of skills, do you think it would be wiser for me to wait until after nursing school starts and I can get back into the swing of things to apply for a job? How much do you think the hospital will expect me to know and do without a refresher??

I guess basically I am asking you how honest you think I can be with them in letting them know that I may not want to work FT, possibly only PT, that I am very rusty on skills, know very little and have virtually no experience. How bad is it to tell them I don't want to start until June??

I thought the chance to meet someone....ANYONE...in person would be great and would give me a much better chance of getting a position in the hospital even if it was not as a nurse assistant. Any advice is most appreciated!!

Janice

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You should definitely go and talk to them...they can tell you for sure whether you need to be certified...and i dont think it would be a problem to ask to start in june, they probably have a lot of students who just want to work over the summer...also, i dont think you need to wait for more experience, you will get plenty as a CNA, and remember that everyone was new once. if you remember at all how to do vitals, you will get good at them really quick. I say go for it, be confident in yourself, good luck :)

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Specializes in cardiac/education.

Moonbunnie......thank you for the reply, I sure appreciate it! I will take your advice! :)

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I began as a Orderlie, then EMT, then Paramedic, and last RN. I became highly skilled and was able to finance my education, working my way up, so to speak, made each step up easier. Be totally honest with your employer, they will appreciate it and so will your profession.

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Moonbunnie......thank you for the reply, I sure appreciate it! I will take your advice! :)

I have worked in LTC and hospitals as a tech/cna and I personally thought it was easier working in the hospital. Mainly because you will normally have a lower ratio and when you do ADLs you normally only put a gown on them. To me one of the hardest things I had to do as a cna in LTC was dressing a total care patient whos family refused to believe that mon or dad needs to go up 1 or more sizes in clothes.

I say all of that because you said your little experiance was not in the hospital.

Hope it helps, Good luck

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