non-degree jobs

meandragonbrett · Mar 2, 2003

I've never seen a shospital hire anybody under 18. You could volunteer?

Brett

Welcome to the board!

KatieBelle · Mar 2, 2003

I have not sen them hire under 18. I did work as a volunteer when I was in jr high and high school :) You could always do that!

CVnurse08 · Mar 4, 2003

Thanks for the advice but what exactly did you do as a volunteer and how much time does it take up ?? Because I will have to work somewhere when I turn 16 and probably will be busy. More help please ??

P.S. Thanks for the welcome Brett ~ I love this board !!

Rena RN 2003, RN · Mar 4, 2003

welcome!

i understand your desire to work and make some $$$ but i believe that volunteer time looks wonderful on a resume. and you could do it as often or as little as you like. how about giving one afternoon or evening in volunteer time and then persuing gainful employment another 10-20 hours per week?

of course, the $$$ isn't worth it if it will effect your high school grades. grades are the most important thing at this point in your life.

good luck to you! :)

sbic56, BSN, RN · Mar 4, 2003

Depends where you are, but in some states you could work in dietary as a dietary aide. Does your school offer vocational training for CNA's? (Certified Nurses Aid). Best solution may be to check out your local hospital personell office and talk to your guidance councellor at school, too.

llg, PhD, RN · Mar 4, 2003

I recommend that you call the hospitals in your area and ask them. Every hospital is different -- though I suspect actual jobs will be scarce for those under 18.

Don't put down jobs that may seem menial to you. Housekeeping, etc. are often the way young people first get their foot in the door. And as a nurse someday, you'll be emptying plenty of garbage and cleaning lots of dirty, smelly things!

Volunteering is an excellent way to begin. Most hospitals have volunteer programs for high school kids. It gives you the opportunity to explore the hospital and looks great on your resume -- even if it is only a few hours per week. I am currently analyzing applications from nursing students for a summer program that I run, and previous volunteer experience with a patient population similar to ours is a definite plus.

Good luck,

llg

SingingNurse2 · Mar 7, 2003

Just a thought, but what about the hospital gift shop or snack bar? I know it is not exactly medical experience, but you would be in the middle of it all hearing the stories and seeing how staff relationships work together (or not so together). Another plus would be seeing how the family members visiting the hospital feel about the care their loved one is receiving. It's worth a try!

Also, have you talked to your school guidance counselor to see if they have any programs set up with the local hospital or Dr.'s offices for prospective future medical workers? I hope you can find something!

CVnurse08 · Mar 9, 2003

Hey !! Thanks for all the replies and help. But, once again, I ask the question ~ what does a hospital volunteer do ?? What are their duties ?? Do they shadow nurses or what ??

SN Gone Crazy · Mar 9, 2003

Hi! Wannabebabynurse

I volunteered for a couple of months at a military clinic. I had to go through the Red Cross and the Red Cross assigned me a position working in medical records. I believe that who ever is in charge of volunteers in the regular hospitals will assign you a position based on your interests and what is available. However, I am not positive on this. It is best to talk to someone at each hospital.

I also saw something on one of the shows like 20/20 or something like that about the shortage of nurses and how some hospitals were allowing high school students, who were interested in a nursing career, to volunteer and work with nurses. The students worked in different areas of the hospitals and did little things like taking vital signs and just helping the nurses.

I hope this answers your question.

I Know God Will Not Give Me More Than I Can Handle. I Just Wish He Didn't Trust Me So Much. _ Mother Theresa

CVnurse08 · Mar 20, 2003

Hi !! Thanx once again for all your replies but now I need cheering up !! Today, I went to one of the local hospitals and talked to the people at the human resources office just to see if there was any chance that they would hire under 18. Of course I found out that they don't hire anyone under 18 for any position.

Even though I was expecting that they would say this, I was still disappointed and it really didn't help any that the person I talked to was really rude and acted like I had no right to be in her office.

So I'm kinda bummed now. But I still will keep in mind my utimate goal of nursing and as always already I'm cheered up just by getting on this board.

Gigglesforall, BSN, RN · Mar 20, 2003

The hospitals that I know of around here (Minnesota) hire Patient Care Assistants that are under 18. I don't know about anywhere else. There are also people who work in "unit support" which kind of cleans up the room when the patient isn't there, and stocks equipment rooms. I'm pretty sure they do some vitals too and anything else that needs to be done. I'm not too sure how old you have to be for that, but I want to say it's 16 as well.