Nursing Assistant while in Nursing School??

elthia · Aug 29, 2005

i am a transfer student in nursing school, however, i am also taking some 3rd year level courses without any clinicals. does anyone know if for the summer i can work at a hospital as a nursing assistant without having to be certified in anything....or without having to be a cna or lpn?? someone told me that as long as i'm in nursing school some hospitals allow you be a nursing assistant, is anyone familiar with this?? thank you for any help you may be able to provide....i really appreciate it!

many hospitals do allow you to do this, it's often called a nurse technician, or something similar. just inquire at the human resource department of your local hospitals. just be careful to not do anything out of your scope of practice.

SarasotaRN2b · Aug 30, 2005

At our hospital, you need to have your CNA license, but that is just passing a test. It is kind of like getting your permit so you can learn to drive. Once you have it, they will train you to be a PCA (patient care assistant). 90% of our PCAs are going to school for nursing. Right now I am a HUC (health unit coordinator), but I am planning on getting my CNA license so I can be cross trained.

Because of the nursing shortage, this hospital loves to take on new students.

student4ever · Aug 30, 2005

Most hospitals LOVE to have nursing students working for them as nursing assistants, patient care techs, whatever the job title is for your particular facility. That way they have a kind of "first dibbs" on new grads, plus they can train you the way they want you to learn with the basics. Of course, you still have to practice within whatever scope of care your position determines, rather than doing whatever it is you've learned to do in nursing classes, but it gives you some GREAT experience.

I haven't started the clinical program, I'm still finishing up pre-reqs, but i work as a patient care tech in the local ED, and I LOVE it! It has totally reinforced my decision to become a nurse, and makes me feel as though I'm making progress every day towards becoming a registered nurse, even before I've started clinicals! In my ED, the tech scope of care includes EKGs, catheters of all types (foley - indwelling, in and out cath for urine specimen collection, pediatric caths for urine collection, etc.), blood draws including blood cultures, specimen labeling, and of course the usual helping patients use bedpans/bedside commodes, vital signs, help restraining patients for procedures when necessary, bed changes, and pretty much anything to help the nurses and doctors. We also assist (the females anyways) with pelvics as the chaperone, since all our ER docs are male. We do tray set up (suture, lumbar puncture, etc.), use retractors to hold large wounds open for layered sutures, and help the RNs with their initial patient assesments. Different hospitals have different criteria for their patient care assistants - some require CNA licence or EMT certification, others want you to be in clinical classes for a while before starting, others (like mine) will take you whatever your skill level and train you on the job.

It's a good feeling to know that when I get into clinicals, I will already be able to ace the catheterization, EKG and phlebotomy skills from the get go, and it gives me a great foundation to learn more complicated skills well. It also gives me a great sense of accomplishment when I complete a difficult skill without assistance - I always feel like I am learning, and the nurses I work with are great at making sure I get the best experience possible. Last night for example, one of the nurses told me that she would catch up the vitals I was working on so I could get some experience doing pediatric catheters (which I had not done before). I cathed 3 babies, all under 6 months of age, each on the first try, and I was never so proud of myself! It's exciting to feel like you're learning something that will help you with the rest of your education while you're getting paid for it! It's a great experience, and I recommend it to anyone interested!

CW30 · Aug 30, 2005

Most hospitals LOVE to have nursing students working for them as nursing assistants, patient care techs, whatever the job title is for your particular facility. That way they have a kind of "first dibbs" on new grads, plus they can train you the way they want you to learn with the basics. Of course, you still have to practice within whatever scope of care your position determines, rather than doing whatever it is you've learned to do in nursing classes, but it gives you some GREAT experience.
I haven't started the clinical program, I'm still finishing up pre-reqs, but i work as a patient care tech in the local ED, and I LOVE it! It has totally reinforced my decision to become a nurse, and makes me feel as though I'm making progress every day towards becoming a registered nurse, even before I've started clinicals! In my ED, the tech scope of care includes EKGs, catheters of all types (foley - indwelling, in and out cath for urine specimen collection, pediatric caths for urine collection, etc.), blood draws including blood cultures, specimen labeling, and of course the usual helping patients use bedpans/bedside commodes, vital signs, help restraining patients for procedures when necessary, bed changes, and pretty much anything to help the nurses and doctors. We also assist (the females anyways) with pelvics as the chaperone, since all our ER docs are male. We do tray set up (suture, lumbar puncture, etc.), use retractors to hold large wounds open for layered sutures, and help the RNs with their initial patient assesments. Different hospitals have different criteria for their patient care assistants - some require CNA licence or EMT certification, others want you to be in clinical classes for a while before starting, others (like mine) will take you whatever your skill level and train you on the job.
It's a good feeling to know that when I get into clinicals, I will already be able to ace the catheterization, EKG and phlebotomy skills from the get go, and it gives me a great foundation to learn more complicated skills well. It also gives me a great sense of accomplishment when I complete a difficult skill without assistance - I always feel like I am learning, and the nurses I work with are great at making sure I get the best experience possible. Last night for example, one of the nurses told me that she would catch up the vitals I was working on so I could get some experience doing pediatric catheters (which I had not done before). I cathed 3 babies, all under 6 months of age, each on the first try, and I was never so proud of myself! It's exciting to feel like you're learning something that will help you with the rest of your education while you're getting paid for it! It's a great experience, and I recommend it to anyone interested!

~Thank You all so much....I will definitely look into this~ Hey, Janelle, you didnt have to have any certs to do the plebotomy and EKG, they just trained you on the job?? Do you mind me asking you where you live around? I would love to be able to do that....I just dont have time to get certified in anything!! Thanks Again,I really appreciate it!!