Nursing and waitressing/food service industry

[nursefrances]

I was thinking about how many nurses I know who were waitresses/servers before becoming nurses. I think this comes in handy because you learn how to multi-task, how to work in a fast paced/stressfull environment, how to play nice with other coworkers, AND how to communicate with the public.

Anyone else out there work in this field before nursing?

Sometimes on student threads I see posts from students wanting to work as a CNA, etc. to get experience while going through school. Unfortunately it's tough to land these jobs in the current market. I think maybe they should work as servers instead. You get tips and you learn how to hustle/work hard.

[ixchel]

Well....I was eating lunch at a pretty trendy restaurant a few weeks ago my server was a new grad who had yet to find a job. She still is working there even after graduating. Just saying.[/quote']

I know I'm in the demographic you're poking fun at, but this still made me LOL. Stuff like this makes me a appreciate being in an area that likes to hire new grads from my program.

[EyeTechPreRN]

You are so right! Learning how to deal with irate crazy people while waitressing helped make me a better human. Also, I no longer just expect to be treated a certain way yet appreciate every happy patient :) :)

[cracklingkraken, ASN, RN]

I waitressed at 3 different restaraunts in the past 4 yrs! One was during college, so it definitely helped with time management and dealing with some very difficult people. I am currently waitressing part time until school starts in the fall. It is good money, and you really do learn to hone those customer service skills.

[calivianya, BSN, RN]

Never waitressed, but I worked just about every possible role at a movie theater (box office, concessions, ushering, and management), worked as a clerk at a dry cleaner, and worked at a really expensive hotel as a night auditor. The movie theater manager and night auditor jobs showed me the worst sides of human nature. At the hotel, I got all the rich drunks rolling in at 3 AM after staying at the bars way past last call complaining about room service not being open at 3 and puking in the revolving door, people complaining to me about the price of the rooms (like I control that!!), the speed of the internet, etc. I actually got solicited to be in a Mediao that they were filming up on the top floor of the hotel once. Humans are weird.

Anyway. I don't think you've really experienced the power of emesis until you've tried to clean it out of an electric revolving door and chased the puke in a circle in the middle of the night when there is no housekeeping to help you. Just saying.

[tyvin, BSN, RN]

I worked in fine dining before, during, and after school. In fact, I owe my success of multitasking and being able to fly from room to room (table to table) to being a former food server. Only difference is that instead of turning and burning tables, now I put them to bed and make sure they're not dead...pill em and try not to kill em...Hmmmm...you get the point.