Padding Your Resume

There is an NSA at my school actually. That would be a good option with minimal time commitment. Is Sigma Theta Tau for academic achievement? Can you only be invited?

I'm actually going to start at a hospital in January as a PCT that will turn into a permanent RN job when I pass my NCLEX if all goes well and I impress them these next 6-8 months. I plan on doing that.

You need to stop listening to info that is basically gossip and get in touch with HR depts in the hospitals in your area. I got a response from each HR dept I contacted. I was told of a job fair and I went. It was a job fair for nurses, but was told it would be a great opportunity for me to get to know people. So far, I'm in. I just need to finish the background check and drug test which I'm not worried about.

Be proactive!! It shows you are a go-getter. Good luck!!!

Volunteering is always good. I recently started volunteering with the Girl Scouts as a Brownie leader. I've racked up over 80 hrs in two months. Volunteering is no joke. Talk about BUSY!

I'm in a nurse tech program at a local hospital that is specifically for nursing students and usually ends up in a job offer. It's PRN work.

I just applied to a nurse extern job so hopefully that works out. I get the feeling that getting your foot in the door somewhere before graduation is way easier than getting a job post graduation/NCLEX.

I work at a Hospital and 3/4 of us in my hiring group are all nursing students. If you're under a year left before becoming an RN I would maybe suggest waiting. I work with plenty of nurses who didn't have any prior medical experience but were hired into the New grad residency positions. Volunteering always looks good too. I actually enjoy the CNA work but I can assume that because you're almost done you wouldn't work too many hours while in school and I don't know if the process would be necessary in the end

Certifications would be nice to have and "pad" once you're closer to graduation. ACLS for sure, and possibly PALS if you will be applying to jobs involving peds.

personally, I wouldn't waste my time to do CNA if you aren't one already. If you already had your CNA license, that'd be different, but it would be extra time and effort that you really don't need to put forth when you're going to be an RN anyway. That is my opinion.

ACLS is required once you land a job as an RN right? I imagine that would be something the employer would pay for as part of your training? Is it worth it for me to spend the money on it prior to applying?

After your first semester of nursing school, many states will allow you to become licensed as a CNA. For every one of my classmates who worked as a CNA in nursing school, we all transitioned into the RN role after we graduated. For those without CNA experience, it took up to a year to find work. Experience is always a good thing. Even if it doesn't turn into an RN job offer, it still provides you with hands-on patient experience that you will use everywhere you go. For likely very little extra effort on your part, you could be licensed as a CNA. In my eyes, it was the best decision I made in nursing school.