PCA job for high school student

Nursing Students Technicians

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Hi! I am a junior in high school and I have been wanting to be a nurse ever since I was twelve. When I was fifteen, I took a volunteer position at the transplant hospital by my school. A year later, ( my dad's a kidney doctor and has known the nurses on the floor for years) he told them to train me as a PCA and they did. I can take vital signs and do all the other things the PCAs do. The only problem is that I am not certified and I am still in high school and I want a job. Is it possible?

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

Most facilities require training as a CNA, MA, or EMT before they consider hiring. Very few facilities offer in the job training.

Are you 18 years old yet ? Because of various regulations including legal obligations to abide by HIPAA, almost all healthcare facilities require potential employees to be the age of majority. ( 18 in most states but 19 in others like NE )

You can see if your school has the option of vocational training as a junior/senior. Many HS/Vocational schools offer CNA MA or PCA training.

You can see if you can volunteer with your local EMS/first aid squad. Some states will permit those 16& 17 years old to complete EMT- Basic training, others states will allow you to take the course but cannot be certified until age 18.

If you are a minor you can try volunteering in a hospital or long term care.

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Specializes in Gerontological, cardiac, med-surg, peds.

Moved to CNA/ Medical Assistant Forum as more appropriate for this type of inquiry :)

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Hi, I am a high school junior and I want to look good on my college resume. I have volunteered at my local transplant hospital for two years now. My father is a kidney doctor, and has known the nurses on the floor for years; he told them to train me as a PCA and they did. I can take vital signs and do the same tasks as a PCA does. My questions are that can I get a job as a PCA even though I am not certified and I am still in high school? If I need to be certified, I already saw a practice test and I knew all the material, can I just take the test somewhere in San Antonio? I am also getting CPR certified too.

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Specializes in ER.

Most hospitals I've looked at require even the pct/pca/nurse assistant/nurse tech/etc to have a high school diploma. As for certification, it will depend on the preference of the institution. Most of the places in my area do not mind if you have experience or if you are a nursing student if you are not certified. However, certification will not hurt you.

What I recommend you to do is to start looking at the postings of positions online and get a general trend of the requirements. Almost all jobs are posted online.

I would also be careful in telling people that your father is Dr. so and so unless they ask. They may view it as a negative or fear people thinking you were hired just because of who your father is. Don't deny it though.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

duplicate threads merged as per the TOS

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I am seventeen

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
I am seventeen

Then you likely won't qualify for a paid healthcare job until you graduate and turn 18.

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Specializes in Reproductive & Public Health.
Hi! I am a junior in high school and I have been wanting to be a nurse ever since I was twelve. When I was fifteen, I took a volunteer position at the transplant hospital by my school. A year later, ( my dad's a kidney doctor and has known the nurses on the floor for years) he told them to train me as a PCA and they did. I can take vital signs and do all the other things the PCAs do. The only problem is that I am not certified and I am still in high school and I want a job. Is it possible?

You do NOT need any sort of cert to work as a PCA. Being CPR and first aid certified might look good on your resume, though.

My daughter has ataxia telangiectasia, and we hired an awesome high school student to be her PCA. I chose her because she is energetic, loves to take my girl to fun activities, and most importantly- she is flexible and reliable. She is now in nursing school, and is thrilled to have this job because it looks good on her resume :) I found her on craigslist, and I recommend you advertise there.

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Specializes in ER.

One thing to consider is . You may want to look into getting it if you work as a PCA in someone's house.

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I am glad you were able to find someone to take care of your little girl:) I am so sorry about her sickness and I hope she is doing well.

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
One thing to consider is liability insurance. You may want to look into getting it if you work as a PCA in someone's house.

It will be extremely difficult for a minor to obtain professional .

But definitely a wise idea.

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