PCT/CNA (Certified) can't find a hospital job..... what am I doing wrong?

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Hey everyone. Just asking I am a certified PCT through MedCa and CNA (prometric Florida/NY). I have been trying to find a hospital job in south Florida but haven't even gotten a call back. I am currently working as a HHA/CNA at our local VNA. I did my internship in NYC but don't have a work history in the medical field other than that (I worked in another industry for 10 years before). Can anyone give me advice as to how to land a hospital job or what your looking for etc? No one seems to be interested in my resume or even to give me a call back. Any advice would be great. Thanks!

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Specializes in ICU.

Are you just submitting online? Have you followed up? Have you attended job fairs? What are you proactively doing besides hitting a submit button online?

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Call to follow up on your application. I can't tell you how many times I have done this and then person on the line says, "Oh, right, here is your resume. Let's set up an interview."

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Moved to CNA forum.

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Specializes in Cardio-Pulmonary; Med-Surg; Private Duty.

I'm a nurse, but I couldn't get a hospital job straight out of school because I didn't have "healthcare experience". I worked private duty for a couple of years, then reapplied to a hospital job and got snatched up instantly.

Put in your time in home health and get some experience under your belt. Get a reputation of being a hard worker, dependable, trustworthy. As you work with various clients, make a list of things to add to your resume -- experience working with dementia patients, hip fractures, patients in wheelchairs, etc. Add those things to your resume over time, and you'll have quite a lot to show a prospective employer down the road.

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The hospital's around me usually want CNAs with several years of experience so, most will work in a nursing home, assisted living etc for several years before trying to get on at one of the hospitals.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

You might not be doing anything wrong personally...

Two things jumped out at me when reading your post. For starters, you are in NYC, which is a notoriously saturated employment market. You are competing against thousands of PCTs with more experience than you.

Secondly, you are seeking hospital employment. It seems that everyone and their mamas wants to work at a hospital, yet many positions in nursing homes, hospices, home health companies, psychiatric facilities, and physical rehab centers go unfilled.

In other words, you are in a glutted job market (NYC) competing to work at a workplace setting (acute care hospital) that many others want.

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d you have ekg and phlebotomy skills?

some hospitals in nyc go through temp agencies.try my hospital wyckoff in brooklyn who is hiring pcts. good luck

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