Potential PCT Position - Good Thoughts Appreciated!

[mirandaaa]

Good thoughts/vibes, crossed fingers, and prayers (if it's your thing) are so appreciated!

I'm starting nursing school in August. My biggest stress so far has been "what am I going to do for work" because I work M-F 8-4 in an office right now, which greatly clashes with nursing school.

I've been applying for CNA/PCT positions for the past month and a half with no responses and a few rejections and finally got a call back for a PRN position on the orthopedic/oncology/surgical unit.

This would literally be so perfect for me because it will allow me to keep my current FT job until school starts so I'll have a little extra income and then when school starts I can transition to more hours/FTE status (depending on any openings). It's also literally 5 minutes from my house and nursing school is only 5 minutes the other direction, which will save me HUNDREDS in gas as well as tons of valuable time.

Not to mention, after being out of healthcare for the past year and a half, this will give me a great opportunity to get my feet wet in healthcare again and get my foot into the hospital door (so to speak) and after my first semester I can start working as a Patient Care Novice.

All good vibes are so welcomed right now!

[Miss Infermiera2b, BSN, RN]

I don't think it could hurt to be a PCT, it would certainly get you back into the hospital game. The suggestion I keep giving people is what I'm doing right now: medical scribing. There are three of us in the ER who are planning on a career in nursing. I've already learned a ton of pharmacology, medical terminology, and I get to see what the nurses do in the ER. The hours are also really flexible, which is one of the biggest draws for me.

[mirandaaa]

I don't think it could hurt to be a PCT, it would certainly get you back into the hospital game. The suggestion I keep giving people is what I'm doing right now: medical scribing. There are three of us in the ER who are planning on a career in nursing. I've already learned a ton of pharmacology, medical terminology, and I get to see what the nurses do in the ER. The hours are also really flexible, which is one of the biggest draws for me.

What exactly do you do? And did you have to get any sort of certification for it?

[guest769224]

You can also gain the experience listed above as a patient care tech as well. Plus, you will likely be hired as an RN when you graduate (if you have good work ethic), since you'll already be a tech there.

[Miss Infermiera2b, BSN, RN]

What exactly do you do? And did you have to get any sort of certification for it?

In short, my job is to complete all charting for the emergency physician I am assigned to for the shift. I accompany the doctor into each exam room and observe/document the interaction with the patient, as well as the physical exam that is dictated. I also document EKGs, lab results, and imaging results, and discharge/admit patients we see. In terms of certification, it does not require any licensure, but my employer requires its scribes to take an entrance exam on pharmacology, medical abbreviations, anatomy, and clinical assessments. Most scribes are going to med school or PA school, but there's a good amount of us who are going into nursing. Two of the scribes I work with already landed a preceptorship here in the ER with a couple of the nurses. It's a great way to network.

[mirandaaa]

In short, my job is to complete all charting for the emergency physician I am assigned to for the shift. I accompany the doctor into each exam room and observe/document the interaction with the patient, as well as the physical exam that is dictated. I also document EKGs, lab results, and imaging results, and discharge/admit patients we see. In terms of certification, it does not require any licensure, but my employer requires its scribes to take an entrance exam on pharmacology, medical abbreviations, anatomy, and clinical assessments. Most scribes are going to med school or PA school, but there's a good amount of us who are going into nursing. Two of the scribes I work with already landed a preceptorship here in the ER with a couple of the nurses. It's a great way to network.

Did you have any prior experience?

The thing I'm concerned with is that I have no prior hospital experience. I have 3 years of FT CNA experience in LTC, but this would be my first time in a hospital.