Lin19687

Sorry I did not get back to this. The day I wrote this I got a call from my folks about my brother missing for a week. He was killed on the 14, 2 days later. I moved back to Boston because of it. I NEVER heard anything from the Hospital. Such b.s. the HR is in ALL hospitals. I think you really just need to keep calling or something. I was back here in Boston and got a job in an ER in a matter of a month. I am still having issues with HR's in another Hospital acting like they are idiots. I know the Floors that are hiring are frustrated at HR because they take so long. I hope that you all get in and learn much from Parkland. I hear it is busy busy place !

I believe the law changed during the "Swine" flu outbreak to allow them. But has since been recanted. So according to law, your answer is NO.

Actually what you had was a reaction to the shot. It has nothing to do with you having immunity, period. You CAN be exempt from having it in the future due to Reaction. I would have still gotten a titer. Even if you are over 10 years, get the titer as you may still have the immunity in your system if you don't like shots. ALSO, if you are holding off on the Hep B, you need to be FINISHED by the time clinicals start. In other words, 6 months PRIOR to the start of clinicals. I had so many people come in for Hep B to the Dr office I worked at only to be put on hold at the clincial due to not FINISHING prior. And the school papers DID NOT STATE THAT. You need to check with the SCHOOL about what is required and what you can do about physicals. Try being in the Navy and getting a titer.. NOT, you get to have them ALL over again plus other new ones. yes I was Vaccinated as a child, but that didn't matter, i didn't have the papers. I did NOT get sick from Vaccines because I already had them in my past BTW.

Many wear clogs, I don't like them so i don't. You want something that WILL NOT FALL OFF EASY. not sure where you are working, but bring extra pair of socks and shoes if you are going to get wet. Crocs are ok if no holes in them, but I found in a Hospital setting that the floors reach out and Grab your crocks and make you trip I was not the only one. Maybe that is why they don't let people wear them ? Get a shoe you can slip on and off WITH OUT TIES. I love these http://www.landsend.com/pp/StylePage-53592_AL.html?CM_MERCH=REC-_-FPPP-_-GGT-_-1-_-53592-_-386301 Although mine were a bit different. I bought them about 8 years ago and got another pair like them at Walmart for $10 but they are just like them I know these are mens, but if you can get a pair like this you will be able to slid them off without touching them, wipe off gross stuff and nonskid. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Men-s-Skidbuster-S5072/13834151

Also, don't waste your time taking an EKG course. They WILL teach you at a Hospital for that, all of about a day training. You are NOT reading them, just taking them as a CNA/PCT. Now a Cardio Tech I think is different, I can not say for sure as I am not familiar with it.

Since this was such an OLD thread, i was wondering if you guys got jobs. How did it work out for schooling Did you get a job at a Hospital

1st off I HOPE you do not spell like that in real life ! Take the CAPS off and pay attention to what you are typing. It is hard to read your posts. Get into the habit of typing correctly and accurately. Sorry to scold you. 2nd, If you want to get into a Hospital, take a desk job. Then after your baby look to switch to a CNA job. I am sorry, you will be lifting and if you think that you won't as a CNA you are wrong ! Also, If they ask if you are Preggo, you better tell them the truth. Just do not offer the info. If they ask if there is a reason you might not be able to lift things or stand on your feet for long periods of times (which is part of the job) You BETTER tell them you are preggo. otherwise you will have lied and will be out of a job faster then you can sit down. And probly be outcast to that facility for life, and maybe others as well.

Red Cross has the course for like $850 in Boston or so. IF you have never done health work, yes it is a good thing to do. I worked at a VET and was trained (on the job training, not a school) in the Navy. I was NOT Cert. Got job at a very well to do Hospital $14/hr (not very high for Boston). They DID have a course at the Hospital to learn, so if you can get in and do their course that is better. This has links to each state at the bottom of page http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.1a019a978f421296e81ec89e43181aa0/?vgnextoid=3724081a7a593210VgnVCM10000089f0870aRCRD

Why is it that they take so long to Hire ? I had e-mailed the HR director (because it was listed on the web site) to ask how long it took. He said up to 74 days !! for a PCT/CNA position They have 16 spots open. You would think that they would want to have it filled fast, no? I have my app in and still no word for a month. And I have Experience too ! I know they have a good turn over rate due to it being so busy and a "Community Hospital" but maybe that is only for the Nurses ? I really want to get back into the ER, I miss it, but they want EMT or EMT-P. I will be going back to school for EMT (took the course in 1997 but didn't do the state test, didn't want to) so hopefully that will help. But geesh ! Anyone work there with some inside info ? (or want to get an employee referral ?

A lot will depend on where you work. Nurses were the only ones that did Enemas in the hospital i worked at.

You will NOT know if you like it by a walk through. A new car is great too till you get the first ding and start to notice all the other things that are wrong, know what I mean? I loved my floor when I first got hired as CNA. Then I found out why others left ! The regular CNA's would go hide, not show up, barely work. We were UNDER staffed more times then not and sometimes we would get a float.. guess who the floats were. Yup the same people that didn't work. That was Oncology, loved the RN's and Pt's but hated most of the CNA's LOVED the ER !! 98% were Great to work with and willing to show you things. The ER Techs (pct 2) were good too except one........ it was obviously a cultural thing unfortunately I would say that if you have the opportunity to work at 3 different places DO IT. Even if it is just for the summer. Get the experience and understand what makes one place better or worse then another. Look at the Benefit package you can get with each for the long term.

You might want to wait until you start your first day. You will get a good understanding on what you need and WHY you need it. In Hospital floor I had no Steth because we used auto BP Pen (s) Floor sheet (of all pt in what rooms with space to write i/o, vital, BG blank sheet of paper to write ehat rooms needed what linens, set ups, etc 2 extra pairs of gloves - rooms had gloves but not in the hallways...you never know alcohol wipes. Butt cream (gold there !) Name tag was ALWAYS ON !! Everything was there that I needed. ER was about the same but I didn't keep the pt list -duh- just a very small notebook to write things down. extra gloves - you never know if you have to run outside pens Scissors PAPER medical tape - HOARDED IT !!! For those of you that don't know Paper tape, it sticks but is NOT hard on the skin BE KIND TO YOUR ELDERLY !!! Their skin is like paper and rips easily. This tape is also not as bad on people that have tape allergies . In Dr Office...... Steth and pens that was it. I have not worked in a LTF LTC what ever one you call it So you see it is very different in different settings

Also remember that different places call it different things. I was from Mass, CNA Or NA on the floors but in the ER I was an ER Tech. Here is the link to that place, looks like they have changed the name again to PATIENT CARE UNIT ASSISTANT II https://careers.partners.org/psc/EA/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM.HRS_CE.GBL On the floor I did EKG's and BG's monitoring, vitals but NO labs were drawn by the CNA. In the ER that was what I mostly did, labs, EKG's. But i also Splinted, taught others how to walk with crutches. NO LVN's in the Hospital but I am not sure why, I know the RN's had a Union. Maybe that is why? Man I miss that place.......... Here in TX they say CNA at some Hospitals and PCT/PCA in others . Some will want you to have Phlebotomy exp, others none. I made the mistake of going to a Dr office to work as an MA............ not again. Go to the Hospitals, they have tuition reembursement.... USE IT !!!!

I just want to say, Great Read !! There needs to be State mandates as to what is allowed and not allowed a MA to do. Most states do not. It is unregulated which is really sad to see. If you could see where I was just last working you would be shocked ! MA's saying they are Nurses. I made sure they knew not to call me a nurse ! IV's being done by people who have had no clinical training. Scripts being written (not signed) that was no correct/spelling wrong/no dosage amount. And NOT caught by the MD. Give Imm to children with out parent signature or explaination of the med. Not telling patients that the H1N1 they were giving their child had Mercury in it-- should have been told as a curtousy period- and the MA didn't even know it anyway ! Using wrong needles for injections. Not changing needles after you drew up the med. There was no Group effort there. It is all for yourself and it is never my fault, kinda thinking. I NEVER did anything that I felt was out of my scope. But others would do it would an issue even though they shouldn't have. Using Speculums that were not sterile ! All in all the practice let it all happen because it was a $$$ issue. Now they will never get anyone good because they all leave. Some day someone will make a call and they will either lose their Lic or straighten up. I choose the 1st as they are already losing patients and had to cut hours. People, if you want to do MA, go to CNA and work at a hospital. You will get WAY better benefits !!! I sometimes wish that I had not moved out of state and left the nice ER TECH job I had in a Great #1 place to work Massachusetts Hospital p.s. sorry to bring up an old topic but there is GOOD info here. Link to the MA can do and can't do http://www.medicalassistant.net/can_and_cannot_do.htm

Thank you for looking and to all that post responses, I want to REALLY thank you for all the info that you give to others. Where you help one, you help about 10 others :spin: I live in MA and maybe moving just south of FTW/Dallas. I was about to start Nursing school here in MA, but with a 2 year wait I might as well just move first. I currently work as a PCA (PCT as you all call it) at a Large Hospital on the Oncology Unit. Great Hospital that I was planning on doing the Tuition re-embursement for College. LVN/LPN do not work in a Hospital setting up here, that is why I have not gone that route. I was looking to live OUT of the city and where the Hospital would be is where I would base my looking for a house (very Rural). I have been to the Hillsboro and FTW area about 2-3 years ago,but was not in the Hospital field so I didn't look. SO, I have 2 questions.. 1) What can anyone tell me about these 3 hospitals in regards to Tuition/college for RN, PCT pay (hospital experience), the hospital in general ..... Hill Regional in Hillsboro ( I know is small, but like the area), Baylor (might have better opportunity and more college assistance), and Methodist in Cleburne (also a smaller hospital but again I like the location south of it). 2) When you all get to doing Clinicals, is it Fulltime work? How do you work (earn money) and do Clinicals at the same time? Also I have 2 children (6 and 16) and Divorced. If I could have stayed in the Navy I would have gone to Corpsman school instead of just on the job training for 2 years I have done searching for all of these, still reading, just thought someone may have more to add TY again -Lin