Brandi81

I was hired into a hospital with no prior CNA experience other than clinincal, if you want to work at a hospital apply like crazy to every hospital around you. It can be done!

I am a NCT, same thing as PCT,we do EKG and phlebotomy, etc. I checked hospital websites twice a day and applied and applied and applied. Make sure you have a good cover letter personalized for the particular place you are applying, I always work in their mission or values somehow. If you have any customer service experience play that up, I believe that had a bigger play in getting hired with no experience into a hospital then being a CNA.

I became certified in June and was hired right into a hospital in August. I only applied to hospitals and checked their job sites a couple times a day. I probably applied to 50+ positions. I ended up with three interviews and luckily got hired at my top pick! I work part time PMs and nights. Make sure you have a good cover letter that is individualized for the place you are applying, I always worked in their mission and values in mine. First I applied then got selected to take a personality type test, then phone interview with hr, then interview and reading and math tests with hr, interview with clinincal manager and then a peer interview. Prepare for your interviews, know the hospital, prepare answers to common interview questions. Good Luck!

I am a NCT same thing as a PCT. We are trained by the hospital to do additional skills that CNA's are not allowed to do under their certification. Where I am we can do glucose tests, draw blood, take out foley's, d/c IV's, EKG's, etc. Some hospitals want you to be a CNA first, some don't care, but I think it helps for sure. I have no idea what CNA's make around here in the nursing homes, but I started at $11.47 plus shift differential for working evening/PM.

Oh and I am in IL too, so you would probably have the same time frame as far as testing and finding out results.

You will have to ask your program director if you can take it somewhere else. I did my CNA at a community college and we all had to test on the same date and same place (which was at the college) Our testing fee was worked into our tuition and we had no other option. I did a 16-week,weekend course and we got done with class and clinical in May and didn't test until a month later in June. We tested on June 16th and didn't have results until our names were on the registry on June 20th. Good Luck!

Make sure you cover letter and resume are up to snuff, if you don't have any connections, that is what is going to get you noticed. Then apply everywhere! I was a bit picky and only applied to hospitals, but this job doesn't support my family, so I could be a little more picky in my applying. Even so, I applied to jobs everyday, checked the job websites every day. At least with the big hospitals and healthcare systems, if you are not one of the first 20 applicants, you won't even be looked at. If it allows you to apply to a job more than once, do it. Apply to lots of jobs at the same facilities so they keep seeing your name come up. I used my CNA class instructor and my clinical instructor as references as well. I had no connections in the the hospital job I just landed, and the two places I did have an inside connection I never heard from, I am sure it usually helps, but it's not the end all be all. What I have gathered from other posters, is that a lot of nursing homes you can go apply in person and a lot seem to have had on the spot interviews going this route (so dress nice). Good luck, it will happen just might take some time!

No experience, med- surge, $11.47 base in IL

Good luck! I just got hired into a hospital with no experience, it can happen!

good luck!

I just got a job at a hospital and will be part time 20 hours a week rotating 3-11 and 11-7.

I was diligent in checking all the area hospital websites every day. Some positions say you need a year, some don't within the same hospital. Make sure you have a catchy cover letter that shows you are informed about the hospital (mission, values, etc.). I had spoken to one of the hospitals recruiters at the job fair my school held for it's CNA students, and the program has a really good reputation which I am sure helps. If you have customer experience, play it up and let them know, they really like that. I applied to every hospital within an hours drive of my house and like I said I checked every single day and set up job agents to get notified when openings were posted for each of the different hospitals. Check out indeed.com too, it complies all job listings in your area. Volunteering at the hospital you are interested in can help you too, one of my class mates did this and also got an interview with this hospital. Good luck and keep at it!

It's a med-surg over flow, they take all the cases that don't fit anywhere else in the hospital. Also the floor that takes CF patients and they can get detox and hospice here and there too. I am sure I will learn a lot, and be challenged a lot as well. They seemed to really like that I had a background in psychology

Go for it!! I was a stay at home mom too, and after having my son (difficult delivery, NICU stay, etc) I started thinking about going into nursing. Then I went through a m/c trying for our second child and I decided that there must be a reason I have gone through all these difficult medical experiences in my life and maybe that reason was to help others who are going through the same thing (my father who is blind, diabetic and has gone through two kidney transplants was another big experience that led to this path as well). So here I am, we had another baby and after she turned a year I started my CNA, graduated and just landed a job at my dream hospital where I hope to eventually move into L&D, Post-Partum. I am still undecided if I will go on and become an RN, I have a B.A. and a M.A. in psychology already. If I do, it will be when the kids are in school. I did my clinical at a nursing and rehab center, and I knew right away that I wasn't cut out for long term employment in that environment. I applied at every single hospital around and within an hours drive of me and I ended up getting interviews and a job with no experience, so it can be done! The pay for me doesn't matter so much, it will just be extra for us which is great! I will be working PMs and nights part time so my kids won't have to do daycare which is a big thing for us, and why I started staying home in the first place. Do your research and follow your heart :redbeathe Good Luck!

I am so excited, I got a job as a PCT at my dream hospital with no experience!! I was in the process of interviewing for a sitter position in another hospital that I was not to excited about, and in-between the first interview and the one I was suppose to have tomorrow, my dream hospital called me and the rest is history! I start orientation on September 12th!!! It can be done guys! I applied to every hospital around and ended up with three interviews with no experience other than CNA clinical!