WesternRN

As an HR rep told me, "it is brutally competitive here for new grads." It was hard to even get a CNA job!

I always arrive early for an interview and would advise other people to do the same! It gives me a chance to relax and review what I want to say. I wouldn't consider that super early either. I think employers appreciate someone arriving a little early.

I have a preschooler. It will be challenging working 36 hours a week with 6 children. That said if you have the support, then go for it. I am glad I made the decision to do it.

If for some reason you get another job offer for a great job, then you can call off sick. A bird in the hand, right??

There's nothing wrong with the OP throwing out a question on these boards. Clearly that is part of her "research." There was NO indication that the OP came here asking other people to do her "work" for her. Your responses are rude.

Yes, I lift 3-6 days a week, even after a 12 hr shift and get cardio here and there. What I really need to do is incorporate yoga once a week.

Were you ever able to get a job? It took me months and months. I have worked really hard to develop great credentials and I just couldn't understand what was wrong. I didn't have previous CNA experience but I worked in research and had plenty of clinical experience as a nursing student. What FINALLY worked for me was changing the way I filled out those online applications. Instead of just putting one entry as nursing student in the employment history (plus entries for all of my other history), i entered every single rotation I had in school as if it were it's own job and gave a detailed description of everything I learned. So like my mental health, med surg I, med surg II, fundamentals, etc - everything had it's own section as if each were a job I had held. Then I went back all the way to 2002 with career experience. Suddenly I had two HR bites and ended up getting one of the jobs and to top it off it's in critical care and there may be opportunities after graduation for me. Just tweaking how I did those silly forms may have changed my whole career trajectory. Good luck!

As a nursing student who works in both research and as a PCT, I can tell you that most hospitals could not care less if you have research experience. If I could do things over I would have tried to work as a CNA much earlier! I work in research because I love the cause, it's a change of pace, and keeps the door open to academia in case I decide to pursue that one day. However working in a real clinical job in a hospital will be way more helpful in getting that first RN job. Honestly I was surprised how little regard people gave that side of my resume when I was trying to get a CNA job, which around here are so competitive and hard to get. When you say clinical research - what are the clinicals skills you would be practicing? I would tell any nursing student concerned about future positions to get into a hospital as a CNA.

Denver, CO - $11.75 base pay with no experience. $4.50 extra for nights, $2.50 extra for weekends.