RN student starting as PCA III

[ladybugme!]

hey guys!

this fall i will be starting my second semester as an rn student. during the previous semester i had heard people talking about rn students getting nursing aid jobs to help them advance there "practice" as students. i was fortunate enough to be hired as a pca (patient care assistant) at an awesome hospital here in my city!! i am sooooooooo excited i can't even stand it. i feel like this job will give me an advantage because it will allow me more time with patients to learn from their sickness and injury! i was wondering what do you rn's think about this??? i really want to make a good name for myself and show the staff and my manager that one day i will make a fabulous nurse any pointers?? what do you think about the nursing aids you work with what do you like and dislike??

thanks a million.

[ishootu]

As a Unit Tech (as we're called here- it's a step up from Nurse Aides, includes secretarial and other tasks) I've been told the most important qualities are:

-eager and willing to learn

-takes initiative

-accountable and trustworthy

-observant

Best of luck to you!

[hikernurse]

Be a strong member of the team. Jump in and help clean up that third huge code brown of the night, even if it isn't your patient. That kind of stuff gets noticed!

Stay focused on your work, even if you're not currently busy, stay available. I would get very frustrated when I needed a tech and they were in a vacant room chatting on their phone and surfing the web. I am NOT saying to skip breaks :).

Ask questions. Nurses do like to share their vast knowledge and it shows that you are the type of person who wants to learn and apply that information.

I'm thrilled for you--I worked as a tech and then an LPN during nursing school and it was a great way to apply the knowledge I was learning in school.

[JoyfulRN14, BSN, RN]

Remember that this job is like one long job interview for when you become an RN. The job market is very hard right now, and most of my classmates that have found jobs since graduation (May 2010) worked as PCA's throughout nursing school.

If the hospital you are at has externship positions (in my area these are student RN positions in which you work as an RN with a preceptor, paid), find out about those and apply. That way along with doing PCA duties, you can get a chance to do more RN skills and practice assessments and charting.

Good luck in your new job! It's awesome to support yourself during school and get this experience! And it will make you more comfortable and confident in clinical because you will get used to working with patients.

[ladybugme!]

thanks for all the great advice! although in response to the last post i would love to do the extern ship but i don’t think i could handle nursing student, pca, and extern...that would break me for sure!! lol

[JoyfulRN14, BSN, RN]

Oh! I didn't mean work hours as a pca AND as an extern! That would be crazy indeed. I meant instead of. I had friends that started as PCA's, moved up into externships, and then moved up to being RNs once they graduated.

I just meant that as an extern, you would do things PCAs do along with RN skills.