Should I challenge the CNA exam or Apply as a Student Nurse?

[Stacilator]

I would like to take a poll of opinions.

I have been applying (and applying...and applying) for a PCT or Nurse Tech position in every hospital, LTC, etc that I can find. I am applying under the assumption that they accept people who fulfill the following criteria from their job description:

"Medical Assistants with comparable hospital experience"

and/or

"Nursing Students who have successfully completed first Fundamentals semester coursework."

As of yet, no luck.

I know my not being selected could be because of the strength of the applicant pool, but I am looking for your opinion on whether I should continue to apply as the above, or if I should challenge the CNA exam and become licensed (as a broke nursing student, that $140 will have to be carefully budgeted out) and see where that gets me.

Thank you in advance for your responses!

[NICU Guy, BSN, RN]

I would go to the nurse recruiters for the local hospitals and ask them about getting a student intern (most have a different job code for nursing students) and ask about availability. Now is the best time to get a job because some of the students that have those positions are graduating in the next few weeks and will become graduate nurses.

[Stacilator]

Yea...those are the "Nurse Tech" positions- they're specifically for nursing students. I've applied to them as well, and been considered, but no in person interview, only phone, then notification that it's been filled

They're also pretty few and far between. The 4-6 I've found in the past week or so has been the most I've ever seen.

[vintagemother, BSN, CNA, LVN, RN]

I think you should challenge the exam so you'll have the official cert.