I graduate nursing school on September 15th, 2015. I currently work as a CNA at a long term acute care facility in Boston. I recently applied to a different hospital that is a level 1 trauma center in the city and got contacted back for an ED Tech position. Which I am super excited about!
I wanted to get some critical care experience or just to see how ER would be like and if I will like it while waiting to taking my boards this Fall. Also, I need the money. My main concern is that I'm afraid when I get the Interview if I should not tell them when I will be graduating or that I am taking my Nclex-RN boards in 4 months?? I just really wanted an in at this particular hospital and feel this is my chance. I want to work as an RN there eventually.
Some of the nurses at my job told me I should stretch the truth just to get into that particular hospital somehow till I could get a RN position there and one person told me to tell the truth. What do you guys think??
I definitely vote for telling the truth. If you don't tell the truth when starting the job, they may overlook you when applying for the new grad program. Being honest gives them time to prepare. Let them know you are completing your program in the fall and when you plan to take NCLEX. That will give them a timeline of how long you will be a tech before being interested in becoming and RN. Tell them you would really enjoy being an RN there once licensed and you dont intend to leave after graduation. I actually lost out on a job for telling the truth but it was actually a good thing. The hospital I was applying as a CNA to requires emplyment post orientation for a year in order to internally apply for positions. This was 2 months ago and I graduate in December. Granted i may not pass NCLEX first time (hope thats not te case) and licesning could take a bit, I could potentially have been a nurse with no ability to apply for a few months after graduation. Wouldn't be the end of the world, but I would like to use my license once I get it.
Unless they ask you don't really have to. If your schooling is on your resume though, it is likely to come up. But, being a soon-to-be graduate might actually help you get the job. It's nice for employers to have a transition as well. And, if they don't like you as a CNA they can not give you the RN job, like a preview for both you and for them.
I work as a CNA now and flat out told them in my interview (in February) I was applying for an accelerated program that started in October, and if I got in I would be quitting. I made sure to emphasize that this was the hospital I was interested in working in as a nurse when I graduated and that I was hoping to get some experience from them so we would both would know it was a good fit when I was ready to be a nurse. My boss had no problem with it. She was happy for me when I got in.
Most definitely tell the truth. Although you would eventually in essence be leaving them short a tech, I don't know of many hospitals anywhere that aren't interested in, or pro, their employees furthering their education. No offense intended at all but techs are a dime a dozen (note: I am currently a tech/cna, and currently in a nursing program). There are thousands of techs out there looking for a job. They'll be fine on that end, they can always hire a new tech. It may be more of a strain for them to hire a new RN, spend the money to train them for a few months or a year at their level 1 trauma center, then have that RN leave to a new/different hospital. That, they may not be too keen on. But hiring a tech that becomes an RN, and already knows their system, and how their team works...if anything I think they'd be cool with that. And if you think about it, in probably every single job interview, hospital related or not, they are going to ask you what your future goals are, what are you going to say, "Just plan on being a tech for a while." Even if you were planning on staying a tech, you have to have some sort of future goals, even if it were to be being a tech leader, or something. You have to have goals. So, no, you tell the truth and say, I plan on being a tech at "said prestigious hospital", where I can learn as much as I possibly can from the best environment and the best team possible (or the best team/hospital around) so that when I graduate my current RN program I will be more prepared to deal with the type of environment that I may face, and be better equipped to contribute in the best possible way, to the team, as an RN, now that I would know how different aspects of the team work. And once I graduate, I plan on applying, and being hired as an RN here, where I plan on staying for a LONG time. Maybe even throw in a 5-year goal or two, of furthering your education even more, or maybe doing some extra certifications to become part of a trauma team, or rapid response or code teams (because as you state they are a level 1 trauma center). This is just along the lines that I would take it, vs. omitting the fact that you are becoming an RN soon. Just my humble opinion. Much luck to you in the future.
As someone who was recently hired as a tech/student nurse, I would tell the truth. I graduate in the late spring ( about a year from now) and some hospitals did not want to hire me because they were looking for long term employees for the position. It cost money and time to train you for that position.Lying may be hurt your chances of getting an RN position at that hospital.
Specializes in Med/ Surg/ Telemetry, Public Health.
Yes, tell the truth and don't think twice about it. Telling the truth shows your character. In the end if you don't and you get caught in a lie,your employer would never consider you for future nursing positions anywhere in that hospital. Good luck I hope everything works out for you.
This is what I was thinking too @FutureRN_15. Also, they have a new grad program I would eventually want to be a part of. The reason I applied to ed tech is because I am not 100% positive ill get my diploma by September I could be getting it in December due to financial situations. So, in the mean time I could get the experience in ER learning from the greatest team while my situation gets fixed. maybe if I'm lucky i get a RN position there if not at least I learned something....
I think that is a SMART plan! Good luck to you and all of your endeavors!
Which you will have absolutely no chance of getting if you screw your manager by lying.
Everyone seems to think people don't lie to climb the ladder? You have got to be kidding me! As much as everyone wants to think if you tell the truth, it will get you far. No it won't. Stop being ignorant and realize everyone makes choices based off of selfishness. Managers are use to this, they will not come back and say well...you lied to me. @nursebaby88, all you have to do is say I have graduated from such and such program and would like to apply for the graduate program blah blah. And most likely, that manager has NOTHING to do with the grad program.
I definitely vote for telling the truth. If you don't tell the truth when starting the job, they may overlook you when applying for the new grad program. Being honest gives them time to prepare. Let them know you are completing your program in the fall and when you plan to take NCLEX. That will give them a timeline of how long you will be a tech before being interested in becoming and RN. Tell them you would really enjoy being an RN there once licensed and you dont intend to leave after graduation. I actually lost out on a job for telling the truth but it was actually a good thing. The hospital I was applying as a CNA to requires emplyment post orientation for a year in order to internally apply for positions. This was 2 months ago and I graduate in December. Granted i may not pass NCLEX first time (hope thats not te case) and licesning could take a bit, I could potentially have been a nurse with no ability to apply for a few months after graduation. Wouldn't be the end of the world, but I would like to use my license once I get it.
They will not overlook her for the grad program...based on whether she tells the truth or not...for time to prepare for her to be admitted. The grad program admission process is probably based on the requirements for any other grad nursing program. Not whether you told a "lie" but based on your GPA, performance, experience, etc.
Everyone seems to think people don't lie to climb the ladder? You have got to be kidding me! As much as everyone wants to think if you tell the truth, it will get you far. No it won't. Stop being ignorant and realize everyone makes choices based off of selfishness. Managers are use to this, they will not come back and say well...you lied to me. @nursebaby88, all you have to do is say I have graduated from such and such program and would like to apply for the graduate program blah blah. And most likely, that manager has NOTHING to do with the grad program.
I'm not being ignorant and that was extremely rude. You aren't even a nurse yet. I've been one for 30 years. I've worked in different hospital systems and on all levels of nursing. The nursing world is very small. They talk. A lot. You clearly have no understanding of this. If you lie and as a result of that lie leave the unit and the hospital in the lurch it will be noted in HR in your file. They pull these files to evaluate in-house candidates for new grad programs. So yes, all the managers will know. And so will all the managers in any other associated hospital. I question the ethics of anybody who thinks it's okay to outright lie. Where will you draw the line?
.thumb.jpg.32153ff3eaff9886e5b70223acf10ffa.jpg){kind=small}
mrsboots87
1,761 Posts
I definitely vote for telling the truth. If you don't tell the truth when starting the job, they may overlook you when applying for the new grad program. Being honest gives them time to prepare. Let them know you are completing your program in the fall and when you plan to take NCLEX. That will give them a timeline of how long you will be a tech before being interested in becoming and RN. Tell them you would really enjoy being an RN there once licensed and you dont intend to leave after graduation. I actually lost out on a job for telling the truth but it was actually a good thing. The hospital I was applying as a CNA to requires emplyment post orientation for a year in order to internally apply for positions. This was 2 months ago and I graduate in December. Granted i may not pass NCLEX first time (hope thats not te case) and licesning could take a bit, I could potentially have been a nurse with no ability to apply for a few months after graduation. Wouldn't be the end of the world, but I would like to use my license once I get it.