still in school and need a job for experience

[hitz9245]

hi i was just wondering if anyone can give me good advice or information. i have changed my major a couple of times and have graduated with a BA in psychology and currently trying to get my BSN in nursing. im trying to look for jobs that i can do now to have the experience when i graduate but i dont know what i can do without having a nursing degree already? can anyone help? thanks

[RNBSNxo]

While I was in nursing school I worked as a nursing assistant. I was not a certified nursing assistant but the hospital did not require this. I would find a hospital that does not require a certificate and is understanding of how your schedule will be when you are in nursing school. I worked part-time and my nursing program was full-time. If the certificate is an issue then I think once you have one year of nursing school experience, or something like that, you are able to work as a nursing assitant.

Call the human resources department of whatever hospital you are interested in and set up a meeting with the recruiter or just over the phone explain your situation. Its also better, my experience and my friends, to be working in a hospital as a nursing assistant/aide when you graduate as an RN because you have a better chance of moving up in the same hospital from assistant to RN rather than doing a whole hiring process as an RN in a new facility.

[April, RN, BSN, RN]

A nursing assistant is a great way to get experience while in school. The job title may also be called a CNA, PCA, PCT, tech, LNA. In my area, you can either complete the CNA training course or you can work as a nursing assistant after you complete one clinical rotation.

[himilayaneyes]

Get a job as a CNA or nurse extern/intern.

[Lizzie21]

I know that most hospitals do student extern positions. that way you can gain experience and feel comfortable with patients and being on the floor. I think that would be a great way to gain experience. also look at the boards at school to see if there are any internship programs for student nurses to do!

[Lyndx]

I also graduated with a BA in psychology and was trying to get into nursing school to get an accelerated BSN. In the two years since I have graduated, I have worked at a children's residential treatment facility with boys/girls who have been abused/neglected - lots of PTSD, ADHD, Reactive attachment disorders, and also worked in an all-female adolescent residential treatment facility where the clients' behaviors are more delinquent (conduct disorder, anger management, substance abuse). I applied only to one program - U of CO Anshutz medical campus - and was accepted first time around. I am still working in the all-girls facility PT, and hoping to work in peds further down the line. Hope that helps!!!

[BluegrassRN]

Are you wanting to use your psychology degree with your nursing degree? For example, working in some sort of area that requires teaching about lifestyle changes (diabetic educator) or in some sort of drug and alcohol rehab facility, mental health nursing, or prison nursing? If so, try to get ANY type of job at a facility at which you might want to work after school. First of all, all staff at such facilities (janitors, secretaries, etc) get some amount of specialized training, and they learn a lot just from being in the environment. Secondly, once you have a foot in the door, it is easier to know which positions are open and to transfer to a preferred position. Thirdly, most facilities try to grow their own, and so once you graduate from school, you are more likely to be hired than someone who didn't work there previously. Fourthly, from a benefits standpoint, your time in the facility counts. I have been at my facility only 3 years as an RN; before that I spend several years as an aide, unit secretary, and then LPN. My retirement plan is the same that I started 10 years ago. And where I work, vacation days are determined by length of service; you accrue more vacation per year the longer you've been there. I get 5 days more a year than the nurses who were hired at the same time I finished my RN. Finally, some facilities offer tuition reimbursement for employees, and you will be able to benefit from that immediately.

Ultimately, ANY job in a health care related field, even if it is "just" a janitor at a local health department, will increase your knowledge of the health care industry. So look for ANY jobs at any facility. I personally think that working as an aide in a hospital is the very best job for a nursing student, as you learn so much that directly benefits your education; but I may only think that because that is the route that I chose.