What can I do for healthcare employment while I wait for nursing school?

dee78 · Dec 10, 2009

I worked as a file clerk and transporter when I was 18. I transported patients to and from radiology. Have you checked nursing homes? They sometimes offer free CNA classes.

sunnycalifRN · Dec 10, 2009

I'd say that CNA is your best bet because you will start to get direct patient care experience. Have you checked at the community colleges for training? I didn't think that they were that expensive.

K nurse-one-day · Dec 10, 2009

If you have a lot of office experience, you could try a dr office. A girl that I work with just left because she got hire on as a secretary at a doctors office and she has no degree or medical experience.

racefan88 · Dec 10, 2009

Wow, I'm shocked at the price for CNA training where you live. I had my CNA training for less than $200.00 and that included the book! Sure I spent about $50 on the required scrubs but nowhere near $1000.00! Did you check your local CC? That's where I took it. Also, the nursing home where we had clinicals hired many of my classmates after they earned their certs. I was planning on waiting to get a job until after I graduate from the LPN program I'm in so I could just concentrate on that. Now I may give it more thought due to the posts about employers wanting experience. With the market the way it is, maybe I'll just go straight to the LPN to RN bridge program and worry about getting a job then...who knows, maybe the economy will be better.

arigsbee · Dec 10, 2009

My local community colleges, which are Gwinnett Tech and Lanier Tech in Georgia, charge $1500 for a phlebotomy class, and around $1200 for a CNA class. There are some other businesses locally that offer the training for around $800, but that's still more than I'm willing to spend, plus, some of them seem a little 'fly by night'....hard to tell if they are reputable.

That is a good tip on the doctor's office, but the office experience that I have is more at an 'account management' level - less administrative. I've been watching the ads for doc & dentist front office, and they're all asking for 1-3 years medical office experience...... *sigh*

cheska_rn, ASN, RN · Dec 10, 2009

I know what you mean! I start the nursing program in January, and had hoped to work as a CNA during the program. I called local nursing homes to see if any of them trained, and they said they don't anymore.

My comm college has a program, but it is a 10 credit-hr course, which means it would cost $700 before the extra fees they manage to tack on, plus you'd still have to buy your books/uniform. :eek: Yeah, like you said -- not paying $1,000 to get CNA certified.

Good luck in finding a job. I am blessed to have an employer that will work around my school schedule, but I wish it was in a clinical type setting so that I can gain more experience.

Oh, and I'm not sure about your local hospitals, but here once you have completed 1 year of nursing school, they will allow you to work in the patient care tech positions. That's a bit of a ways off for you, but at least then you may be able to get a year+ experience under your belt before you finish school.

acubed · Dec 10, 2009

Try a home health company that is looking for a senior companion. They use people who don't have a CNA to be a "sitter" for elderly people. You may do errands, keep them company, go to religious activity, play checkers, etc. Most want CNAs but sometimes they are just looking for a companion.

Dogstar · Dec 10, 2009

I understand that laying out $1000 for a $10/hr job seems a bit unreasonable on the face of it, BUT if you look at it as an investment in your career, it could be a very wise move. I will graduate with my ADN in May (knock on wood), and I left a pretty good management job last June to go to work as a "nursing student II," which is basically a PCT type position with extras, in a large urban teaching hospital. This has meant a substantial loss of income in the short term, but there is a BIG upside. Several points:

Most importantly, you'll have your foot in the door when you graduate. You'll be a known quantity, and If you've worked hard, networked, and displayed a great attitude and willingness to learn, hiring you will not be as big a risk as hiring some other new grad who may have a higher GPA, a better resume, or whatever. HR doesn't like risk.

The practical experience you'll gain is invaluable. Time spent in clinicals is all too short, and there is just no substitute for hands-on work in the trenches. I am fortunate to work with some wonderful people, and they've taught me so much on so many levels that I could never learn in school. Don't get me wrong; I am fully aware that I have a long way to go, but I am just so much more comfortable now in the hospital setting. I no longer feel like an imposter when I show up for clinicals -- LOL.

As another poster pointed out, you may not even have to lay out the dough you think. I guess that depends on where you're at and what the hospitals there offer, but where I work you can go to work as a nursing student I or PCA I after one semester of nursing school, and you are eligible for promotion after your 2nd semester in line with your advancing skill-set.

Anyway, this is just something to consider. Good luck to you!

Up2nogood RN, RN · Dec 10, 2009

You can work as a private companion/caregiver like one previous post mentioned. It won't pay a lot but you'll have some kind of experience on your resume, and the family/company/and/or client will train you to that specific case. My vented private duty client has caregivers that she trains to suction and do trach care on her also, good nursing experience in my opinion. I was thinking about doing phlebotomy before nursing school if I wasn't able to get in. Good luck with whatever path you decide.

86toronado, BSN, RN · Dec 10, 2009

I would try applying to other positions within the hospital setting-transporter, registrar, or even volunteer. Try for ones that would still give you some patient contact, rather than sitting in an office someplace. Once you have your foot in the door in some capacity, it is way easier to transfer into a patient care role than to get hired from the outside with no experience.

Another thing I was thinking when I was reading some of the other posts is that when I first trained as a PCT, quite a few of the people in my training class had no prior hospital experience, but had worked in group homes with the mentally challenged population. You could look to whatever your local agency who deals with that sort of thing is (here in NY it's the ARC.) They seem to always be looking for help.

Gerry1888RN · Dec 10, 2009

I would get my CNA even if it does cost a bit. I don't know what it is like at the school that you will be going to, but at my community college, being a CNA, or having completed a nursing assistant program, is a pre-req for the RN program. Also, you might want to think about volunteering at your local hospital as it may help with getting hired as a CNA, or even getting hired as a new grad RN when you have your degree.