What job be better while in nursing school?

Livetoride · May 20, 2015

If the goal is to be a RN, aim for CNA. Some schools require state certification as a pre-req to nursing school itself. It will be very demanding on the body but I feel as the pros outweigh the cons. I think the cost of the CNA course you are looking at though is pretty excessive.

Seibukan · May 20, 2015

Obviously biased given my background, but I'd say EMT - especially if you want to work in ED or critical care when you're done with school. As an EMT you can work as an ER tech or work for a private ambulance company. You will get a chance to work on rapid head to toe assessments and hone your critical thinking skills. Can't really chime in on being a CNA since I never was one. But I will say, CNA is a tough job. If you've ever heard that nurses are overworked and underappreciated, its even more true for CNAs.

I've always been interested in working within the intensive-care unit. My job right now is unrelated to the health care field, but I was planning on looking into a CNA program. Maybe an EMT program would be better after reading your post; definitely something to look into!

Miss Infermiera2b, BSN, RN · Jun 1, 2015

I know this isn't specifically what you asked, but I recently got a job as a medical scribe and I recommend that. I was going to go for my CNA but I got wind that some local nursing students were working in the ED as scribes and found it to be a great job while studying nursing. Incredibly flexible hours (only have to work 2 shifts per week minimum and the ED is obviously open 24/7) and you get great hospital experience working very closely with doctors. You also get to work a bit with nurses, but it's mostly a job to assist the physicians. I have spoken to more than a handful of nurses who got jobs right away in the ED as new grads. So, just something to consider! :)

akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P · Jun 1, 2015

If you have to work during school, the absolute best job you can have is one that allows you to study while at work. If that job happens to be in a hospital where you can become known (and try out their corporate/unit/floor culture) and has a high probability of being picked up as a Nurse there, then you've hit the jackpot.

Of the two types of jobs listed, the CNA job will get you used to doing the very basic nursing stuff. It's those things that you'll do all the time as a nurse and if you're a nurse where there aren't any CNAs available, you'll do "their" work. The EMT job also is a good one to take because you will be put into a position where you have to exercise some independent discretion about which protocol to implement. Sure, it's mind-numbing cookie-cutter work, but you will develop reasonably fast assessment skills (as long as you actually do assessments) and you will have to know what the protocols are and what you're required to do. However the skills you develop won't really be in nursing much as EMS is not normally a nursing thing.

Which job is best for you really depends upon what kind of nurse you might want to be. If you're more interested in ER type work, then EMT isn't a bad gig. If you're interested in some kind of inpatient nurse, then CNA would likely be better for you. Either way, by the end of nursing school, any skills advantage you'd get from either will be effectively gone (compared to your peers) so it'll be the more mental aspects that will make more of a difference, how you approach situations.

WCSU1987 · Jun 1, 2015

Never found ICU exciting ha a lot of codes and respiratory codes. Mostly worked next door in the Cath Lab of the Cardiac ICU.

tiny_nurse · Jun 2, 2015

I work in a pediatric library in a children's hospital. It gives you time to study and still allows you to work with patients and families. I have to agree with akulahawkRN. I think it's a good idea to have a job where it's okay to study. :)

WCSU1987 · Jun 2, 2015

^^^ Agree I been trying to get into 2 night time mental health spots. One at my local hospital, 3 miles down the road and 3 miles from school, but didn't work. They have openings for CNAs, think 30 biggest hiring they ever had. Then a few PCT spots and some ER spots...ER spots hire EMTS, but everything else need a CNA.

Unfortunately probably wouldn't have my cert by then. I applied to another hospital affiliated with mine they don't run 8 hour shifts in patient care area's and same position I work at theu do night's. It's a longer drive maybe a 40 mile round trip, but the hospital holds spots for employees in a evening nursing program near the school. It's full time 3 days a week and hospital pay's $5,000 a year for your program knocking it down to $10,000 total. Unfortunately haven't heard anything back kind of bummed.

So back to the drawing board. Debating now between pharmacy tech and being a CNA.