What to do during the summer to enhance my nursing experience?

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During the summer I was wondering what I should do that is nursing related that doesn't require me to have a degree yet? By the way, next summer I will be a rising sophomore in college enrolled in nursing school. Thanks so much!

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Specializes in ICU.

Get into the hospital any way you can. Get your CNA cert, it's fairly simple and will give you a great head start. Apply to be a CNA, patient care technician, whatever that facility calls it! If you can't get into a hospital, then apply to long term care or nursing home. It will give you great experience on the basics.

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Specializes in CNA, Nursing Student.

Volunteering helps too. You network with the employees and managers and some places even offer scholarship opportunities for volunteers pursuing degrees in nursing.

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I would agree to maybe get your CNA certification so that you can get a part time job in the hospital. I'm not sure how things will be when you graduate, but right now the job market is tough so it will definitely help you if you have your foot in the door. Once you have your CNA certification then research hospitals that have good new grad programs and try to get a job at one of those. I graduated in May and most of the students who were working at hospitals have been able to secure jobs there and those of us who didn't do that have been having a hard time even hearing back from hospitals. Keep yourself ahead of the game.

If you don't want to make that kind of committment volunteering can always help too. I volunteered at the local hospital just starting in January and I have an interview there on Monday for their new grad program so I'm pretty sure the volunteering helped.

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