What's better for nursing student?

[trendingsnow]

Okay so I'm in need once again for some advice from all you lovely folks. I currently work as a Nursing assistant at a SLF. The facility that I work in doesn't even require you to be certified, though I am. My scope of practice is your basic helping with hygiene needs and ADL's. Even things as checking VS are usually left for our Medication Techs. I earned my certification about a year ago and chose this job to kind of get me started in the patient care field. I love my job and what I do, I get good hours, great pay, and there's always the possibility to pick up shifts and as a college student paying my own tuition and bills, I'm very thankful to have this opportunity. Other than these benefits, I really don't see any others that I'm getting by working here. I guess my question would be, that as a nursing student and future RN, would it be more beneficial to apply to my local hospitals and work there as a NA or PCT? I've been reading forums on here, and have seen others mention that as CNA's they do rounds with the RN and check VS and blood sugar and as nursing students it really helps them out. I feel like working in a SLF isn't doing me much good. Most days I'm stuck working on the memory care unit and 6 hours out of 8 are spent technically "babysitting" them and making sure they don't jump out of their wheelchair and try to walk. The only good thing about my job is that I was promised to be promoted to a Medication Tech next summer. In my facilities, the medication techs are the ones who pass out all of the meds and handle VS. I'm guessing this would look good on my resume and for my future career as a nurse...

So what do you all think? Would I be better off in the hospital?? Or should I stick to my current job and continue with my original plan of becoming a med tech...?

[calivianya, BSN, RN]

I think that if you can get into a hospital, that would be the better experience if you want to work in a hospital after graduation. However, CNA positions are even more competitive than nursing positions where I live, so I wouldn't count on getting hired in a hospital as a CNA until you have significant CNA experience, and maybe not even then. You will still be getting experience caring for patients even if you never make it into the hospital.

[Pangea Reunited, ASN, RN]

I can't imagine it would make much of a difference. You might do a few extra things in the hospital depending on the hospital's policies, but you'll be doing largely the same thing you're doing now. If you want a hospital job after graduation, it might help to have contacts there. On the other hand, there's a chance you might not like your new job as much as your old one (since you seem to like it well enough).

[loriangel14, RN]

Finding a job you are happy at is so important . I would stay put. You will learn the other stuff soon enough.