Where can I work in the med field?

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I am a pre-nursing student with no other college degrees, and I've also been a stay at home mom for 10 yrs. I am in need of a job right now, and would like to work in a medical surrounding. What types of jobs are there for people like me? People that want to work in a hospital, but not a nurse yet? I've heard of a Tech, but I don't know if that's the official name, what are the qualifications, etc? I want something to get some experience, but also need a job right now. I also realize it might be difficult to find a job in this economy (which is why I've been forced to look for a job myself). Any ideas?

question....

aimed mostly at mama2fiveboys...

How would one go about volunteering at the ER??

I'm a hospital volunteer. Check the hospitals website and call the volunteer services office. They usually have a volunteer application they will mail to you along with other info. They also tell you what areas of the hospital they are accepting volunteers. In my experience, after your app is sent in they will send out requests for letters of recommendation from people you choose. Once they receive those, they will call you for an interview. That process takes about a month. They usually let you volunteer where you want. The only area people can't get into immediately (there is a wait list) is to be a "cuddler." That's where cuddle newborns.

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If you can get in the door (even as a volunteer) at a hospital, I think the rest will work itself out. I volunteered a few hours a week for a few months and now I have gotten 2 job offers and have another interview next week (in the same hospital). Make as many contacts as you can while you are volunteering, and if your local hospital has a website, check for jobs daily. Good luck!

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Thank you very much happy2learn!!!

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Thank you very much happy2learn!!!

No problem! I volunteer in the emergency department and the oncology floor.

The volunteer staff is usually very friendly. They will let you volunteer wherever you want, as long as they have room. Try a few different hospitals too. Three other hospitals in the area didn't have openings in the emergency department.

The volunteer manager also told me she will let me rotate around every quarter if I want to so I can experience every department in the hospital. That way I can at least have an idea of what areas I enjoy by the time I become an RN.

Good luck to you and I hope you enjoy it!

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H2L,

That's amazing!!! I hope they let me rotate too. I'll be like a spring chicken in a roaster!!! Rotating to perfection... lol...:yeah:

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H2L,

That's amazing!!! I hope they let me rotate too. I'll be like a spring chicken in a roaster!!! Rotating to perfection... lol...:yeah:

:hhmth: That's hilarious!!!

I'm sure one of them will so just look around until you find the perfect place to "roast":lol2:

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I'll keep you updated.. :up:

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question....

aimed mostly at mama2fiveboys...

How would one go about volunteering at the ER??

I'm glad someone else responded about volunteering. I am slow!

I started off calling the volunteer office. They sent me an application in the mail which I returned and didn't get a call back as quickly as I thought I would. I finally called them, and they set up an interview with me. They told me to come to Volunteer Orientation. I was given paperwork on hospital policies (HIPPA, fire drills, etc.) and a tour with the other new volunteers. The ER offered the most patient contact so that is where they place a lot of nursing/medical students. I have to 9 hours of training. So far I have been showed around the ER by a knowledgable volunteer. We made sure there were clean, made up beds in the hallway, wheel chairs were returned to the front of the building, emptied bags of linens and stocked carts with sheets and blankets. I would eventually like to be on their 6-9 pm schedule a few times a month. They have 3 hour shifts. There were mostly elderly patients, and my trainer said that's typical.

One really helpful thing...the hospital provided me with a free titer blood draw, free TB screening, and free Hep B vaccinations, which I will need all that when I enter nursing school.

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