Where do you work?

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Hi,

i will take my CNA class+test this march, and I would really like to work in a hospital afterwards, but it seems like the only places around here that hire CNA's are nursing homes/assited living facilities/LTC units.

How do you get the "real" hospital jobs, like ICU, maternity ward....anything other than nursing home? I know the person who gave my baby girl her first bath (almost a year ago) was a CNA- thats the kind of job i would love :-)

and what's it like to work as a CNA- are you treated more or less like a nobody who has to do everything the nurses dont want to do, or do you feel like you are respected & appreciated?

Thanks :-)

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i do not know the answer as im still in clinicals, but this is exactly the question that has been weighing on my mind lately too!

any answers would be appreciated!

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Specializes in LTC.

Sometimes you just have to do your time in LTC to get to the more 'glamorous' jobs. I started out in Assisted Living thinking I wouldn't like it and I just fell in love with working on Dementia Units.

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

I got picked up straight from CNA training to work in an acute-care hospital med/surg unit. It doesn't happen often, but I interview very well, had excellent training, and I've also been in customer service (at the same store) for years. Combine all of that, and they felt I was good enough for the hospital.

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While I can't speak for all the hospitals in the area, the ones in NE Ohio that have STNA/CNA job postings all require a year of LTC experience.

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Specializes in LTC, AC, ER, Outpatient, Urgent Care.

If you can't get into a hospital right away, try doctor's offices. And no, I'm not just saying that because I'm "theofficegirl". :)

You may have to really search for an office who is willing to train you for that environment - but it's worth it - and any clinical training you receive at a doctor's office (phlebotomy, catheters, surgical prep, etc.) most certainly carries into a hospital environment.

But you have to be persistent. When you send resumes, follow up with a phone call, and politely ask for an interview where you can better articulate your skills and eagerness to learn more. If you answer an ad that reads "experienced", still contact them.

Good luck!

-Sara

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Hey Officegirl,

i am actually also working on a diploma as a medical office assistant, via distance education (thats my backup in case nursing school will take me forever), but the problem is, this program does not qualify me for certification (RMA-registered medical assistant) UNTIL i have one year of work experience. So do you think with the diploma and the CNA i will have a pretty good chance of being hired as a medical assistant? i also have over 1000 hours of work experience in LTC from my home country (they dont require cna registration). i would much rather work in a clinic than a nursing home. do they teach stuff like drawing blood etc.? since my program is distance learning, i really dont learn the practical stuff, just the theory. i chose the distance learning program because it was very affordable, is accredited and it doesnt require me to make any special babysitting arrangements, since i can study from home....

i would appreciate any thoughts on this....

thanks!

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Specializes in Psych, substance abuse, MR-DD.

I work in a Hospital on a medical respiratory/step down unit. I'm a nursing student and although I do not have CNA experience my 2 semesters of clinical experience was required, but I know that if you're not a student they require CNA experience for some floors/areas like L&D, ICU, ED, and prefer it for others like med-surg.

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Specializes in LTC, AC, ER, Outpatient, Urgent Care.
Hey Officegirl,

i am actually also working on a diploma as a medical office assistant, via distance education (thats my backup in case nursing school will take me forever), but the problem is, this program does not qualify me for certification (RMA-registered medical assistant) UNTIL i have one year of work experience. So do you think with the diploma and the CNA i will have a pretty good chance of being hired as a medical assistant? i also have over 1000 hours of work experience in LTC from my home country (they dont require cna registration). i would much rather work in a clinic than a nursing home. do they teach stuff like drawing blood etc.? since my program is distance learning, i really dont learn the practical stuff, just the theory. i chose the distance learning program because it was very affordable, is accredited and it doesnt require me to make any special babysitting arrangements, since i can study from home....

i would appreciate any thoughts on this....

thanks!

As far as I know, you can work in an office or clinic as a CNA without the CMA or RMA. It really all depends on your state law and the doctor's policies.

Honestly, it takes a lot of selling yourself to find a clinic which will train you on technical skills such as phlebotomy, EKG, etc., but they ARE out there. You might add during your interview that you're willing to go through a "training phase" where you work as a volunteer, or maybe a lower salary.

When I got my first clinic job back in '90 - I literally drove to every office and clinic in a 15 mile radius, dropping off my letter and resume. When they hired me, it was barely above minimum wage at the time, until I was "up to speed", then they paid the usual salary.

Being so happy in my new job, I started looking into certification - but several doctors told me it was a waste of money. The first doctor served as a reference to the second, those two to the third, and so on.

In my experience - it was the sheer persistence that paid off - the clinic that hired me was the last one I visited, 15 miles from my home.

Never give up!

:smilecoffeecup:

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Specializes in Pediatric/Adolescent, Med-Surg.

I work in a hosptial on a cardio/gen med floor. I was hired with no experience, put through two weeks of training, and then sent to my floor where I was further oriented. I had no prior aide experience. I also looked into LTC, but I'm glad I ended up in a hospital.

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Specializes in The multi-faceted world of Med-Surg!.

To be honest...I got lucky.

I promised myself during the first 2 semesters of nursing school I wouldn't work so I could do really well in school, and I did. After that first year, I pretty much hung out at the Human Resources office at this hospital that I really wanted to work for. I pretty much stalked the managers of the units that I was interested in and I kept handing in my resumes, letting them know that after nursing school I'd be very valuable to the institution because I might work for them as an RN. It took me a whole summer to finally get an interview, but the cool thing was that I didn't need a CNA certificate because I was already enrolled in nursing school.

Now I'm working on a really cool peri/post surgical unit as an aide (no diapers, not that it's such a biggie - weren't we all in diapers at one point?!). Once in a while I get floated to other units where it is kind of like a LTC facility, but I don't mind so much because I love working at a hospital.

Good luck on finding your temporary dream job...:mad:

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