Why become a Hospital PCT/PCA/CNA while in NS?

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Reasons: It's a great way to earn money while you learn. It gets your foot in the door. It's a great way to build references/network. It's a great way to learn practical and basic nursing skills such as ekg's, blood draws, collecting specimens, charting, etc...It's a great way to see what area's/specialties/units you'd be interested in working in. But most impt, you get to see what the real world is like.

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Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

CNA's don't typically do blood draws. Or EKG's. But it IS real world experience and you will learn great bedside manner (hopefully) and get a feel for really assessing a patient from head to toe since you'll be in elbows deep in the nitty gritty of hands of patient care!

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Specializes in Cardiac, Home Health, Primary Care.
CNA's don't typically do blood draws. Or EKG's. But it IS real world experience and you will learn great bedside manner (hopefully) and get a feel for really assessing a patient from head to toe since you'll be in elbows deep in the nitty gritty of hands of patient care!

When I was a STUDENT tech (specific title and program) I got to do lab draws and EKG's and other skills we had learned in classes. They even let the SNT's take the rhythm strip class.

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When I was a STUDENT tech (specific title and program) I got to do lab draws and EKG's and other skills we had learned in classes. They even let the SNT's take the rhythm strip class.

Being a tech and being a student tech are two totally different things.

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Specializes in Cardiac, Home Health, Primary Care.
Being a tech and being a student tech are two totally different things.

Yes. OP had a thread on quitting a tech job during orientation. I recently posted about what I learned being a tech and what I also learned being a STUDENT tech (they were separate lists) to show that you can learn being a tech if you give it time. And possibly to let OP know that student tech jobs exist and can get you extra skills BESIDES helping with ADL's.

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Specializes in Cardiac, Home Health, Primary Care.
Yes. OP had a thread on quitting a tech job during orientation. I recently posted about what I learned being a tech and what I also learned being a STUDENT tech (they were separate lists) to show that you can learn being a tech if you give it time. And possibly to let OP know that student tech jobs exist and can get you extra skills BESIDES helping with ADL's.

So to finish my thought:

That may have been where OP got those examples lol.

Thought done.

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Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

I specifically said CNA's. CNA's aren't typically qualified to do lab draws and EKG's...

When I was a STUDENT tech (specific title and program) I got to do lab draws and EKG's and other skills we had learned in classes. They even let the SNT's take the rhythm strip class.
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Specializes in Hospice.

"I recently quit this past week my 1st ever tech job as a Nursing student b/c i felt it was unsafe. I had to juggle up to 15 patients, some mentally unstable and some being total/complete care with not much help from the nurses/techs and unsupportive management. I thought i'd be gaining valuable skills but all i did was clean patients for most of the day. This was something i was already taught in NS, so i dont need the additional practice. i felt like i was doing all the grunt work. The nurses were mainly charting and giving out meds, but they too seemed busy but their work is alot less physical. I was thinking of just working at my friends dads company as an administrative assistant until i graduate. It pays more and its a lot less work....It was a nice hospital, id like to go back, but only as a nurse."

This was your opening post in another thread. Now, you're all for it. Am I the only one smelling troll and complete waste of space??

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Specializes in Cardiac, Home Health, Primary Care.
I specifically said CNA's. CNA's aren't typically qualified to do lab draws and EKG's...

Ah. They go by so many names anymore (nurse assistants, nurse aides, techs, clinical support associates, etc) I was just grouping them all together.

No. CNA's aren't qualified to do those things generally. Now I get where I was misunderstanding the conversation = I wasn't noticing your specificity! :)

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

This was your opening post in another thread. Now, you're all for it. Am I the only one smelling troll and complete waste of space??

Well, to be fair, the "I quit in orientation" post was written 2 days after this one. So apparently the OP has changed his mind about the value of being a CNA once he experienced the work involved?

I do find it quite amusing, have to say.

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Well, to be fair, the "I quit in orientation" post was written 2 days after this one. So apparently the OP has changed his mind about the value of being a CNA once he experienced the work involved?

Perhaps he meant it was valuable experience.....as long as someone else was doing it? :)

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Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).

I think the best reason to do this is to gain a really good understanding of just how HARD a good CNA, PCT works and appreciate them when you become a nurse.

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