will i be able to get a job in a hospital as a graduate nurse or cna?

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I graduated from a foreigh nursin school with a bachelors of science degree in nursing and is now living in chicago. i am currently awaiting my licensure. will i be able to get a job in a hospital as a graduate nurse or cna while awaiting my licensure and what are some of the best hospitals/institutions to apply to?

thanks in advance.

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Specializes in ICU.

Not too familiar with chicago, but just look up magnet hospitals in your neighborhood. Or teaching hospitals are always a good pick. Not to say they won't have their internal issues but to err is human!

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Specializes in pediatric.

I know in my area (Massachusetts) most of the time, hospitals will not hire you if you are already a licensed nurse for a CNA position. Some hospitals even go as far as letting go CNA's as soon as they receive their RN license.

Good Luck.

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Specializes in ER OR LTC Code Blue Trauma Dog.

I think it depends on the facility for which you are applying.

Some places actually require that you hold a CNA certification credential before you are eligible to apply for the job. A "certified" nursing assistant is just that and some employers have the expectation and requirement for this certification regardless of any previous background or experience.

Other places may not.

I know it seems silly for an RN to become certified as a CNA in order to secure a job, but some places have certain accreditation standards and requirements like that. It's sort of a strange bureaucracy of standards you will be up against.

Another route to look into instead of a CNA is to practice as an "Advanced Unlicensed Assistant" or (AUA) This usually encompasses the objective that you will practice at the facility and remain accountable to the Board of Nursing in your scope of practice until such a time you are "licensed" to practice as an RN. Your local board of nursing may or may not have established provisions for AUA's but it's worth a Google search and looking into.

Basically this is a perfect route for nurses in your exact situation. It employs the idea that you receive board approval through establishing that you have acquired the necessary training and set of specific skills to practice in this limited capacity.

Probably pays a little better than a CNA too and I hope that helps.

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

You can try, but don't be surprised if you get rejected--a lot of hospitals won't hire a RN as a CNA because they know the minute a RN job opens up they're out of there. They'd rather not waste the time and money training you as a CNA when they know you won't stay. You'd be better off focusing on searching for RN jobs. Good luck!

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You need to research the Nurse practice act of Illinois. Easy to find on the internet. Illinois does not allow you to practice at all until you are licensed. I have heard that you will not interview either until you are licensed in most facilities.

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Specializes in CT stepdown, hospice, psych, ortho.
I know in my area (Massachusetts) most of the time, hospitals will not hire you if you are already a licensed nurse for a CNA position. Some hospitals even go as far as letting go CNA's as soon as they receive their RN license.

Good Luck.

I know of instances where this happened sort of. Neither had a license yet but they were both graduates from RN programs. Without the license the hospital felt they were walking time bombs for doing something outside a CNA scope of practice.

How long does getting the RN license take? Would you even be done with orientation? That wouldn't be very fair to your employer UNLESS someone is willing to hire you as a CNA or monitor tech or something until you get your RN license squared away. Don't know how much they are doing that in this present economy but I was a monitor tech for the weeks of purgatory between graduation and NCLEX.

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