Hospital Jobs Available While In Nursing School?
I'm currently a graphic designer going back to school for nursing. I work during the day and go to school at night, and am finishing up prereqs and any classes I can before diving into the 9-5 nursing curriculum, to allow me to work as much as possible before starting. I'm wanting to get a job on the weekends in a hospital environment, what is available to me? I have a bachelors but it's in Studio Art, so that doesn't apply at all. I dont mind what I'd do, I just want to get into that area as much as possible to get some sort of hospital experience under my belt. Suggestions?
August 16th, 2009 at 9:56 pm
I had a really hard time getting into a hospital without any previous medical experience as a certified nursing assistant or something similar. In fact, I didn’t get a job in a hospital at all while in nursing school.
It depends on where you live and how desperate they are for help, but generally hospitals are hard to get into without experience. You’ll need to be a CNA for nursing school, right? Try getting a job as a CNA at a nursing home, or a group home for the developmentally disabled or something similar. They are great for gaining experience in caring for patients’ basic needs. Put in 6 months or so then start applying to hospitals and you’ll have a better chance.
August 17th, 2009 at 2:36 am
Your best bet is to get in contact with the Human Resources department at the local hospitals and talk to them about what they think might fit. Also you may want to talk to the people at the school because they might know of whats availble and going on. Some hospitals hire while you are in school, so start with the human resources department. Or just log onto the hospitals website and check out there employment opportunity links.
August 17th, 2009 at 9:10 am
Definitely talk to the people who run your nursing program and to the faculty. My daughter graduated from the nursing program at the University of Maryland. Working in a hospital was a required part of the program, so you may not have to worry about getting experience on your own before you “dive in.” You may have plenty before you’re done!
If you honestly don’t mind what kind of experience you get, you might also think about volunteering. Most hospitals have volunteer programs. While you may not do anything medical, you will see how the hospital runs, what a typical day is like for a nurse, and perhaps make contacts that will help you in your career.
Good luck!