How do I work in a hospital while Iam earning my pre-requisites for my Assoc. in Nursing? The problem is... (bachelors, Associates degree)

[mariposabella]

I havent been accepted to a nursing program yet. I havent even applied because I need to take some pre-requisites( in Jan. 2009 I will start classes) before I apply to the Nursing program. I want to work in a hospital while Im earning my pre-requisites for an ADN. How do I get a job at a hospital? I abhor my waitressing job and want to get my foot in the door at a hospital ASAP. Any info or advice would be wonderful! Sorry I didnt know where to put this, maybe there should be an occupation forum.

[sean98125]

Go to the hospital HR department, look for a job, and apply for it. There are plenty of nutrition services and environmental services jobs available. Be sure to ask about tuition reimbursement programs when you apply.

[jps-teacher]

Originally Posted by mariposabella

I didnt know where to put this, maybe there should be an occupation forum.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/work-employment/

Good luck in your job search and career path!

[Sundance]

You can get a job as a nurse aide. You'll get a taste of what you'll be dealing with.

I wouldn't encourage anyone to go into nursing these days.

And that's the understatement of the century.

[sean98125]

Why wouldn't you encourage anyone to go into nursing? Nurses are in very high demand and very short supply these days, and there are plenty of career paths that take you out of direct patient care if you get burned out on that. Nurses where I work start out making $50K+ a year with a 2 year degree.

[Padgett2]

They go by different names, but hospitals have Personnel Offices that do the hiring. Sometimes they are called Human Resource Department ( I never understood that one) But all you have to do is put in an application there. Ask about openings available in the various departments. If you can type or use a computer, even the admitting or cashiers offices will give you a look at the workings of a hospital. A file clerk in Medical Records or the various other departments is another good start.

Hospitals are interesting places to work. There always seems to be something going on. Be prepared to work shift work if necessary. If you start off by telling the interviewer that you don't want to work nights or weekends, you have already shot yourself in the foot as far as a job with a hospital.

[mm_mary73]

Originally Posted by mariposabella

I havent been accepted to a nursing program yet. I havent even applied because I need to take some pre-requisites( in Jan. 2009 I will start classes) before I apply to the Nursing program. I want to work in a hospital while Im earning my pre-requisites for an ADN. How do I get a job at a hospital? I abhor my waitressing job and want to get my foot in the door at a hospital ASAP. Any info or advice would be wonderful! Sorry I didnt know where to put this, maybe there should be an occupation forum.

Many ADN programs require a student to be a nurse assistant prior to being
accepted into the program. The reasons are many, but it helps potential students get a feel for the profession. Once you have taken the classes for CNA and pass the state test, you should be on your way. Be very clear, CNAs do hard, thankless-at-times work that is not easier than waiting tables.
Good luck to you.

[renee_cal]

May I also add that many hospitals will train you to be a CNA and pay u will you are being trained

[mommytotwo]

Originally Posted by sean98125

Why wouldn't you encourage anyone to go into nursing? Nurses are in very high demand and very short supply these days, and there are plenty of career paths that take you out of direct patient care if you get burned out on that. Nurses where I work start out making $50K+ a year with a 2 year degree.

I don't know where you are, but where I am that "two year degree" could easily take you 3.5-4 years to complete.

In my opinion that is why there is a shortage of nursing.

(that is why there is at least ONE less nurse, me.)

I checked out the nursing program at STCC (springfield technical community college, MA) and basically, if I am remembering this correctly, I would have to take at least a year's worth of classes (A&P and its prereq's like bio and chemistry (they will accept high school chemistry no matter how old but will not take a college chem class that did not have a lab), and i think maybe algebra (if you think you haven't had algebra in long enough to pass that portion of the exam---and lets face it after 15 years most of us might need a refresher course) and I can't remember what else. After all those classes, you take an exam, I don't really remember the exam, but it is a pre req. to APPLY for the nursing program.

The reason to take the above classes before the exam is so that you will do well on the exam, which plays a big part in your being accepted to the program.

Then, they want you to finish ALL the non nursing classes with as high a GPA as possible BEFORE APPLYING to the nursing program. If you are a CNA you look even better on your app. After you finish all the non-nursing classes, you then apply for the nursing program (By March of the year prior to the year you want to start, so if you wanted to start in Sep 09, next year, you would have already missed the deadline by 5 months)

So then you apply, there are 500 applicants and they accept about 75-100 per year. If you don't make it, they wait list you for ONE year. If you don't get bumped up from the wait list during that year, you have to reapply like everyone else.

Now I don't know about you, but going to school for 3.5 years just to earn an associates in ANYTHING is not my cup of tea, especially since I already have a bachelors degree in something else, and I could go get a masters degree in education in less time........

The mere fact that they expect you to put in 2 years before you are even accepted to the program is absolutely ludicrous. The nursing classes alone supposedly take two years and you cannot work during them (according to the admissions guy). So after all that you get an ASSOCIATES DEGREE???? Unbelievable. I understand that there are pre requisites for classes, for example, my husband initially went to school for medical technology. he was required to take all the science courses that nurses take, maybe plus a couple more, and the med tech courses. but after all that, he received a BACHELORS degree, not an associates, and he was in the med. tech. program the whole time, not just investing his time and money before even knowing if he was accepted.

So no, I would not recommend anyone go to nursing school unless a.) they have taken all those science courses already (and recently, at that) and b.) they have a fall back plan of something else they are going to do that requires all those science courses. Otherwise, they will find that they wasted a couple good years of their life. (and lets face it, a couple years of hard core science classes is no joke, not something I would want to do for nothing)

Or, since there is such a shortage, maybe some of these places could EXPAND their nursing programs. Hmmmmmmm, lots of qualified candidates + nursing shortage=tiny nursing programs? it doesnt make sense.

Nurses make good money, yes, but lets not forget that they are overworked and stressed out in many instances. My cousin was a third shift nurse for years, and sometimes she didn't have a chance to eat her meal! Some of the stories she could tell.