how to find a related job as pre-nursing student? an RN with 20+ years experience suggested I get exposure to being around patients and get my foot in the door. What positions should I be applying for without any kind of certification?

Apply for positions as a nursing assistant (NA/tech/healthcare tech/etc.) as this type of position will definitely get you exposure with patients. I wish I had that valuable experience before my nursing school and first job because it would have helped me get more comfortable with being around patients and knowing what kind of care they need. I honestly think that those who have that prior experience tend to have a better experience in both nursing school and in their first year as a nurse!

Becoming a CNA is the greatest experience to prepare you for a nursing career. You can also get a registration type job in a hospital that puts you in that environment.

You can try to become a Patient Care Advocate or Patient Registration Technician. You could also work at the front desk of a physicians office, medical facility, or hospital. These positions don’t typically require a certificate but, would give you exposure to patient information, clinical processes, medical terminology, and the collaborations of healthcare teams.

The need for a mental health nurse is on the rise. You can always apply to psych nursing positions, Nursing home positions, And definitely look into contract jobs with Healthcare Agencies.

There are at least 3 possibilities for employment for pre-nursing students: (1) Apply to be a Nurse Assistant at a local nursing home or skilled nursing facility. They may provide training to non-licensed personnel. This will give you a ton of hospital based experience quickly, close to an acute hospital environment. (2) Home health agencies, like Home Instead, will hire non-licensed personnel. Home Health is another good option: you will be working with people who may have been recently discharged from a hospital or nursing home, with similar needs. (3) Local hospitals will hire Nurse Technicians, those without nursing licenses: apply for their training program. B McPherson, EdD, RN.

Apply for any Nursing assistant type of job. This will get you hands on OJT and with those who hire in the facility. If you are in a small area try to travel to one with a larger institution as there will be more options in different areas. Some states require CNA certifications and some don't so it's all about finding the right place to get that shoe in.

You can be a volunteer at a local hospital. I know a lot of hospitals have volunteers who are also nursing students looking to get some exposure.

Pre nursing student huh? Your time is already eaten up with school work and you don't want more classes to stdy for cna cert. I get it but you can't have it both ways if you want a paycheck. If you just want to be in a hospitalsetting and get the vibe and be with patients then be a volunteer at your hospital. Another great job for pre nursing in unit secretary. No cert and you get to be privy on orders etc.

I used to work at an advertisement agency before I got into nursing school. I tried everything to get a job and health care with no luck. I ended up volunteering for Kaiser in the emergency department. You can volunteer as little as 2 hours every week
and it's good experience, I got some good references and it looks great on my resume.

Work as a CNA in a nursing home for example. I did that before i started school. Invaluable experience

Many hospital systems will train you to be a patient care tech. They are widely needed. You could accept a job in patient transport or as a unit secretary to get your foot in the door.

Find a CBRF for immediate hire without experience. Hospitals around Madison, WI train CNAs a no charge and hire them once the training is completed and they’ve passed their certification exam. Some hospitals will help pay for nursing school. I got through school with minimal out of pocket expenses.

Nurse aide/ nurse tech in a hospital

Your best experience will come from being a certified nursing assistant or medical assistant. Call your local hospitals HR Dept and ask them if they have a program for someone wanting to get started into their nursing career as you are a nursing student. Most larger hospitals already have programs in place where they will hire you, put you through their CNA course and get you into their nursing student program. Some even pay you at a higher rate than just a CNA as you are in nursing school and tracking to graduate as a nurse! The other option is to check with your local community colleges to find out when they have their next CNA class and from there you can work where you want. Other than that, you can check out the local nursing homes and they will hire you and put you through their CNA class. Some medical offices will hire front end staff knowing that you are in nursing school and may stay and work for them. Transport tech in a hospital gives you one on one with patients as you transport them for radiology tests/procedures and to surgeries. Good luck!

I would look into a hospital nursing assistant job. Most hospitals will train you for this job. You will be able to see what nursing entails and ask questions. As a hospital employee you can demonstrate your hard work and dedication to your employer and hopefully move up faster after you get your education and pass your state boards. In addition, most employers will help you with your education tuition if needed.

Not sure what city you’re in… here in Los Angeles our county hospitals have a position called Student Nurse Worker… you essentially work as a CNA… however the RNs recognize you’re a student and will often let you observe (with patient permission of course) procedures, treatments etc

I was a phlebotomist all through nursing school. They trained me on the job, I learned bedside manner, and I got comfortable with poking people with needles. This really helped me with IV placement. I almost always get them on the first try. I definitely recommend this, or even a CNA job. Get your foot in the door with a potential future nursing unit, and you may have a job lined up before you even graduate!

I would look for a unit secretary position on a hospital medical or surgical floor or in a nursing home or memory care hospital
.

Some places will train you to be a CNA or even pay you to get your CNA certificate if you commit to so many hours a week. I volunteered as a candy striper when I was 15, then they hired me as a CNA when I was just 16. This was a nursing home. I never had a certificate but you may have to now. I worked a summer in the nursing home, then per diem in a hospital as a CNA. I ended up being a labor and delivery nurse for 41 years. CNA in a nursing home was very hard but taught me so much!!

You could be a patient transporter. You would get to see all the floors and departments in the hospital and get to know where you want to work. It’s a great way to interact with patients as well.

Before nursing school, I worked as a registration clerk in a local emergency room. Then in nursing school, I worked as a clinic assistant helping specialty physicians with outpatient procedures.

Nursetech. Every health system will call it something different though.

Look for an extern position. I worked as an extern my entire time in nursing school.

Try for a patient care technician

There are so many different positions you can try to get into. I started in Transportation then moved to a ward/unit clerk in the hospital. You can also look for positions in patient registration to get interactions directly with patients. There are also some backend jobs where you dont interact with patients as much like house keeping and food service. None of those positions require certifications.

After 17yrs in Info Tech, making the change to nursing with absolutely no experience, I sought out home health aide positions. I focused on assisting clients with their ADLs. Since I knew very little about caregiving and disability, I started our conversations around that and asked them to be blunt and point out where/when/how I can adjust such as my language. This was hugely beneficial and they were very receptive because this gets to what will be referred to as “Patient centered care”. They felt heard, understood and I learned about the humility, yet confidence of my role and subtle nuances of disability, and home care.

There are many positions in health care and health insurance that can provide opportunities to work with patients. Patient Advocate, Customer or Member services, Health Plan survey or data collection, front desk clerk, doctor's office receptionist, Utilization Management Coordinator, Surgery Scheduler, Care Coordinator, etc. Look in outpatient and inpatient (hospital/facility), physician medical groups and health plans. There are many opportunities out there that will expose you to patient care without certification, and give you a greater chance of being hired as a licensed nurse in the near future.

IT IS MUCH BETTER TO TAKE COURSES LIKE 1. CERTIFIED NURSE ASSISTANT {CNA- JOB IS TO ASSIST NURSES IN PATIENT CARE} OR TAKE A COURSE AS A 2. PHLEBOTOMIST { JOB YOU DO IS ONLY TO EXTRACT BLOOD FROM PATIENTS] . THESE 2 ARE SHORT COURSES AND YOU ARE CERTIFIED. YOU ARE PAID AND CAN DO THESE JOBS PART TIME AND WILL HELP YOU FINANCE YOUR STUDY AND MOST OF ALL, {1} EXPOSURE TO PATIENT CARE AND {2} GOOD AND EXCELLENT IN VENOUS LINES INSERTION FOR INTRAVENOUS THERAPY {FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE AS PHLEBOOTOMIST}. I KNOW BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN A CRITICAL CARE NURSE FOR 50 YEARS AND HAVE WORKED IN 5 CONTINENTS IN PLANET EARTH.

Did the 20+ nurse give you any suggestion? You can apply for unit secretary which would put you in a hospital to be around patients and nursing to see/learn from their experience. However, if you can get a Tech certification, even though, it may be some scut work at time being in the thick of things will allow you to get a lot of 2nd hand experience. You also can buddy with the nurses who like to train and teach and within the hospital scope and you cert you may get some good hands on.

Also, this will give you a great insight of what kind of nurse you want and don't want to be in your own practice when you graduated, as well to see what area of practice you want to specialize in. I work as a nurses aid ( back then that what it was called) on a med surg floor. And I knew for sure I did not want to be a med surg nurse or work in the ER, I went into Critical care telem then ICU/PACU. I hope this helped the Best in you nursing journey.

You can seek employment as a Unit Clerk. You will learn about patients, their families and the dynamics of a nursing unit. Look into requirements for CNA or Patient Care Technician. Good luck. You can do this!

PCA/HHA and volunteer at local food shelf's, assisted living. Companies will pay for your schooling. There are sick people everywhere and remember to keep your eyes open and your mind free of judgment. Often times mental health and dependency look alike. As well as derm and psych. Get to know the patient but don't be ignorant or enabling. Old nurse, sorry. Good luck and keep your head up. Pick your battles and be kind cause it's the right thing to do.

get your CNA certificate, you will be working with CNA's and its good to know what they do. It's also great experience

Unit secretary doesn't require certification, you will get to experience a hospital unit.
Some hospitals will train you to be a nurse's aide and help you get a certification with on the job training and the ability to pass the test after you start and complete the training.
Medical records can get your foot in the door and you will learn the importance of documentation.
Doctor's office front desk clerk.
Attend hospital job fairs as you will be face to face with recruiters and there you can sell your passion about getting into the industry.

If you are able to, getting a CNA/PCT or EMT certificate is a great way to get a job and work in a hospital and get exposure. Otherwise, working as a transporter would definitely expose you to patient populations. You can also work in a skilled nursing facility. In some cases the hospital may help pay or reimburse you for nursing school.

Several jobs are great exposure. These might take some training depending your state/hospital systems. Training to work as a phlebotomists is great and will only help you as a RN. EKG tech is another one that is great. Unit secretary in a hospital setting or front desk in an urgent care is another great one, you get a feel for RN work flow and can begin to understand charting systems like EPIC.

Start in med surg for at least a year until you can think/decide what sub specialty who would be interested in. I ended up as an OR nurse which was perfect for me.

Mental health techs don't need certification and you can get used to working with patients also nursing students can get jobs as cnas or student nurses

You can try to get a volunteer shadowing position in a physician's office or maybe in an ER as a volunteer patient advocate. Most offices won't hire you without any certification, but you can try..... Another thing you could do is get an MA certificate. Or maybe as a receptionist in a physicians office .

Possibly patient transport, unit clerk, housekeeping, and, or dietary. These positions have limited patient interactions. However, you would be in a hospital setting with exposure to the situations that involve patient care.

I remember when I took a serious look at the profession of nursing and began by becoming a patient transporter . . . it gave me the opportunity to surround myself by patients and their families and to talk with them informally about their illness situation . . . it also gave me the awesome opportunity to speak with physicians, nurses and other hospital and healthcare staff members and to ask questions about their work . . . 40 years now . . . Dr. Brian Mendyka, PhD, RNC

I know some hospital will hire you as an intern or a nursing assistant. I hope that helps!
I would like to know more about this question too because I haven't get my license yet to work.
My case is different because I have been out of school for a year now but before I was working as an intern.

I would look to volunteer in the areas you are interested in, or ask to job shadow a nurse in your desired area. I would also look into other areas to volunteer that way you are exposed to all areas available. You may be surprised at what area of nursing truly resonates with you.

Be a hospital volunteer! I worked as a patient transporter and an ER Tech when I was in high school and I was able to learn alot about working with patients and how a hospital runs.

As a hiring manager for 10 years I hired 95% of the nursing assistants that worked for me. On average each year about 80% of the total amount of RN's hired were nursing assistants first. Having comfort around patients prior to entering into your RN role gives you an advantage on how you end up caring for your patients. You get comfortable with caring for a human not a sim lab.

First, congratulations on your decision to join one of the noblest professions, in my opinion, of course!

Second, I have been in nursing for 30+ years and in management for 20 of those thirty years, so my advice comes with experience of hiring, training and coaching employees.

Third, and to your question, is that positions employers will train candidates with no experience/education are larger employers such as hospitals or healthcare networks. You might consider a position that supports direct care providers (nurses and doctors). A clerical support position (Patient Registration, Unit Secretary/Coordinator) will be ideal as you will learn the electronic medical record system and some hospitals will train USs to some non-complex nursing tasks which will offer you greater interaction with patients, but there are also other positions that do not require a lot of training such as Patient Transport or Dietary Aide. Choose an employer who offers a tuition benefit for employs which will help pay for your education. When you interview, be dressed appropriately, wear minimal jewelry including piercings, be pleasant and demonstrate an ability to make a contribution to the healthcare team; know your strengths and know your limitations so that you acknowledge your training needs.

Good luck to you!

I agree, exposure is important. I have connected with my Nursing Assistant Nursing Director for add hock shifts in any wards to grow and enrich my education. I found Spinal Rehab, gave me alot of information on communication, mental health and motivational aspects, as well as learning how to empathetic. Those are the qualities you'll need. Volunteer jobs in Retirement villages are an easy way to connect,. Contact some and talk to the Managers. They are very helpful. Don't forget Red Cross. Just remember, you are not qualified yet, so stay within the guidelines. Good luck

Unlicensed patient assistant

Medical scribe, phlebotomist

I would recommend looking into positions as a scribe, registration or unit secretary. There's also patient transport!

I worked as a CNA while finishing nursing school and applying to take my boards. Best idea ever. I bonded with all the staff and patients on the floor and was immediately hired after I passed as a nurse on the floor. Good luck

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You would need to do a little extra work, but getting a basic EMT or CNA license could both be really beneficial. When you do actually get into nursing school and then become a RN, there will be so much expected of you. Having those skills beforehand will really support your learning and success.

Nursing school requires focus, dedication, and an incredible amount of time. Pre exposure is not necessary, you will get plenty of exposure during the process. Down size your financial and personal commitments. If you have to work, find a job that provides for your financial need, but also an employer who is open being flexible when necessary for school obligations.

Well, this was over 20 years ago when I was in school, but I worked as a medical assistant in a doctor's office and I also worked at a group home because I wanted to be a psych nurse. And here I am still doing it 23 years later lol.

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I believe the best exposure for new nurses is the hospital. You’re surrounded by knowledgeable people and there’s always plenty to do, even without a certification. It’s a great place to watch, learn, ask questions, and make a good impression with potential future bosses. I would suggest working as a unit clerk or a transporter if possible. Otherwise, any job in the hospital would suffice. Usually, once you’ve been in a nursing school for a period of time, you can become an ER tech or a CNA while you finish your degree.

Anything open in the hospital will give you the experience of just being in health care. I worked as a birth records clerk, then a unit clerk. Friends worked as phlebotomists, patient care tech - mostly on the job training for these.

PCT

Find a job as a patient care tech. You see so much and learn skills that you will use as a nurse.

I have worked long term care, hospital, assisted living and currently agency. My suggestion would be either assisted living as a resident care giver or there are many different positions in the hospitals for someone without any certifications. Good luck

Nursing Assistant

not sure this blog/forum is setup for me to interject a response to clarify my OP, but here goes.
First, I'm excited about all the participation, and I'm sure all are trying to help. I committed an offense that always bugs me in regards to blogs and online forums, which is to not provide enough detail for the question.

I am a late 50s Texan, who has been taking the required prerequisites for a ADN/ASN program. Amongst my various past gigs, I have quite a bit of experience in retail and food/service industry, so I'm familiar with the aspect of working/serving the public.

I am within less than two weeks of finishing my A and P2 class, as well as lifespan and development. I have already several associate degrees in various disciplines, so I've already acquired most, if not all, of the core courses the great state of Texas requires.

I will be submitting my application for one particular nursing program in a couple of days, and I have already taken the HESI exam. I am registered for additional classes in the spring for both the ADN and BSN. Assuming I am accepted, my nursing program will not start until Fall of 2023.

I'm thinking I should be doing some kind of work, and if I'm going to do so, then I might as well get some exposure, as it was originally suggested, to being around patients. If for no other reason, then to perhaps establish a relationship with a facility/employer who would be interested to hire me upon completion of the program. As others have mentioned, it shouldn't be difficult to eventually be hired as an RN, but one never knows. I figure I should be proactive and hedge my bets.

I do not really want to spend what extra time I have from my main studies to study something for a lengthy period that will cost more money than I care to spend. So, I'm not going to spend money on a CNA or surgical assist gig, or any other such certification. Some have suggested phlebotomy, and that at least interesting because that is my only fear- of poking someone w/ a needle/sharp object and screwing it up. So, perhaps I should face my fear by applying for that kind of work?

One last tip. Please realize that I have no prior healthcare experience, so I'm ignorant of the lingo/abbreviations/acronyms specific to that industry. Please spell out your terms/phrases, in an effort to maximize your effort to be informative.

Nurse Assistant (NA) and Patient Sitter.

Mother baby

Nurse entern

I highly recommend doing this as well. Becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant or Patient Care Tech within a hospital is your best bet. Plus, if you’re already working at the hospital in this position, it will be easier for you to get an RN position once you acquire your license. I have 4 years of experience as an RN.

Volunteer at a hospice or nursing home

I would suggest that you be s Monitor Tech or a CNA or an ER Tech. This will help you get familiar with the hospital environment and the staff, when you graduate you just need to go to the managers, say:” I would like to work here, ……”. I am 99.9999% sure you will have the job you want.

I highly recommend working as a PCT in either the area you want to work or on the float team so that you get experience in many different specialties

I would strongly suggest becoming a CNA. It’s great experience for nursing school. It can help you find good preceptors that you will learn a lot from, some facilities will even help with tuition assistance or have tuition reduction programs with affiliated colleges and universities. Nursing was my second degree (I was a hematology/chemistry technologist), I remember thinking those CNA’s had such an advantage dealing with patients. Turns out I had a huge advantage too, but I do not recommend a 4 year degree before nursing school;)

An NA is a good job to have to get some exposure. Even a nurse tech.

I would suggest working as a nursing assistant at a nursing home. Most will pay for your certification if you agree to stay for a period of time. After that period of time passes I would suggest working in the hospital as a certified nursing aide. Hope this helps

Without any type of certification you are kinda limited. You might be able to work at an assisted living without a CNA certificate or hospice. You could apply to house keeping or dietary in the hospital. Depending on the size of the hospital, you may also be able to apply for a sitter or transporter position as well. All of these would give you some type of patient contact though it may be small.

Get a job as a ward clerk or receptionist at a facility. Also i a hospital at the help desk

-Dietary aide positions in nursing homes can also provide you with opportunities to work with patients.

-Medical scribes (individuals who complete the patient chart using electronic medical records software) focus on both the patient and the software associated with caring for them.

-Check with local assisted living facilities to see what positions they have available. Some do not require certification and will allow you to work with patients in a relaxed setting.

-Medical Biller or Medical Coder would introduce you to the coding/billing side of patient healthcare.

-Pharmacy Technician would allow you to familiarize yourself with medications and how to develop your communication skills working with patients.

I hope these suggestions are helpful!

Well certificates play a major role in professional profession or skilled profession like nursing. As some time people's like pre nursing students who wanted for work they can work in home care without RN certification. But people with 20 years of experience with certification can work in hospitality as it is necessary for work in as a registered nurse .

Student Tech is a great position in the hospital once in nursing school or PCNA pre- nursing.

Sometimes people become a nurse not knowing what the job will demand of them. Nursing is very demanding physically, emotionally, and it can effect family life. Nursing often requires contact with all bodily fluids. I think people recommend getting a job in health care for all of the above reasons. If you are paying for your own school it might not be possible for you to take a position that requires less money. It is very important to consider the debt of college or vocational school and the pay you will make. It is best not to rush the process but to ensure this is the profession you want to do. Why do you want to become a nurse? Then what kind of nurse do I want to become? Then search out positions along side nursing staff in those health care settings.

I worked as a volunteer in the emergency department at the largest hospital in the area. Coincidentally. Many of my professors in nursing school also worked there. So they got to know me before I even started nursing school. Once I finished my first semester of nursing school, I got my certification as a nurses aid (CNA). The Nurse Manager I worked for called me a month before my graduation and offered me a nursing job upon graduation. The important thing is to get your foot in the door! Best of luck!

Start volunteering in your area of interests to get exposure.

Maybe volunteer at a local hospital or apply for a some kind of receptionist or front desk work at a hospital or clinic. That will at least get your foot in the door of some place related to nursing. In Florida, you can be a Patient Care Tech after your first semester of nursing school without having to go through the PCT training course. I’m not sure where you live but I would look for a job like that after you start school.

Some hospitals hire Junior and Senior nursing students as Externs in their desired areas of interest. Most advertise on Indeed, but again, this is once you're in your nursing program. Hope this helps & good luck!

Try applying at a Nursing Home facility as an aide. Many will train you if you are a truly good candidate and certify you. I wrote a letter to the DON of a facility over 28 years ago before going to nursing school. She was impressed and gave me the job as an aid in training. I did so well she told me that if she had the money she would have sent me to nursing school. But, that's how I got started.

You may get your foot in the door with home health as there are plenty option positions for care givers who aren't cerified, but with you being a pre-nursing student, that's a plus. Good luck.

state or provinces certification of a certificate of diploma because there is continuing education courses and it can be virtual for taking classes online in that kind of format so it can be free of charge with a receipt

See if hospitals near you have nursing assistant positions. You usually only have to be certified if you work in a nursing home or state funded facility.

I worked as a certified pharmacy technician for 5 years prior to getting my nursing degree. I did not have to be certified starting out and worked as a tech all through nursing school. Believe it or not it was incredibly helpful for my nursing career.

Volunteer for free where you can be around the settings or your profession

Work as a CNA

Sounds like good advice. But remember make sure you take a position you like, don’t settle. Apply for any job that interest you as long as it has duties that are within your scope of practice.

You could get a volunteer position at a hospital, but I would recommend getting a cert. Usually only 1 class and a test. EMT if you want ER, CNA if you want anything else.

You can

Without any kind of certification your options will be extremely limited. You could apply for scribe, or health unit coordinator / secretary. Some places could hire you as a tech but most require at least CPR or BLS cert. They might hire you and pay for you to complete you CPR or BLS but you will get looked over for those who already have their certs.

If your local hospitals have nurse extern positions, that is a great way to get clinical experience and make connections. Many times, externs will be offered jobs before they graduate.

Often hospitals have preceptorships i would start there

Her advice was excellent. There are many volunteer positions, particularly in hospice. This is not a 'hands on' position, but it gives you plenty if exposure to the critically ill. Future employers LOVE to see volunteer work; it reflects a spirit of service, which is what a worthy employer is looking for.

Hello,

You could apply volunteer for work at your local hospital or health centers. This will get you into the healthcare environment around patients. The benefit of this is to help you to see how healthcare system works and to allow you an opportunity to interact with patients.

Hi so I would suggest look into Patient Care Tech in the hospital which gives you great experience into nursing role & other roles in the hospital such as Respiratory Therapists. I wi say it is very physically laborious. You don’t need a degree just a willingness to learn. Another option is Pharmacy Tech- its not as laborious but you will learn medications rather fast. some pharmacies require you have a pharmacy tech certification but not all. Best of luck to you😄

Alot of teaching hospitals have student nurse externship you can apply for.Search their career/job pages to apply for those jobs. Hospitals like to hire nursing students as CNA/PCA/PCT in the hopes that,when the student nurse graduates,they can hire them on as staff.So apply for those positions at the hospital.

Do you know what kind of field or type of nursing you’re looking to go into? For example, I wanted to do psychiatry, so I was a behavioral health technician for years while doing pre-requisites for nursing school. It gave me a lot of experience and insight into what I’d be doing in the future.

Patient care technicians within hospitals do not require certification. Most of what you will be what your first nursing clinical will ve about. So you are prepared for school and you also get your foot in the door.

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA).

Working as a nursing assistant or unit secretary will help you become more familiar with the role of the nurse in that department.