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| *Ostroff, Fair and Company>>>Health Care |
Is this even relevant?- RN, LPN, or CNA's please? |
I am emabarking on a career change. I worked as a Speech Therapist Assisant in a public school, and want to become an RN. I want to work as a CNA while I am in nursing school. I just completed my training and am writing my resume to start applying for jobs. Where I live they hire CNA's in hospitals w/o experience, so this is where I am focusing my job search efforts. I included my previous speech job as part of employment history on my resume, but I wonder if I should include some volunteer work I did related to speech and hearing. I provided free hearing screenings to industrial workers, and also volunteered in a preschool speech, language, amd pre-literacy program. Should I include this on my CNA resume, or would a DON feel that I don't know how to identify relavent experience to put on a resume, since these experiences aren't directly related to health care? Let me say that I think it is marvelous that you devoted so much to the community. Yes, there is a spot on your resume for which you may mention these things: Volunteer Work/Commitees: Not everyone puts it on their resume as many of us are taught not to be too wordy or too lengthly when applying. However, as a RN myself with over 17 years of experience in acute care working with many different kinds of patients including those who are speech impaired, I consider it an asset to have someone on staff who may be able to offer insight and experience while putting together a plan of care for such individuals. You could also mention it during the interview process if you aren't comfortable putting it on your resume. If I may also add that anyone who volunteers for anything shows enthusiasm for the needs at hand. If I were the Nurse Mgr or DON, I would take note of this and be glad to have you. I wish you well! Source(s): 17 years of acute care experience Include it. It shows caring and initiative. It is relevant in the health services field. I would list it. Volunteering shows that you aren't afraid of hard work, and the fact that you have worked/volunteered with a variety of people from children to adults shows that you are a very versed "people person". You can relate to people on many levels, which is also a plus in the healthcare setting. Good luck, I too have a CNA license and am starting the RN program next Monday. I, too am in a BSN program and decided it would look better if I 'paid my dues' and worked as a CNA while in school. Good idea, looks great, instructors and future employers respect it, but let me be the first to tell you, it is the HARDEST I've ever worked in my life!!! I come from an Administrative Support/Clerical background and sat on my butt in front of a telephone and computer 8 hours a day for the last 20 years. Being a CNA will make you question whether or not you want to become a nurse but don't be fooled or let that discourage you. Look at the nurses while you are working like a pack mule, they are reading magazines and shopping online while you do the grunt work--THIS WILL BE YOU IN FEW SHORT YEARS!!!! I work the 11p-7a shift (then I head to class) and after I clock out, I sit in my car for like 10 minutes just trying to catch my breath and relax my body. The experience is great and once the nurses know you are in school, they will teach you more advanced things to help you in clinicals. But it is non-stop physical labor. There is ALWAYS something to be done. To answer your question, let your employer and whomever will be training you know this will be your first CNA job and that you are considering entering the nursing profession. Let them know this because there is a lot I am sure your CNA program didn't teach you that your employer/trainer will assume you know. The medical profession is absolutely the wrong profession to make decisions based on job knowledge assumptions, on any level. Also, I work in a hospital on a Med-Surg unit. I heard hospital CNAs 'have it easy' compared to nursing home CNAs. If that is the case, nursing home CNAs must not know that slaves were freed in 1863. One more thing, you are going to meet a lot of medical professionals that do not share your same professional ethic. Don't burn any bridges, because you WILL meet these people again, but be aware of your own self and your professional ethics and personal values and stick with those who are of like mind and intention when it comes to providing patient care. One last thing, after you get maybe 6 months clinical experience as a CNA, you may want to look into becoming a Home Health or PCA CNA. Pays more money and you don't work as hard but there is way more responsibility and accountability. Oops, one more thing, being a CNA may shave a class or two off your clinical curriculum. Check with your nursing advisor to see if they honor being a CNA as work experience educational credit. PERSONAL EXPERIENCE!!! |
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