best job for getting experience

[katiemaude]

Hi all, I'm looking for part-time work while I take my prerequisite courses. Several job openings have come to my attention as part of my volunteer work at a hospital and I'm interested in applying for a few of them. I was wondering though, which would give me the best experience - patient care attendant vs. tech? Both have in-house training available.

Here are the job descriptions:

The Patient Care Assistant in Med/Surge will perform the following tasks as assigned: vital signs, intake and output measurements, EKGs, Glucometry, Phlebotomy, Specimen collection, and documentation for all assigned responsibilities. The PCA will participate in data collection, planning, and implementation of patient care/treatment plans as directed by licensed personnel. The PCA will communicate changes in patients'conditions and unit concerns with the unit based team. Additional duties include restocking pharmacy supplies and unit supplies as needed, perform 1:1 watches as assigned, perform code cart, defibrillator, equipment checks, and unit specific maintenance duties as appropriate to unit.

The emergency department Technician anticipates and implements patient and healthcare team needs and functions as an intergral part of the ED patient care team. The emergency department technician is responsible for patient care, transportation, participating in planning, data collection, recognition of changes and communication to other healthcare team members.

(Also) Surgical Technician: 1.Scrubs, gowns and gloves according to hospital standard for closed and opened glove technique.
2. Arranges instrument table and mayo; arranges instruments correctly and checks for safe working conditions.
3. Maintains necessary counts (sponges, needles, instruments, etc.).
4. Anticipates the surgeon's needs when passing surgical instrumentation.
5. Handles specimens properly.
6. Works efficiently as a member of the surgical team during surgical procedures.
7. Assists in clean up of instruments and room.
8. Provides safe, appropriate quality patient care.
9. Assists the registered professional nurse with preparing the operating room with necessary supplies and equipment.
... etc.

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[mspeedwagon]

These are all great positions. I'd apply to all of them personally. Surgical techs though, often need to have graduated from a surgical tech program (at least in CA). If this is true in your state and if you haven't, I'd lean toward one of the other two.

Hi all, I'm looking for part-time work while I take my prerequisite courses. Several job openings have come to my attention as part of my volunteer work at a hospital and I'm interested in applying for a few of them. I was wondering though, which would give me the best experience - patient care attendant vs. tech? Both have in-house training available.

Here are the job descriptions:

The Patient Care Assistant in Med/Surge will perform the following tasks as assigned: vital signs, intake and output measurements, EKGs, Glucometry, Phlebotomy, Specimen collection, and documentation for all assigned responsibilities. The PCA will participate in data collection, planning, and implementation of patient care/treatment plans as directed by licensed personnel. The PCA will communicate changes in patients'conditions and unit concerns with the unit based team. Additional duties include restocking pharmacy supplies and unit supplies as needed, perform 1:1 watches as assigned, perform code cart, defibrillator, equipment checks, and unit specific maintenance duties as appropriate to unit.

The emergency department Technician anticipates and implements patient and healthcare team needs and functions as an intergral part of the ED patient care team. The emergency department technician is responsible for patient care, transportation, participating in planning, data collection, recognition of changes and communication to other healthcare team members.

(Also) Surgical Technician: 1.Scrubs, gowns and gloves according to hospital standard for closed and opened glove technique.
2. Arranges instrument table and mayo; arranges instruments correctly and checks for safe working conditions.
3. Maintains necessary counts (sponges, needles, instruments, etc.).
4. Anticipates the surgeon's needs when passing surgical instrumentation.
5. Handles specimens properly.
6. Works efficiently as a member of the surgical team during surgical procedures.
7. Assists in clean up of instruments and room.
8. Provides safe, appropriate quality patient care.
9. Assists the registered professional nurse with preparing the operating room with necessary supplies and equipment.
... etc.

 

[familyaerospace]

Patient Care Tech although in my state, all of the jobs require you to have certifications before you can be hired.

 

[ArkansasRanger]

I'd go for PCA. The surgery is neat, but to me the neat stage lasts only a short while. I had fun observing and interacting during medic school, but the atmosphere isn't for me.

 

[katiemaude]

Yes, they do require training. The training is offered by the hospital. In some cases, they hire people who are already trained, but I was told by one of the hiring managers that certain departments prefer people trained through the hospital's program anyway.

 

[Nasrudin]

Any are adequate for clinical experience for a medical school app.

But the ED would the best by far in my biased opinion. You get to see how patients are worked up from scratch. A lot of variety. Cool crowd of co-workers usually.

Med-Surg is where health care workers get put out to pasture. Avoid if possible.

Sugical tech probably involves the most training and could get you the best wage if you were looking for a job outside that hospital.

Overall you're quite lucky. This hospital's in-house training programs are an exception rather than the norm.

 

[katiemaude]

Thanks Nasrudin. I realize this is a fortunate situation for me. I currently volunteer in the same hospital's ER. The hospital has a very extensive volunteer and shadowing program, which is a boon to premed students in my area. I know when I tried to look for such experiences 10+ years ago in another state, I banged on a lot of doors and had very little luck finding anything close to this volunteer experience. I am, however, unemployed and in addition to my volunteer role, would like to earn some money and gain a different kind of clinical experience. If I was so lucky to get the ER tech job, I would have to switch to volunteering in another department.

 

[christina30]

ED tech is your best bet. It's the same job, really, as a PCA in med/surg, just in a different environment.

They're all given these fancy titles, but it all boils down to you being a nurses' aide. This isn't a bad thing, it's probably one of the best jobs you can take as a pre-med to get a serious "education"

I personally worked for almost 4 years as a ward clerk in the Emergency Department - equally as educating, because I worked in the middle of the "action" so to speak, in a urban ER that serves a widely underserved and uninsured population. Those are the best environments to learn in, imho.

 

[FrkyBgStok]

i would either do the ed tech or the pct/pca whatever you call it. all will have classes but I have never seen a surgical tech program less than 2 years, while the pct class can be done over a summer.

 

[mzblue]

As a nurse, i say take the ED. No i don't work in the ED but the floor has lots going on with stupid politics and what nots which just makes it suck. I've had a couple days in the ED and while it might be slow on some days, it gets busy at other times i didn't like the ED then but now i do. You get to see a variety of patients, you get to interact with residents, attendings, PAs, it's more of a team work kinda thing. Plus, it's nice when you see patients once and don't have to see them again the next day.

 

[dahlmarino]

Hi all, I'm looking for part-time work while I take my prerequisite courses. Several job openings have come to my attention as part of my volunteer work at a hospital and I'm interested in applying for a few of them. I was wondering though, which would give me the best experience - patient care attendant vs. tech? Both have in-house training available.

Here are the job descriptions:

The Patient Care Assistant in Med/Surge will perform the following tasks as assigned: vital signs, intake and output measurements, EKGs, Glucometry, Phlebotomy, Specimen collection, and documentation for all assigned responsibilities. The PCA will participate in data collection, planning, and implementation of patient care/treatment plans as directed by licensed personnel. The PCA will communicate changes in patients'conditions and unit concerns with the unit based team. Additional duties include restocking pharmacy supplies and unit supplies as needed, perform 1:1 watches as assigned, perform code cart, defibrillator, equipment checks, and unit specific maintenance duties as appropriate to unit.

The emergency department Technician anticipates and implements patient and healthcare team needs and functions as an intergral part of the ED patient care team. The emergency department technician is responsible for patient care, transportation, participating in planning, data collection, recognition of changes and communication to other healthcare team members.

(Also) Surgical Technician: 1.Scrubs, gowns and gloves according to hospital standard for closed and opened glove technique.
2. Arranges instrument table and mayo; arranges instruments correctly and checks for safe working conditions.
3. Maintains necessary counts (sponges, needles, instruments, etc.).
4. Anticipates the surgeon's needs when passing surgical instrumentation.
5. Handles specimens properly.
6. Works efficiently as a member of the surgical team during surgical procedures.
7. Assists in clean up of instruments and room.
8. Provides safe, appropriate quality patient care.
9. Assists the registered professional nurse with preparing the operating room with necessary supplies and equipment.
... etc.

You do need certification for Surge Tech in Michigan, as in most states. That's actually what I'm going to school for right now.
For Patient Care Tech I don't think you need certification, though it wouldn't hurt to have/obtain your BLCS certification.

 

[mouthwash4hobo]

I had to do a one year program in surgical technology to be a surgical tech at the hospital I currently work at. But if your hospital is training you, then I would go for it. Although the patient interaction is limited to them coming into the OR. You'll pretty much set up the sterile field and pass instruments to the surgeon. Some cases are lengthy/smelly/boring/etc .. Also, start memorizing your instruments, there are a ton!

If you're looking for more patient interaction, I would go into the other fields you were considering. At the hospital I work at, they have patient care techs which are equivalent to a cna. It consisted of vitals, I&O, baths, etc. This is something else I tried and didn't like at the time. It's hard work but you will learn a lot from the experience.

Good luck in whatever you choose.

 

[cormorant1]

Receptionist at a clinic is one of the best gigs you can get. You get to watch how everything works and get paid while you do homework

 

[45408]

I am, however, unemployed and in addition to my volunteer role, would like to earn some money and gain a different kind of clinical experience. If I was so lucky to get the ER tech job, I would have to switch to volunteering in another department.

If you get the job, you don't need to keep volunteering.

 

[katiemaude]

Besides the fact that I enjoy volunteering, isn't it basically required for medical school admission? If I end up working in the ER, I could volunteer in another capacity at the same hospital, as long as it didn't resemble my job description. I'd probably end up volunteering elsewhere, such as at a free clinic for urban public school students in my city, just to mix it up a bit.

The ER job would be awesome. I already know I love the atmosphere. It's also pretty tough to get.

 

[45408]

Besides the fact that I enjoy volunteering, isn't it basically required for medical school admission?

No.