My D26 just shadowed in the Cath lab at a local hospital and absolutely LOVED it. She came out saying “I definitely want to do nursing and I definitely want to work in a hospital”. I am so happy that she has figured this out as this was the exact reason we had her shadow this summer. This was unfortunately a one time thing- she shadowed in a couple other settings as well, but is not able to shadow on a regular basis in the Cath lab. She is really hoping to be able to work in a hospital next summer, or at the very least, a busy MD practice. She tried an outpatient allergy practice but did not enjoy the repetitive nature of the office visits or the slow pace. It seems like her only hope of hospital work is either by becoming certified as a Nursing Assistant/Nurse’s Aide, or by volunteering. The Nursing Assistant route is pretty pricey at anywhere from $1200-$2000 depending on the program. It also requires 125 hours of classroom and clinical time. She just can’t do that and manage all her school work and sports schedule.
Has anyone’s kid worked in a hospital prior to nursing school while they were in high school? If so, tell me about it. How did they get the job, were they certified in anything (other than CPR/First Aid)? Any and all advice would be appreciated.
And finally, I would love to hear about their senior year coursework. Her upcoming junior year is already set and she cannot add or change anything, but senior year she will do Anatomy/physiology, Stats and pre-calc.
Many of the certifications for work in a doctor’s office require that the person be over age 18. You need to check the requirements in your state.
Medical assistant might be a possibility…check to see if there are courses of study and that she is old enough to take the course and tests.
Some places might hire her as a receptionist. I know that’s not what she is looking for, but direct patient contact for an under 18 year old is tough to find in many places.
Have you checked to see if your local hospital has a volunteer program for high school students? If so, what do high schoolers learn in the volunteer program?
I am a healthcare provider who hires a lot of new college grads - mostly those taking gap years before applying to professional schools. I’ve hired HS students before, but not for the same positions. While a 22 year old is young, they tend to have more maturity, life experiences and common sense than a 17 year old.
If I have an a potential employee who is inexperienced but is applying for full time work, I might be more likely to take the chance, compared to one who just wants to work for the summer. By the time I get the summer employee trained, they’re leaving. That is regardless of age.
Regarding the allergy clinic, there is a lot of repetition in healthcare, especially for my entry level staff.
Maybe start with the pediatrician and ask if he/she has any suggestions?
Has she considered working in a camp that has children with disabilities and/or various medical needs? While it would not resemble a hospital experience, a job like this would employ nurses (as do many camps) and it would provide your daughter with an opportunity to speak with them and gain further information about her interests and possible opportunities. It would also be an excellent learning experience that would provide transferable skills.
Lots of us worked in nursing homes in high school. It’s neither glamorous nor exciting, but it’s valuable experience: turning, transferring, ambulating, toileting, feeding, communicating, working as a team. And nursing homes are pretty much always hiring.
Around here, you need to be a CNA to do these things.
A HS student might be able to help with recreation activities, deliver mail, be a receptionist, prepare or deliver meals, etc. And this help is almost always needed! But any patient contact…not likely.
I think working/volunteering in a nursing home is a good idea, but I do not think that a HS student will be permitted to do the jobs mentioned…where I live.
I do see a lot of value in volunteering…talking to seniors, crafts, sharing stories, etc.
My 16 year old niece volunteers in a retirement community. She plays BINGO and does crafts or puzzles with the residents. She’ll help carry their food to the table and move their wheel chair, walker, etc. out of the way after they are seated for their meal.
Hi, @coastal2024 – I also have a D26 interesting in a direct admit BSN program. We have really struggled to find anything in a hospital or healthcare setting. Most of the bigger hospitals near us require volunteers to be 18 years old, and require at least one weekday shift (during school hours). We found one smaller hospital that will accept some volunteers at age 16 for non-patient jobs – but, when my D emailed for a volunteer application, they said they were full. My D was considering a CNA program next summer, but (again) it seems the ones in our city require applicants to have a high school diploma and be at least 18 years old.
We will keep looking. In the meantime, my D did a nurse camp this summer and will participate in a one-week “mini med school” program run out of a local hospital.
My D is not sure about senior year classes yet. For science, right now she is thinking AP Bio (double period) and Honors Anatomy Physiology (as an elective). She already has Honors Bio & High Honors Chem BC under her belt – and takes AP Physics 1 (dual enrollment) this upcoming year. For math, she will almost certainly take AP Calculus AB. Other options include AP Stats and AP Psychology, but she would not have room in her schedule for these classes unless she swapped out for another.
At this point, I think she is mostly just focused on keeping her grades up next year (4 AP classes) and getting through the SAT this fall!
Although they cannot be hired as a CNA until they take the class and get licensed, HS students can work as [paid] dietary aides. Nursing home will often pay for the required CNA training once a student is old enough if the student has proved to be a reliable and conscientious worker after a period of time (a few months typically)
My younger D volunteered in the Child’s Life department at one local hospital as a rising high school senior. She needed to be 16 and have reliable transportation to the hospital, but no special courses or certificates.
It wasn’t a glamorous job–lots of cleaning toys between child visits to the playroom. But she did get to see and interact with pediatric patients and their families.
My ds volunteered at a VA center while in HS. It involved talking and visiting with the veterans, transporting them to activities, and assisting with the rec programs and VA center store.
Just something to consider. They love having HS kids getting involved.
My D26 is interested in Nursing. She is volunteering 2 hours a week in our local hospital (candy striper) and plans to do the EMT course in June when school is out.
This can vary. My kid took the EMT course at a community college. It was a fast track course that met every day for a month. This was what she needed in terms of her commitments.
Our local EMS service offers courses also. These tend to be a couple of evenings a week for several months.
Ask around. I’d start with your local EMS group. Sometimes they waive the fee if you agree to volunteer for them.
Call your local community college and see what they have.
My sons is doing his PCT (junior year) and MA (Senior year) while in high school but won’t be employable until he turns 18. Check with your school district to see what they offer. Ours offer the programs through two routes. One is at the early college high school which my son attends. But there is another route for students in the traditional high schools in the district which involves going to a technical school campus in the district for part of the day to earn medical certifications. Both routes are partnered with the community college and no cost to the high school student. (After high school, it costs thousands to do the same med cert programs through the community college). But high schoolers don’t pay. We are in Texas in a large school district. For work he is working as a lifeguard until he turns 18 and can get a job with his PCT or MA cert.
Our local Fire Dept offers it. It’s intensive (every weekday) and that’s why we will do when school gets out. Maybe 6 weeks? I’d have to look again. Then they take the exam