Nursing school is demanding, with extended study hours, clinical practice, and assignments. However, many nursing students face the challenge of making ends meet during their education. Balancing your nursing studies with earning some extra money can be difficult, but it's certainly possible. In this article, we'll explore the best jobs for nursing students and how working in healthcare can help set you up for future job opportunities.
Best Jobs for Nursing Students
Finding a job that matches what you learn in nursing school is the best way for nursing students to make money. Having a job that matches your nursing studies helps you pay for daily needs while teaching you valuable skills that will boost your nursing career. Below are some of the best jobs for nursing students.
Medical Assistant
As a medical assistant, you can gain experience working directly with patients while assisting in administrative tasks. This position offers an opportunity to apply some of your nursing knowledge in a clinical setting. You'll likely help with vital signs, blood work, and patient intake, which can be extremely helpful when entering a nursing role.
Phlebotomist
Drawing blood is a basic skill nurses need to learn in hospitals. Your phlebotomist job will help you feel comfortable taking blood samples, understand medical terms, and talk with patients. The job works well for students because it lets them choose their hours.
Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
Working as a CNA allows you to experience direct patient care and learn vital aspects of nursing, such as monitoring vital signs, assisting with basic nursing care, and helping patients with mobility. It's an excellent entry-level job that provides hands-on experience while preparing you for future nursing roles.
Hospital Volunteer
Volunteering at a hospital lets you learn about healthcare right where it happens. Even though you won't get paid, volunteering helps you meet people and learn new things to help you find paid work later on. When you volunteer, your experience can help you get jobs and be accepted into nursing school.
Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
EMTs are critical in emergency medical services (EMS), responding to calls, providing pre-hospital care, and transporting patients to healthcare facilities. This role involves quick decision-making, excellent communication skills, and the ability to stay calm under pressure—skills that will serve you well as a nurse.
Surgical Technician
Surgical techs assist surgeries by preparing the operating room, sterilising equipment, and helping the surgical team. As a nursing student, working as a surgical technician can give you insight into operating room procedures and patient care practices that you can apply later in your nursing career.
Home Health Aide
Home health aides assist patients in their homes with daily living activities, such as bathing, dressing, and meal preparation. This job can be an excellent fit for nursing students because it allows them to interact directly with patients and practice the personal care skills necessary in nursing.
Hospice Aide
Hospice aides provide compassionate care for terminally ill patients, helping them with daily tasks and offering emotional support to families. Working in hospice care helps build your nursing skills, especially in communication and end-of-life care, which are essential for any nursing speciality.
Hospital Clerk
Someone who does well at organising and scheduling can find work as a hospital clerk. Hospital clerks usually help patients by setting up appointments, keeping records, and doing paperwork. As an unrelated job, being a hospital clerk helps you understand how hospitals work and their daily operations.
Monitor Technician
Monitor technicians work in critical care units, watching patients' vital signs and alerting nurses to changes. This job is ideal for nursing students because it helps them become familiar with patient monitoring systems and provides experience assessing patient health data.
Sanitation Technician
Hospitals need to maintain a clean environment to prevent the spread of infections. As a sanitation technician, you'll be essential in cleaning patient rooms, surgical areas, and other hospital spaces. While this may not be the most glamorous job, it can provide essential exposure to healthcare settings.
How Working in Healthcare During Nursing School Can Help You Get a Job
Having a healthcare job while studying nursing helps you earn money and make yourself more attractive to future employers. Healthcare employers often want to hire people with actual job experience, and working in a medical setting before graduation helps make you stand out among other nursing candidates. Whatever job you have in healthcare, ranging from CNA work to volunteering helps show that you care about patient help and learn hospital rules.
Being in healthcare lets you improve your care for patients by getting better at talking with them, checking their health status, and using your time efficiently. Employers look for these skills, and you'll need them right from your first day as a nurse.
Tips for Getting a Job During Nursing School
Getting a nursing school job requires a blend of being ready, planning your time well, and connecting with people in your field. Here are some tips to help you secure a position:
1. Start Early
Starting your job search early increases your chances of finding work matching your life schedule and career goals. Before beginning work as a CNA or medical assistant, you must earn your required certification, so plan to complete the training on time.
2. Utilize Your School's Career Services
The career services in many nursing schools guide their students to get part-time healthcare work and hands-on experience. Explore what your school's career services can give you to help look for jobs and make new connections.
3. Look for Flexible Hours
Being a nursing student means you have many tasks to manage. Ask for work schedules that match your school timetable, like night shifts or weekends, to stay focused on your studies. Many healthcare jobs, like hospital clerks and phlebotomists, let students choose when they work to match their school schedules.
4. Gain Certifications
Getting CPR, First Aid, and phlebotomy certifications helps make you stand out when job hunting. When you get these certificates, you'll stand out among other job seekers and make hiring managers choose you first.
5. Network
Asking your mentors or peers to recommend jobs will make your search easier. Go to career events at your school, participate in healthcare-focused activities, and speak with healthcare professionals who will tell you about jobs you can't always find online.
Conclusion
Nursing school can be challenging, but there are many chances to earn money and build the necessary experience simultaneously. Getting a healthcare job will let you earn more money while you learn skills and knowledge that are essential for being a nurse.
You can find different healthcare jobs that match your schedule and let you meet other healthcare professionals. If you're a nursing student wanting to earn more money without changing your study schedule, try these suggested ideas. Your current nursing experience will help you become the nurse you want to be in the future.
Also Read: How to Get a Second Job With a 9-5
