Big news– I got a new job!
Earlier this month, I completed the coursework for my nurse aide course. I’m not certified yet because we weren’t able to get into any of the clinical sites due to COVID. As a compromise, my instructor did reward us with our patient care assistant certificates. This certificate allows you to work in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and home health care. Since the beginning of the course, I had my eyes set on the hospital setting. I worked my butt off in the course and my instructor took note. She connected me and a few other people to a recruiter from a local health care system. Thankfully, their hospitals have relaxed the requirements for the patient care tech (PCT) positions so I didn’t have to be licensed to apply. In the span of two weeks, I applied, interviewed, and was hired as a PCT.
I’m thankful for my instructor for using her connections to make sure her students successfully landed jobs in spite of this uncertain time. During the interview process, I did have to shadow an experienced PCT and the imposter syndrome really hit hard. There I was, with barely any healthcare experience wanting to become a PCT. I had to keep reminding myself that the hiring manager obviously saw something in me, otherwise she wouldn’t have invited me to interview there. I remained confident in the qualifications I did have and here I am.
The new job will definitely be a bit of a learning curve though. Since I wasn’t able to complete the clinical portion of the course, my first patient will be my first patient ever. Right now, I’m going to trust the process and continue to learn as much as I can about patient care. I’m just really grateful to have this opportunity.
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