Let's face it: not everyone wants to be a community college transfer to Ivy League universities.
And there tends to be a lot of information about 2 year college students who want to be Ivy League transfers from community college, but today I'm going to be writing about how you can "skip" transferring from community college.
For those of you who do not want to transfer from community college, there are quicker ways to jump into the workforce and start making money quickly after attaining your associates degree from community college.
One of the most popular ways is to join one of your local community college nursing programs.
I've heard some community colleges have very long wait lists to get into but if you're a compassionate, hard working person, you may want to consider the career.
Community College Nursing Career
The field of nursing is comprised of many different occupations.
For example, nursing students with the right training, certification, licensure, or degrees may become RNs or LVNs, they may opt to work in emergency rooms, join private practices, or offer home care to patients, or they could even enter the field of travel nursing.
Some will go into administration or education, overseeing and training other nurses.
But whatever interests you when it comes to the nursing industry, you must start with a desire to provide care to others in need and then develop a base of knowledge and experience that allows you to offer the best possible care to every patient.
The only problem is that you have to start somewhere, and as a community college student that is ready to jump right in might be somewhat stymied by the fact that licensure is still a year or two (or more) away.
So what can you do to put on your scrubs early and start building up your résumé, without transferring from community college?
Here are a few tips.
How to Build Your Résumé As a Nursing Student in Community College
One of the best options for many students that want to get to work, gaining experience and earning some pay in their chosen profession, is to become a CNA (certified nursing assistant).
A certified nursing assistant is responsible for assisting a more highly trained nurse, such as a registered or licensed vocational nurse (or other).
This could include tasks like taking a patient's vital signs, adjusting and bathing a patient, and seeing to other tasks that the average nurse is overly qualified for and shouldn't be bothered with.
Not all nurses are granted the privilege of working with an assistant, but those that are no doubt appreciate the extra help. And with minimal schooling you can dip your toes in the water, so to speak, and begin learning on the job.
So how do you become a CNA?
It's not terribly difficult. You'll start with a 3-month course, perhaps through an institute or an adult continuing education facility. During this time you'll be required to complete forty hours of supervised training under an already-certified nurse of some sort. Likely, whatever program you join will set you up with this mentor. Once you have completed the course you must pass a practical licensing exam, after which you may begin working as a CNA, assisting nurses in providing for patient care and comfort.
Of course, between attending your regular nursing classes at community college and trying to hold down another part-time or even full-time job, you simply might not have the extra time on hand to tackle CNA training in Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Seattle, or whatever city you hope to practice in.
In this case, you may have to wait a little longer to start taking pulses and urine samples. But in any medical training program you're going to have to complete clinical hours, which generally means working in a hospital setting. So before long, you'll gain the experience you need to obtain whatever nursing license you're going for. Then, it's just a matter of passing the exam and getting to work.
Wrapping It Up
Joining a nursing program at community college is just one way to avoid transferring from community college and becoming a CNA is also a great way to start working quickly, but I would love to hear more of your ideas!
Tell us what you plan on doing if you're not going to transfer from community college by leaving a comment below.
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