Hospital Jobs

[hogwiley]

Why do ED technician positions require EMT certification then?

Who said all ED positions require EMT? SOME EDs require ER techs be an EMT, some require they be a Paramedic, some might hire Nursing students with a certain amount of clinical experience, and some require they be CNAs.

At one time EMT was the preferred minimum training, but that seems to be changing, and some EDs are moving away from them to either a higher level of prehospital provider like a Paramedic, Nursing students who can perform many of the same tasks as RNs, or CNAs whose training emphasizes taking care of multiple patients at once and who often have experience in other parts of the hospital they transfer from, and therefore have a shorter learning curve.

 

[VFlutter]

Why do ED technician positions require EMT certification then?

That comment was in reference to floor tech jobs in general. ED techs are a different situation.

 

[hogwiley]

I should also mention it might be a good idea to wait until after you have your EMT license before applying to places you really want to work, so you havent already shot your wad with less qualifications at a place before you are licensed, since as myself and others have mentioned, your odds of getting hired without some kind of cert or license is slim and none anyway.

This is excluding the research positions or psych positions you mentioned, since it seems to me you WOULD be qualifed for those as is.

 

[eprex]

Who said all ED positions require EMT? SOME EDs require ER techs be an EMT, some require they be a Paramedic, some might hire Nursing students with a certain amount of clinical experience, and some require they be CNAs.

At one time EMT was the preferred minimum training, but that seems to be changing, and some EDs are moving away from them to either a higher level of prehospital provider like a Paramedic, Nursing students who can perform many of the same tasks as RNs, or CNAs whose training emphasizes taking care of multiple patients at once and who often have experience in other parts of the hospital they transfer from, and therefore have a shorter learning curve.

Sorry for the miscommunication. I would never suggest all ED tech positions are for EMT. Requirements for jobs range widely from hospital to hospital. In fact some hospitals don't even have them (I believe). I don't think my father's hospital has an ED tech.

But I agree with everything you said. Demands are getting greater because well, they can.

 

[eprex]

That comment was in reference to floor tech jobs in general. ED techs are a different situation.

Oh, I apologize!

I should also mention it might be a good idea to wait until after you have your EMT license before applying to places you really want to work, so you havent already shot your wad with less qualifications at a place before you are licensed, since as myself and others have mentioned, your odds of getting hired without some kind of cert or license is slim and none anyway.

This is excluding the research positions or psych positions you mentioned, since it seems to me you WOULD be qualifed for those as is.

I might have to, short of applying for research positions. I was just hoping to be done working BS jobs that had no future goal in line, but alas I'm just a premed college graduate. I knew coming out of school that you practically had to be a math/computer major to get a decent job.

I'll be applying for medical school this June but I was hoping to have some sort of relevant job.

 

[Stmills]

I have worked as an ED Tech for the last 10 years. I got hire right out of EMT school with no extra certs, what set me ahead was a BA in an unrelated field and extensive customer service experience. The last people hired on as ED Techs where I work all had paramedic experience.
Skills & certs that have helped set people apart that have been add for us were: training in phlebotomy, EKG, knowledge of ACLS, Hazmat, Decontamination, fire fighting, and for discussions with my management they would like to hire on people with psych unit experience.
For our hospital entry level non RN and radiology jobs we have: CNA's, ED Techs- EMT minimum, and Psych Tech BA in Psychology.

 

[Tigger]

Have you considered applying as a psych tech at a mental health facility in order to gain some experience? I have friends with no outside training easily get a job at inpatient facilities.

 

[DrParasite]

Does EMS school go under education or extracurriculars/certifications?[/B]

it depends: is EMS school a requirement for the job? If the job requires EMS training, put it as education. If it doesn't, put it as extracurriculars.

Secondly, I have yet to get a single interview for about 20-30 applications. Unless there's something terribly wrong with my resume/cover letter I assume it's because I have no work experience with patients, only volunteer. Will adding certifications to my resume help only minimally?

ehhh probably not. if the jobs are looking for EMT and associated experience, than get them. if not, than probably not. I wouldn't waste your money unless they will help you get the job. also, 100 applicants for every job listing... it's more of a numbers game than anything else, it's a managers market on who they want to hire, and they have a large pool of applicants to chose from.

As for what jobs I'm applying to- anything with patient contact. Unfortunately, and I assume this is due to the ongoing movement towards greater efficiency and costing cutting, jobs like patient transporter are getting combined with other jobs that require experience (usually CNA, MA, phleb/ekg)

hospital techs typically require no certs and minimal experience. they accept you and will train you in what you need to know in house

Lastly, I don't include my references on the resume. Instead I use 'References available on request'. I've been told to never give out references unless the employer actually takes an interest in me. Does anyone know if this is an automatic disqualifying for online applications? Keep in mind that online applications rarely ask for references to be provided.

references go on your application, not your resume.

As I've stated clinical/working experience is paramount (as are necessary certifications obviously), but actually one can land a position of Emergency Department Technician and the requirements are EMT. The fact that a supervisor at a hospital had no idea what an EMT was is actually kind of frightening and hopefully not indicative of the other employees.

if a ER hospital supervisor has no idea what an EMT is, you don't want to work there, because they are too stupid to know anything. Sorry, but if an ambulance drops patients off, they should have a vague idea of what an EMT is, even if it's just the person who drives the ambulance. And if they really don't know, as say it's like first aid, than you can correct them and explain what the responsibilities of an EMT are, especially on 911 calls. it can sound much more impressive if you word it correctly.

But just to be clear I said 'patient contact' and not 'patient care'. I might have to settle for housekeeping, perhaps OR housekeeping, but there are jobs where you work with patients in some way that are relatively menial and don't require certs. The issue is that hospitals can "prefer" certifications because why take the chaff when the wheat are unemployed too.

there is employment, and under-employment. if you have your BS, accepting a housekeeping position would be detrimental to your future career. Maybe you need to get a job that has patient care outside of a hospital. Think of it this way: if you were a hiring manager, and a resume for a person with a BS (with a focus on neuroscience) and experience in research crossed your desk, and their employment was as a housekeeping employee, what would you think of the employee? You can find better jobs that will benefit you in the future.

It was recommended to check out Psych technician positions, as they don't require certifications (besides bachelors) but most require experience. I understand that, but it's quite a quandary!

keep applying, network well, and once you complete your emt training, try for an ER tech, and once you get hired, take as much hospital paid education as you can. being an ER tech aka nurses :censored::censored::censored::censored::censored: is a rough job, but it's good experience. and every hospital has them, they are cheaper to have than having nurses do all the work

 

[hogwiley]

hospital techs typically require no certs and minimal experience. they accept you and will train you in what you need to know in house

Not really true anymore. 15 years ago yeah, but not today.

Any inpatient unit is going to require either a CNA or nursing school experience as a minimum to be a tech.

The ED is different, since thats probably the least demanding patient care tech job in a hospital because many of your patients arent really very sick, have minor injuries, and are only there for a short time. This makes the job a lot easier than say ICU, Med/surg or a PCU, where ALL of your patients are really sick, dying, or have serious injuries, and many of them have dementia or an altered mental status and cant do anything for themselves, including repositioning their own body to prevent decubs.

Good CNAs/techs are really hard to come by. Its just a really difficult job and few people have any idea what they are getting into when they start out. So no inpatient units are going to hire someone who has no training or exposure to the job. From my experience 1/3 of CNAs quit or get fired in the first 3 months on the job even with formal training.

The hospital where I work not only requires all new techs be CNAs, but they require a minimum of one year experience as a CNA.

 

[WuLabsWuTecH]

Not necessarily true. Patient care technicians at some hospitals do not require certification but rather go through a short internal training program (usually a week or two). Same with EKG techs, they get trained in house without outside certifications. They just go around recording EKGs they do not interpret. Patient transporters have patient contact but no medical training.

I hold a BS in psychology (technically I studied neuroscience) and various extracurriculars (research, teaching assistant, etc)

I'm trying to get ANY job that has patient contact. I'd like it to be in a hospital so I can move up once I'm EMT certified.

As for needing a certification, that's false information. Jobs like patient transporter or safe-sitter don't require certifications. Even some research positions involve patient contact (I believe). Unfortunately the job market is saturated right now with over-qualified people looking for work, hospitals are eliminating or conjoining positions, and applying online is a nightmare. My father works as a radiological technician, but unfortunately he's at a heart hospital that's cutting down.

I guess we are using patient contact in a very loose manner here... But to actually care for a patient is going to require some training, even if it is in house (rare to see these days, at least in the areas I have been in in the past 5 years).

But not all do. Hell, some require paramedic to work as a tech.

All of the ERs around here require their techs to be Paramedics to apply for the position.

 

[DrParasite]

All of the ERs around here require their techs to be Paramedics to apply for the position.

out of curiosity, how much do they pay their techs, when compared to ambulance paramedics and hospital nurses?

 

[eprex]

I guess we are using patient contact in a very loose manner here... But to actually care for a patient is going to require some training, even if it is in house (rare to see these days, at least in the areas I have been in in the past 5 years).

All of the ERs around here require their techs to be Paramedics to apply for the position.

Patient contact means literally that- having contact with patients. It doesn't necessitate that I treat them or clean them. It means I'm not sitting behind a desk filing papers or any place where there isn't action going on, because yes by that definition greeting people at the door is technically patient contact. It isn't however giving me an accurate depiction of what being a doctor is like.

Medical schools want to see that not only can you get the grades and the MCAT while doing multiple extracurriculars, but that you've been exposed to working in the medical field and don't completely hate it. Is it a requirement? Absolutely not. Plenty of people get into medical school without working in a clinical setting. Some get in their junior year of college.

But according to some radiologists I know, a big bonus is having patient contact whether it's volunteer or work. It shows I'm committed to medicine and not just in it to gain prestige. Yes you can jump these hurdles and still have poor priorities but that's life.

Anyway, in house training is definitely rare. My father says they do it at his hospital but only for people who have already been working there. I also live in NY, so requirements for ER tech won't necessarily be the same.

 

[eprex]

out of curiosity, how much do they pay their techs, when compared to ambulance paramedics and hospital nurses?

I believe it's ~$15 an hour for an ER tech around here. A great job for someone young but a modicum for someone with a family trying to make a career. Salary of course depends on certs and experience.

 

[eprex]

it depends: is EMS school a requirement for the job? If the job requires EMS training, put it as education. If it doesn't, put it as extracurriculars.ehhh probably not. if the jobs are looking for EMT and associated experience, than get them. if not, than probably not. I wouldn't waste your money unless they will help you get the job. also, 100 applicants for every job listing... it's more of a numbers game than anything else, it's a managers market on who they want to hire, and they have a large pool of applicants to chose from. hospital techs typically require no certs and minimal experience. they accept you and will train you in what you need to know in housereferences go on your application, not your resume.
if a ER hospital supervisor has no idea what an EMT is, you don't want to work there, because they are too stupid to know anything. Sorry, but if an ambulance drops patients off, they should have a vague idea of what an EMT is, even if it's just the person who drives the ambulance. And if they really don't know, as say it's like first aid, than you can correct them and explain what the responsibilities of an EMT are, especially on 911 calls. it can sound much more impressive if you word it correctly.
there is employment, and under-employment. if you have your BS, accepting a housekeeping position would be detrimental to your future career. Maybe you need to get a job that has patient care outside of a hospital. Think of it this way: if you were a hiring manager, and a resume for a person with a BS (with a focus on neuroscience) and experience in research crossed your desk, and their employment was as a housekeeping employee, what would you think of the employee? You can find better jobs that will benefit you in the future.keep applying, network well, and once you complete your emt training, try for an ER tech, and once you get hired, take as much hospital paid education as you can. being an ER tech aka nurses :censored::censored::censored::censored::censored: is a rough job, but it's good experience. and every hospital has them, they are cheaper to have than having nurses do all the work

Thanks for the advice. I agree except for the tech position requirements.

Not really true anymore. 15 years ago yeah, but not today.

Any inpatient unit is going to require either a CNA or nursing school experience as a minimum to be a tech.

The ED is different, since thats probably the least demanding patient care tech job in a hospital because many of your patients arent really very sick, have minor injuries, and are only there for a short time. This makes the job a lot easier than say ICU, Med/surg or a PCU, where ALL of your patients are really sick, dying, or have serious injuries, and many of them have dementia or an altered mental status and cant do anything for themselves, including repositioning their own body to prevent decubs.

Good CNAs/techs are really hard to come by. Its just a really difficult job and few people have any idea what they are getting into when they start out. So no inpatient units are going to hire someone who has no training or exposure to the job. From my experience 1/3 of CNAs quit or get fired in the first 3 months on the job even with formal training.

The hospital where I work not only requires all new techs be CNAs, but they require a minimum of one year experience as a CNA.

Yeah, I don't think there's anyway I'll get to start caring for patients without more education. I would like to be able to transport, relay information, specimens and things like that. These are menial tasks that would help me get patient contact but they're just piling these responsibilities on other people now.

Seems like my only way in will be to know someone.

 

[eprex]

Have you considered applying as a psych tech at a mental health facility in order to gain some experience? I have friends with no outside training easily get a job at inpatient facilities.

Interesting. Someone on the student doctor network suggested this and I did in fact apply for a few positions. Unfortunately there was one listing that gave the HR person's # and when I called she said I had no experience.

The job said verbatim "experience preferred" but yet it really means required.

thanks for the tip!

 

[ayblinkin]

I may be able to help answer a little. I'm a month away from completing my EMT class. Just had clinicals this weekend and did a good enough job that I was practically offered a job on the spot upon completing my EMT as Patient Tech. Here's the job listing for the hospital.

Job Information PATIENT CARE TECH-ER-W (26058)
Company: IOWA HEALTH - DES MOINES
Facility / Division: WEST
Account: WEST NURSING
Department: EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT
Employment Status: PART-TIME REGULAR (PTR)
FTE: Part-Time (FTE: 0.40, Hours: 32)
Shift: 3-11
Salary Range: $ 11.17 - $ 16.76
Location: METHODIST WEST HOSPITAL
1660 60TH
WEST DES MOINES, IA 50266


Primary Duties and Responsibilities

Under the supervision of an RN provides direct patient care. Performs procedures for patients and provides technical services and support. Also obtains and verifies demographic information during the mini registration process to ensure the correct patient has been registered. Successful performance contributes to a holistic approach to the delivery of services, improved patient care, and a high level of satisfaction from patients and families.

Qualifications/Experience

HS diploma or equivalent. EMT B or minimum of 120hr CNA certification required, or completion of at least one clinical rotation of an accredited nursing program. Indicate on your application which CNA certification you possess (120 hr or 150hr) and/or that you have completed the appropriate nursing program clinical rotation. Applicants must be in good standing on the Iowa Direct Care Worker Registry. Indicate registry certification number on your application. Only applications with this information indicated will be considered. Dept of Labor Level III (Medium) Work. Candidates must successfully complete a post-offer, pre-employment strength and agility test at Medium Level of Work.

 

[eprex]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJcuYKyHEgs
Love this movie

 

[Medic Tim]

I didn't realize some medics working as techs don't get to work as "medics". Up here some places have medics working triage (bls medics) and als medics on the er and icu floor. Medics run all the codes and practice their full scope (sometimes expanded). In some rural areas ers are staffed by an als Medic and rn. The medic does not work under the nurse, they work with the nurse and doctors.

 

[abckidsmom]

Other options that are outside the box thinking (and that psych one is a real bonus. You can't pay for good psych experience, and it translates into everything you will ever do because people are all crazy!)

Adult residential care (special needs adult group homes- passing meds, caring for people and customer service)

Adult day care

Foster care "big brother" type person (check with your local social services)

While you are checking with social services, check and see if there are any elderly people you can volunteer with.

All these will get you great skills with people and will look great on paper.

Especially if you like them enough to have a couple of great stories to tell interview panels.

 

[ayblinkin]

I didn't realize some medics working as techs don't get to work as "medics". Up here some places have medics working triage (bls medics) and als medics on the er and icu floor. Medics run all the codes and practice their full scope (sometimes expanded). In some rural areas ers are staffed by an als Medic and rn. The medic does not work under the nurse, they work with the nurse and doctors.

If you have your Medic you can operate separate from an RN. The ER I was doing clinicals in is staffed by several Medics that practiced their full scope. Only time you work under anyone is if you only have your Basic.