I was a full-charge bookkeeper before I decided I wanted to be a nurse. I was an office manager, financial analyst and a human resources department! Accounting was my thing. I never actually chose accounting. It chose me. An opportunity became available and I found myself thriving in that field. Then, after nine or so years, I wanted to do more. I wanted a career that had meaning and was good and helped people. A lot of those skills will actually transfer over to my job as a nurse. There are elements of management, people skills, communications skills. I literally helped people run their companies. It was exhilarating. I’ve taken accounting courses, but all my recent courses have nothing to do with my former career. I’ve been a server at Outback the whole time I’ve been here at UCF, so there is a definite disconnect between careers. My weakest job skills are those of delegating. I have a hard time trusting other people to do work that will reflect on me or just not get finished. So, I tend to take on too much and the stress can become unbearable. I haven’t had any professional arenas, lately, to work on these skills. But I know you have to work as a team as a nurse, but are responsible for work you sign. I think clinical will help get a feel for what is expected. When I become a nursing student, I will join the National Student Nurses Association and when I am a nurse I will join the American Nurses Association. Our program has clinical as part of the curriculum, like an internship. I am also choosing to pursue the job as a Nurse Tech which, in Florida, is a job for nursing students to give you experience for when you graduate. Everyone in any career wants experience. Enough to where you know your way around, but not too much that you can’t be trained specifically to their company. So what job skills do you feel are an asset to a new employer that will make them feel confident in you, but not intimated and weary?? Hmm… What do you think?
As of right now I have not put my interdisciplinary skills to use. The only real jobs I've had is working at Friendly's restaurant, usually as a server and working at a golf course as a snack bar attendant. Though neither of these jobs are directly related to the health field I feel that working as a server can be a hectic job in the sense that when people are hungry they want their food, fast! I feel that working in this usually fast paced environment has prepared me for the potentially fast paced environment of the medical field. I can also use the people skills I've acquired as a server to better serve people in the medical field as well. In addition to my job I've been very active in my sorority, a honorary band sorority providing service to the college bands. Though also not directly tied to the health field I feel that it's given me a chance to work with people and I get many chances to aid people. There have also been a few instances where I've needed to help band kids who have gotten sick, although not in my "job description." It always feels good to know you've helped someone out.
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Jillian:
ReplyDeleteI am also starting nursing school when I graduate. In Florida, after a semester of nursing school, you can get a job as Nurse Tech. It pays about $16/hr and it's on the job experience. They know you are in school, so it's part-time and you do that and your clinicals. That is my goal. I am currently a server at a restaurant. I do gain people skills and working in a stressful type environment, but we're talking about food here! LOL. I think you will become more assertive with more exposure to the health field. Look into the nurse tech. position. I believe there is information on the National Student Nurses Association!
I think I face a similar dillema. I haven't had a lot of work experience, especially not experience that connects to my future career goals or the health care field. I have been working as a tutor since I started college and have loved working wiht middle/high school age students. I have learned a lot of things about dealing with parents, communication, and how to explain what I'm thinking. These are all skills I will need and will be applicable to any career I may choose.
ReplyDeleteI could probably imrpove in confidence level in the workplace. I am fine with working with students one-on-one, but am not as comfortable in groups, which will definitely be a skill I will have to work on.
I will have to start looking for internships or other opportunities, which will help me develop the specific skills needed in health care. This would include being friendly and comfortable with patients,and working as a team member with other health care providers.
I'm definitely looking for opportunities to do these things and agree with Jillian that volunteering in a hospital would be a great way to start.
I would use UCF career services to help find internships or opportunities that will maybe count as credit, too.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Rhonda. I didn't even know about that Nurse Tech position. That's actually a huge relief to me. I'd be making some money and I'd have something to put on my resume while doing it; pretty much killing two birds witb one stone. How much do you know about this position? Is it competitive to get into? I'm sure there has to be a good deal of new nurses trying to get experience.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like most of you are aspiring nurses or at least in the medical field. I don't have much work-place experience either. However, the experience I do have is spread out over several fields. I have worked in the restaurant atmosphere, at a marina, and in the corporate atmosphere. I worked at two restaurants, one was a brick oven pizza/Italian restaurant and wine bar which I worked at for over 3 years. I learned a lot about how to deal with people from that experience, I definitely understand Rhonda when she talks about how difficult people can be when they are hungry. My corporate job was based at my uncle's corporation. He started Liberty Medical Supply, which he sold, then started his other company Liberator Medical Supply where I was employed. I only worked there for a summer, but I learned a lot about big business and interactions in the business setting. I worked at the corporate building for the first half of my employment doing miscellaneous projects. I then was moved to fill a spot in the retail store and got to interact directly with customers. It was a very interesting experience for me, seeing sick customers come in and doing my best to help them get what they need through insurance/Medicare and whatnot. I am sure those of you in the clinical field know that many ill people can be at least as difficult as the hungry at a restaurant. There were several situations that were very tense that I had with customers, but I always worked it out with them. That was probably the biggest thing I have learned in my experience, how to get over the spite in a conversation and move on to more personal, kind conversation. I was able to run the entire retail store by myself and managed it for a little over a week before I left for school again. It was an excellent learning experience and I took a lot with me, along with knowing for a fact that the corporate office setting is not for me.
ReplyDeleteM. August, I also learned from working in a corporate office that I was not fit for that. I don't do well with backstabbing, ladder climbing and falseness!!! I learned a lot, but wouldn't choose to work in a corporation business atmosphere like that again. Jillian, I thought Nurse Tech would be really competitive, but I've heard that a lot of students don't want to work during nursing school and don't take advantage of this position. I don't know about Orlando, though. But it is cheap labor for them and you are supervised. I'm glad I could help!
ReplyDeleteMy professional life has been greatly influenced by the strategies and skills I have learned from my interdisciplinary classes. Most all my classes are either science based or medically related. By integrating all that I have learned from these classes and applying that towards my vocations, I am able to solve problems from an interdisciplinary approach. I have held vary diverse jobs, from being a resort receptionist to a pharmaceutical technician to a hostess at a downtown lounge.
ReplyDeleteI have held both an internship and work experience by being a pharmaceutical technician. Seeing as though all my classes are geared toward medicine, I have been able to learn a great amount about being a pharmacist technician. Even with all this knowledge, I still have so much to learn about the main aspects of pharmacy, which are the different medications. This proposes a weakness in my job skills. However, these concepts are not taught until pharmacy school, so until then I cannot easily advance in my field of work.
To keep up with all the work that goes into becoming a pharmacist and applying to pharmacy school, I am in the pre-professional medical society and the pre-pharmacy society at UCF. These clubs give me the opportunity to associate with other students who are in the same situation that I am in. Also in these clubs, I can ask questions to students who may be further ahead in their academic career than I am and get advice from them.
Jillian,
ReplyDeleteI don't know much about the nursing major except that a bunch of people I know are in it. I do hear that it is a very time consuming program and I believe most of the people I know do not have jobs related to nursing either. As long as you can get in to nursing school without experience, I think that should provide enough experience to obtain a good job. One of the main reasons I volunteer as a pharm tech is to have experience just to get into pharmacy school. I believe after you get in and graduate, chances of getting a career in most medically related jobs is pretty high.
Rhonda,
ReplyDeleteThe backstabbing was a huge thing, and the falseness. Seeing how people interact in such a setting having to be there everyday with hardly any change was shocking.
Stephanie,
It really seems like you are on the right track for your pharmaceutical job. Being involved in two societies, going to school, and having an internship, I applaud you. How did you come across your pharmaceutical tech job?
I agree Stephanie. I suppose I'll just look into that Nurse tech position. I'm sure alot of people get nursing jobs even though they don't have much experience. Despite this, I'm still going to try to make my resume as impressive as possible. It can only help me in the long-run.
ReplyDeleteMy interdisciplinarity has been of use even before I declared it my major. The uniqueness of taking the variety of courses I have been taking from the begining of my college career has prepared me for the variety of work I expect to see working as an Audiologist.
ReplyDeleteI feel considerably lucky with my previous work experience. I began working in retail, where I built enough customer service experience to get a job in Guest Services at Winnie Palmer Hospital, where I learned about the diversity of positions within the hospital-- which lead me to being a Hearing Technician. I was not immediately convinced that Audiology was for me, but after being submerged in the department I fell in love with it. I noticed that we all pretty much have a common "tech" position prior to our main career goal. I am very grateful for the tech position, because it has really exposed me to the entire position. Many of the courses I have taken thus far has been VERY beneficial to my success in my job. I can really only think of the ways being an Interdisciplinary Studies major can further assist in my success in the future.
M. August Jeske,
ReplyDeleteI did have a job as a pharmacist technician but now I am only currently volunteering as one. They recently passed/are going to pass a law that states all technicians must be registered. (Which takes a lot of studying and an expensive test.) When I got my first job as a technician, I was lucky. I don't think I would have as easily have gotten this experience if I hadn't known the pharmacy supervisor. But I told him I had been looking for a job in pharmacy for a long time and how I wanted to go to pharmacy school. Luckily, he allowed me to gain experience and work in the hospital pharmacy during my winter break.
It was a really fun and interesting experience!
The discussion about the nurse tech position is interesting. That is great they provide opportunities like that, it provides great work experience and will also show that you really enjoy that field. I still have to decide what I want to do with my degree, but something like that tech position or Stephanie's pharmacy tech position, all sound like great examples of how to gain some professional development.
ReplyDeleteI also though the commentary on the corporate side of things was interesting. I was actually looking into doing an internship in that kind of setting, but will have to think carefully about it! I don't think I'd deal well with that kind of environment.
I think the overall message we can learn from this is that it is important to try out different areas, since they not only vary based on the type of work but also the type of environment. After working as a tutoring for a small tutoring business, I realized how much I like that small, friendly environment where the student is put first. I'll have to keep this in mind as I explore future options.
Stephanie,
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like an awesome experience. Like you mentioned, it probably helped you knew the pharmacy supervisor. It seems that's definitely the case with professional development and gaining unique opportunities: it's a lot about who you know and who knows you. It's important to get your name out there and seek out professionals who can help you gain access to internships or volunteer positions.
Femke,
ReplyDeleteIn regards to your possible corporate internship, I would still go for it, just for the experience. Even though it will likely not be the best one you have had or will have, it will definitely be an opportunity to learn. Its very interesting to see how the majority of Americans spend the majority of their lives in the office setting.
In my current role as a Hearing Technician the courses I have taken at UCF has strengthed my knowledge of the scenarios I encounter at work. Many of my co-workers know they can count on me regarding general things like medical terminology and pharmacology due to the courses I have taken thus far. I am very compliant with my co-workers and departmental needs. My manager knows that she can always count on me to work. In regards to developing my weaker skills... I could really work on communiticating efficiently to parents of my newborn patients. I am at a loss for words sometimes when I see a patient that I do not know how to console parents when they recieve bad news. People's reactions to bad news is not always predictable, however I would like to feel better prepared for such situations. Unfortunately, I am unaware of any professional clubs I can join as an undergraduate student. Hopefully in grad school I will be able to identify an organization that will help me grow professionally.
ReplyDeleteFor the most part... I think people who have a variety of random work experiences have something from each job that will help them in the future. Each job that I had in the past has given me something that I value greatly, both personally and professionally. Many things do not need to be exactly identified, but each position I have held has changed me somehow.
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