Hourly Work: Experience That Wins Entry Level Nursing Jobs

Young nurses who have just graduated and obtained their RN licenses often worry about getting that first entry level nursing job. The problem is that employers - particularly the top hospitals and medical offices that pay the best - want to see real experience on a resume in addition to the nursing degree.

A good way to help break down the barrier to your first nursing job is to put some time into hourly work. It probably won't be the highest paying work you ever do, but it can quickly give you a diversity of hands-on work experience that will make you attractive to an employer.

Among the jobs where nurses are often hired on an hourly basis:

• Home Health Aide
• Resident counselor (group home)
• Certified Nursing Assistant
• Medical receptionist
• Camp counselor
• Nurse's Aid

College students in many areas do unpaid internships to add some real world experience to their resumes. The good thing about hourly nursing work is that you can accomplish the same goal while allowing you to earn some money. Some nurses who work on several different hourly jobs in the months after they finish nursing school look allot more like experienced pros than "newbies" when they interview for the full-time entry level nursing positions that include benefits and higher salaries. A good place to start looking for hourly work is often the career center at the school you are attending.