Are you a nursing student looking for employment? Then you've come to the right place because I'm going to share some fantastic jobs for pre-nursing students that will help you financially through nursing school and prep you with some vital skills you can use in your career as a nurse.
Before you consider working in food services or as a retailer, hear me out.
What is pre nursing?
Pre nursing is an essential step for anyone interested in a career in nursing. The courses you take will provide you with the foundation of knowledge you need to succeed in nursing school and beyond.
Healthcare is exceptionally beneficial for pre-nursing students because the pay rate is significantly higher than any other job. This caught your attention. Read on!
These jobs will assist you in gaining experience and increasing your value in the future. Assume you have a job in the health sector and have done outstanding work and have left excellent marks there. There's a great chance your place of employment might extend an employment offer to you even before you graduate. I have seen this with myself and many of my colleagues in nursing school.
Working in the health sector will undoubtedly open doors for you after graduation; you will have no trouble finding work. I can guarantee you that.
Since I've already deluged you with information, let's jump right into the top 12 jobs for pre-nursing students.
A Complete Guide On Nursing Student Jobs:
If you are currently enrolled in a BSN (Nursing program) and looking for a part-time job, consider the following 12 best jobs for pre-nursing students:
Phlebotomist
Emergency Medical Technician
Monitor Technician
Nursing Assistant
Psychiatric Aide
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Occupational-therapy Aide
Hospital Transporter
Research-Assistant
Undergraduate Tutor
Sanitation Technician
Hospital Clerical Worker
Dietician Aide
1. Phlebotomist:
A Phlebotomist is one of the highest-paid part time jobs for nursing students. Phlebotomists are in charge of drawing and collecting blood samples for blood tests, different investigations, research, and donations.
However, their responsibilities do not end with blood collection, as they are in charge of collecting samples, such as Urine DR and Stool DR in some hospitals.
In most hospitals I have worked in, phlebotomists only collect blood work.
As a phlebotomist, you can work in a private or public hospital, as well as in a laboratory.
To become a phlebotomist, you do not need a degree; in some cases, a certificate is sufficient, and in others, a semester-long course is required.
If you want to take on this career, consider taking a class for it before starting nursing school or doing it in conjunction with your nursing coursework if you can, as doing so will be worth your while.
2. Emergency Medical Technician:
Have you ever seen the EMTs at work in movies? Have you ever witnessed an ambulance with a team of paramedics and emergency medical technicians arrive to assist people? If not in real life, you may have seen something similar in medical-inspired movies.
You guessed correctly! Emergency Medical Technicians are in charge of providing immediate treatment in life-threatening situations.
As an EMT, you may be called upon to provide CPR, glucose, or other lifesaving treatment within your scope of practice in an emergency. On the other hand, Paramedics are always in charge of the more complex procedures.
Being an EMT will provide you with valuable experience to help you in your nursing career. It is one of the best jobs available for pre-nursing students. You may have to deal with life and death situations at times which might help you think fast on your feet and be emotionally strong as you make your way through your career as a nurse.
3. Monitor Technician:
If you have enough knowledge of ECG and cardiac rhythms, you can apply for a monitor technician position. If you don't, you can take a course to acquire this knowledge, or the hospital that employs you for this position might train you to fill this position.
This is also one of the great jobs for pre-nursing students. 
Monitor technicians, also known as Cardiac technicians or telemetry technicians, are responsible for monitoring patients' heart rates and electrocardiograms. You will be in charge of monitoring telemetry monitors, noting any abnormalities in cardiac rhythms, and reporting these to the doctor or nurse.
Monitor Techs are essential to patient wellbeing as they catch cardiac arrhythmias quickly and communicate to the healthcare team to save people's lives.
As a nursing student, this position will be a great way to learn essential patient care skills and work as part of a team. Plus, the pay is also good!
4. Nursing Assistant:
Are you mentally and physically strong? Are you someone who enjoys looking after others and their needs? If so, you might be able to get a part-time job as a nursing assistant. Physically or mentally strong doesn't mean intense work; it means you will be in charge of some tasks that may require you to be physically strong and mentally disciplined.
Nursing Assistants assist in taking care of their patients daily, under the supervision of a nurse.
As part of the healthcare team, you will be responsible for your patient's care, such as bedding, feeding, bathing and skin care, toileting assistance, catheter care, taking vital signs, and reporting any changes to the nurse.
This position is especially great for nursing students as you get a natural feel of the daily routine of a nurse. If you have a great rapport with your supervisory nurse, you might even get the chance to observe and learn some nursing skills in your free time.
This is the position I worked in while in nursing school. Working as a CNA or a PCT in the hospital helped me get trained in phlebotomy, EKGs, Blood Sugar monitoring, and many more.
These essential skills were invaluable and helped me immensely when I became a nurse. Consider this position to help you make headway in your nursing career.
5. Psychiatric Aide:
The job of a psychiatric aide is very similar to that of a nursing assistant. So, once again, if you are compassionate, generous, and empathetic, you are eligible to apply for this position.
In general, a psychiatric aide is in charge of caring for mentally or emotionally impaired patients.
As a Psychiatric Aide, you will be part of a team that includes psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, and psychiatric technicians. In cases when patients go into a crisis, your help might be needed to stabilize them. To deal with these situations, you will need to participate in a training program to help you react to protect patients and protect yourself.
6. Occupational therapy Aide:
Are you looking for a job in a hospital where you will not be in direct contact with patients? Then this job opportunity is for you. A licensed occupational therapist supervises an occupational therapy aide.
You will be responsible for assisting your occupational therapist, possibly by setting up a treatment area, setting up all therapy equipment, and performing clerical tasks such as answering phones, filling out insurance forms, scheduling appointments, and so on.
7. Hospital Patient Transporter:
The hospital patient transporter is responsible for moving patients on wheelchairs and stretchers to various clinical locations throughout the hospital.
They are also responsible for transporting patients to their mode of transportation upon discharge from the hospital. It's an excellent job for a pre-nursing student who wants to work part-time to bear their expenses without getting distracted.
This is one of the great jobs for nursing students with no experience you should look into. Hospitals give you the training to do this job seamlessly.
8. Research Assistant:
If you are a good content writer and want to deepen your knowledge, you can apply for a research assistant job.
Being a research assistant, you will be responsible for collecting and analyzing data, managing all the emails, reporting findings from different experiments, and preparing articles and journals. This job will help you in your subject of study and will solidify your current concepts.
9. Undergraduate Tutor:
It is the most underrated job; most people do not prefer it as one of the most valuable jobs for nursing students with no experience. You can become an undergraduate tutor by being assigned to schools.
Being an undergraduate tutor can help you improve your knowledge and master the subject you teach. If you master your topic, you will be able to answer in your class confidently, and you will be appreciated and regarded as the most brilliant student in your class. You can earn money and gain knowledge in this manner, with no risks!
10. Sanitation Technician:
A sanitation technician is also an excellent option for pre-nursing students. The sanitation technician is responsible for preparing the surgical room, preparing all the surgical instruments and equipment for a procedure, and maintaining the sterile environment before and after the surgery.
In some cases, sanitation tech requires certification or training; in other cases, the hospital might hire you and train you into this position even without prior experience or knowledge in this field.
11. Hospital Clerical Worker:
A hospital clerical worker is a non-medical position within a hospital. As a hospital clerical worker, you will collaborate with patients and the healthcare staff.
You will perform duties such as orderly managing all of the doctor's data, answering patient queries, answering calls, performing administrative tasks, and assisting with simple requests from the healthcare team.
12. Dietitian Aide:
Dietitian aides, also known as dietary aides, prepare and serve meals to patients based on the physician's recommendations and the patient's treatment plan. It is an excellent job for pre-nursing students because every hospital requires multiple dietary aides, increasing the employment prospects for this position.
This position may or may not require prior knowledge or experience in this field. Again, the hospital that employs this position might hire someone with no previous experience in this field and train them to work as part of the team.
FAQs
Can you work as a student nurse?
Yes, you can work as a student nurse while in nursing school. Most nursing schools have clinical rotation requirements that must be met to graduate. Many students work as nurses' aides or other types of hospital staff to gain the necessary experience.
You will need to check with your specific nursing program to see their specific clinical rotation requirements.
What jobs can I get while studying nursing?
There are many jobs that you can get while studying nursing. Some of the most popular jobs include working as a Certified Nursing Assistant, a phlebotomist, an EMT, and many more. Refer to the options above to get started.
The options are endless, and it depends on your interests and what you want to do with your nursing degree.
How do I get pre-nursing experience?
There are many ways to get a pre-nursing experience. You could volunteer at a hospital or nursing home, do internships, or shadow nurses in the field.
Another great way to get experience is to become a certified nurse assistant (CNA). A CNA is a certified medical professional who assists nurses and doctors with patient care. CNAs usually work in hospitals, nursing homes, and other healthcare facilities.
The best way to find out the requirements for becoming a CNA in your state is to visit the National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP) website. This is the organization that provides certification for CNAs across the United States.
Can a first-year nursing student work as a PSW?
Yes, a first-year nursing student can work as a Personal Support Worker (PSW). However, it is essential to note that some limitations exist on the type of work that a PSW can do.
A PSW cannot provide medical care or administer medications, but they can provide basic nursing care such as checking vital signs and helping with feeding and bathing.
Can you work as a nurse while studying nursing?
No, you can not work as a nurse while still in school. However, once you have graduated and passed your nurse licensing exam, many hospitals and health care facilities will allow you to work as a nurse under the supervision of a Registered Nurse till you acquire all the nursing skills to work independently.
Conclusion
You must have realized by now that there are numerous opportunities for pre-nursing students. Starting nursing school is exciting, but it is also costly. Finding jobs for pre-nursing students in the medical field has many advantages.
It will help you earn more money than any other job and give you a lot of experience. Not to mention that whether you work as a part-timer or a full-time employee, you can take advantage of your facility tuition reimbursement program to pay off some of your nursing school tuition.
These jobs will provide you with far more benefits than we have discussed, and the good news is that you will be able to decide whether or not you want to continue your career as a nurse after completing any of these jobs.
Hopefully, you do, because you are an essential worker and are very needed. But knowing the workflow will help you decide if nursing is what you want to do before you rack up all the student loans and change your mind later. Let me know in the comments below which of these nursing student job options you prefer and why. Happy working, Happy studying!
[…] these tips, you can even do any pre-nursing jobs, and I’m pretty sure you will manage your work and studies […]