Interview Today at Memory Care Facility

Last week on Wednesday night I started an application for a local in-home health care company. They called me the next day and asked me to clarify what my experience wass working in health care. I explained that I had helped care for both of my grandmothers in the last years of their life, that I had worked part time helping an elderly blind woman with her housekeeping and correspondence, and that I voluntarily assisted a wheelchair using older man with M.S. in a boarding house I used to live in; helped him with dressing, showering, toileting, bed changes, etc. The woman on the phone said that family experience doesn't count for anything, and that I wasn't experienced enough for the position. She was kind of mean about it. I understand if they want someone with more formal training, but geez, at least be kind about it. Maybe they get a lot of inquiries from people with zero experience and it gets tiring.

So last night I checked craigslist again to see if there were new open positions in health care and there were two new postings in elder care, one for a medication technician and the other for a caregiver. They were both "apply in person", so this morning I went to each of them and filled out an application. The first one I went to (the medication tech position) called me about 20 minutes after I left and asked if I could come in for an interview on the same day. Sure, I said. So 2 hours later I was there for my interview, which really only lasted about 10 minutes.

They asked me to tell them about myself, what I considered my best trait to be, and one weakness. I wasn't in top form but I think I came across well enough. One of them asked me more specifics about my experience, if I had ever handed out medications before. I said I had, but only to individuals. So they said it might be better to start me off as a caregiver for a couple of months and then I could reapply for medication tech once I was familiar with the facility and the residents. They said they usually hire from within for the med tech position. I was agreeable to that. We talked about schedules, and they said they would look more specifically at their schedule needs and give me a call. I felt like I got the job when I was leaving. But they didn't specify *when* they would call which makes me a little nervous. Maybe I should have looked up common medications used for alzheimers and dementia patients before I went to the interview. They did say that the med tech job was pretty stressful.

Caregiving only pays $9 per hour, but I would have more consistent hours, they said I could pick up more shifts if I wanted when people call in sick or want the day off, and I think if I get it and can start the job soon, I would still be able to squeeze in 200 hours by the time I turn in my nursing school application. 200 hours of employment in health care gets you only an extra 5 points on the application, but so long as I need more work and income anyway, this would be a good fit.

I haven't heard back from either hospital on volunteer service yet. It has been about a week since I turned in my applications. I don't think I explained the 2nd hospital here... the first one I applied to I found out they have mandatory all day orientation for new volunteers, only on the first Wednesday of each month. I just can't do that until the semester is over; I have a lab class on Wednesday mornings. so I put in a second application at another hospital in town; I'm not sure exactly what their requirements are.