Delaware Tech nursing students give their best shot
Delaware Technical Community College offers many opportunities to prepare students for the workforce upon getting their degree. On Sept. 27, Owens campus nursing students had the chance to meet with over 20 employers at the Nursing Career Fair in the Student Services Center to find out more about these job opportunities and even apply for them.
Kelly Davis, a member of Delaware Tech’s nursing facility and organizer for the career fair, said a wide variety of job opportunities are presented to the nursing students during this event. Some of these opportunities include careers in in-home care, nursing homes, hospitals, and alcohol/drug recovery.
Davis said that while some employers are looking for soon to be graduates, others are hiring students as certified nursing assistants (CNAs).
“The goal as a nursing student is to get hired as a CNA. Having that experience before graduation gives you a jump start on your career,” Davis said.
One employer offering CNA experience to students is Nanticoke Memorial Hospital. Nanticoke Memorial Hospital is a 99-bed, level 3 trauma center located in Seaford. Marissa Chavez, a human resources generalist for Nanticoke, said that the hospital has provided training opportunities for many students to help them complete their CNA, and that a CNA is a required step on the path to becoming a nurse.
“Most of the people we hire for these positions are local students. We are a family focused, community hospital. A lot of times the students we hire as CNAs come back and work with us after they get their full certification,” said Chavez.
Hospitals are not the only place offering careers to nursing students. Suzanne Caputo, director of human recourses for Hudson Health Services, was at the career fair searching for registered nurses to hire.
“We assist in the rehabilitation of those who struggle with alcohol or drug abuse,” said Caputo.
They often hire recently graduated nurses, and most of their new nurses come from Delaware Tech and Wor-Wic Community College, Caputo said.
Ally Melvin, a second-year nursing student, was browsing the different employer booths that morning. Though her goal after graduation is to work in labor and delivery, she had found a lot of the home health care opportunities to be interesting.
“This event is pretty helpful, even though I already have a good idea of what I want to do after graduation, it’s still helpful to see all the different options,” Melvin said.
Melvin will finish her certification at the end of this current semester and hopes to jump right into her career.
Throughout the semester the campus offers a variety of career fairs each catering to different majors, helping all students prepare for their future while still in school. More information on upcoming career fairs can be found here.
Tables lined the perimeter of the Fireside Lounge in the Student Services Center during the career fair on Sept. 27. Behind each table was a representative from various employers, students walked around visiting different tables gathering information. (Photo by K. Davis)