Western Nevada student nurses participate at job fair

A job fair for 75 Western Nevada College nursing students was conducted for the first time in five years on Feb. 15.

Hosted by the National Student Nurses’ Association, the fair offered an opportunity to secure future employment, interview with hospitals and health care facilities, learn more from four-year colleges about bachelor degree opportunities and scholarship funding available through WNC Foundation.

“The facilities that participated were really excited about the caliber of our students,” said nursing faculty member Kathy Cocking. “Facilities were offering them jobs on the spot and others said they could come work for them as a CNAs until they finished nursing school.”

Cocking helped the students prepare for the fair weeks in advance through mock interviews and crafting their résumés.

“We did interviews in class two weeks ago and they were critiqued,” Cocking said. “They also learned about professional attire and appropriate demeanor for interviews.”

She said the students impressed the participants.

“I felt like a proud mother when they walked in,” Cocking said. “They were engaged and enthusiastic. The vendors were so impressed by our students.”

Hospitals from the area that participated in the Job Fair included Carson Tahoe Health, Renown Regional Medical Center, Veterans Administration Medical Center, St. Mary’s Medical Center, Carson Valley Medical Center and Banner Churchill.

Participating long-term health facilities included Gardnerville Health and Rehab Center, Mountain View Health and Rehabilitation, and Carson Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. Home Care agencies that took part in the event were Visiting Angels and Amada Senior Care. HCA Health Care also attended, recruiting candidates for its facilities in Las Vegas.

Students who are planning to pursue their bachelor of science degree in nursing were able to meet with representatives from the University of Nevada, Reno, Orvis School of Nursing, American Sentinel College of Nursing and Health Sciences and Chamberlain University.

The Foundation also attended so they could talk to students about scholarship opportunities available to assist with their educational expenses.

The colleges, hospitals and health care facilities that attended the Job Fair made donations to the college’s association chapter to help students attend the upcoming national convention in Salt Lake City.

Cocking said that all second-year nursing students were required to attend the fair but not all first-year nursing and CNA students participated.

“We are going to make it mandatory for our first-year students, too, next year because we think they get so much out of it,” she said.

For more information about the WNC Nursing Program, go to wnc.edu/nalh, phone 775-445-4425 or email nursing.alliedhealth@wnc.edu.