On June 24th, the Career Connections Center (C3) hosted a virtual career trek with Orlando Health. Attendees of the trek learned about the Orlando Health hospital system and potential careers with the organization in roles such as Nursing, Occupational Therapy, and Nurse Practitioner. Attendees of the trip included students in the final or next-to-last years in related programs.
As a virtual career trek exploring multiple career paths at the organization, the experience was structured into separate Zoom sessions for each area of interest. The sessions consisted of overviews of Orlando Health’s company culture and benefits, followed by talks from staff members who gave insight into their roles and career paths, along with advice for students aspiring to those roles. Attendees got the opportunity to ask questions and make connections with the presenters.
KEY TAKEAWAYS AND INSIGHTS
Overall
- The Orlando Health system is growing, creating lots of career opportunities
- They offer attractive benefits
- They have won awards recognizing both service to patients and as a great place to work
Nursing
- Received Magnet Status from the ANCC (Magnet designation is given to hospitals with the best nursing care)
- New nurse grads can receive reimbursement for NCLEX exam
- Offers a “Nursing Career Pathway” model, ranging from Nurse Intern to RN
- Advised students to optimize their resumes, putting education and certifications first
- Cautioned students to be mindful of professionalism
- Ensure voicemail is set up and not full
- Follow up in a timely manner
- Answer phone in a professional tone
- Soft (interpersonal) skills are important – they hire for culture; technical skills can be taught
Nurse Practitioner and Physician Assistant
- They offer year-long fellowships in 11 areas
- Fellowships pay 75% of regular starting pay, but after completion, salary goes up to more than regular starting pay
- Fellowships include group activities such as simulations, cadaver labs, professional development meetings, a mentor program, and more
- They have the only infectious disease APP fellowship in the country
Occupational Therapy
- They encouraged students to be open to specialties they may not have thought about before
- There are often not enough specialists in the areas needed to treat those populations
- New grad training time is 6 weeks, including orientation and software training – support is provided during this time, and new grads are not expected to work fully on their own until the 6 weeks is up
Career treks to a variety of employers in different career pathways happen each semester. Check the Career Hub often to see what’s coming up!
Got an idea for a career trek? Contact your career coach to let them know!
