Community Regional Medical Centers held a nursing fair to teach students about various career paths in the medical field from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. March 12 at Marcus H. Radin Center at Clovis Community Medical Center.
Twenty of CRMC’s departments, which included surgical services, neuroscience, ICU trauma, pediatrics and many others, set up booths that featured information about each department.
Heather Rodriquez, chief nursing officer at Clovis Community Medical Center, said the event marks the first time Clovis Community Medical Center has held a nursing career fair showcasing several different departments. She added that the hospital is accepting new graduates.
“This event is a career fair for nursing students and it can be in their first semester all the way up until their last semester,” Rodriquez said. “They are here to learn about our system and what it is like to be a nurse for Community Medical Center.”
All of the tables displayed various diagrams and flyers with detailed information on each department.
Rebecca Magana, a nurse who worked at the fair’s obstetrics table, said the career fair is useful to students because it offers information on the day-to-day duties of working as a nurse.
“They mainly ask what we do on a daily basis. Their questions range from whether it is fast paced and what areas we deal with, is there a difference between hospitals, things like that. The most asked is whether we are taking new graduates,” Magana said.
Rodriquez said that the hospital is accepting new graduates due to a nursing shortage in the Central Valley.
“We have a significant nursing shortage, the baby boomer nurses are retiring so we are absolutely partnering with nursing schools to make sure they understand that we have many opportunities here in the valley. We love employing our students that are from the valley so they don’t have to move away to find their career,” Rodriquez said.