Clinical Experience

[JackD]

I have reached a point where i need to get a new job (i quit my last job not too long ago but am quickly running out of money). I figure it may be a good time to start gaining some clinical experience but i wonder, what kind of jobs would i be doing? The setting would be obvious but i am not exactly sure what someone with my education can do at some kind of hospital.

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[sparkleflower]

What is your education? With a BA you could work as a case manager in community mental health. You wouldn't do therapy and the salary sucks, but you'd get LOTS of experience working with/seeing/identifying different pathology. In the same vein, you could consider homeless outreach programs and the like.

 

[myelin]

You can work as a mental health technician on an inpatient unit without a BA. I did this for a year and got some great experiences that gave me something to talk about in my PS. PRN work would be ideal as you are still a student. Check your local hospitals to see if they have psych units, or look at private facilities.

To give you an idea of what this includes: CPR training, CPI training (aka - how to restrain a patient when they are endangering themselves and/or others), charting, 15 minute checks, working with RN/MSW/MD/PHD staff, direct contact with patients, etc. I also received training on how to use leather straps to restrain a patient to a bed which was really interesting, but still useful! I really miss that job.

 

[JackD]

To give you an idea of what this includes: CPR training, CPI training (aka - how to restrain a patient when they are endangering themselves and/or others), charting, 15 minute checks, working with RN/MSW/MD/PHD staff, direct contact with patients, etc. I also received training on how to use leather straps to restrain a patient to a bed which was really interesting, but still useful! I really miss that job.

Sounds a little more intense than what i am looking to do, at least the part about restraining patients. I am looking for clinical experience, since it is good for grad school applications, so i am still working on my BS. The only potential job i have found so far is being a "sitter" at the hospital where my sister works. She said all they do is sit in the room with Alzheimer's patients and make sure they don't get up and start walking around. I hear it is easy but i am not sure how relevant that would be to gaining clinical experience. Alzheimer's clearly is a psychological condition, at least in part but is just making sure they don't start walking around really going to be considered clinical experience?

Also something that i have been wondering about. I am trying to go to get accepted to a professional school to obviously get a PsyD. Now by the time i apply i will almost certainly have research experience, so if for some reason i can't find a clinical job by the time i apply, would research experience be considered a good substitute for clinical experience? Or would a professional school say "we don't care about the research you have done, where is your clinical experience?"

 

[glasscandie]

I'm interning at a non-profit psychiatric rehabilitation center. Basically I just googled "mental health facilities" and e-mailed everyone asking if I could volunteer! I'm getting great experience - I'm sitting in on group therapy and team clinic meetings; I'll eventually facilitate my own skills training class; I'm carrying a 5 client case load, where I track their progress; and am heading two research projects, one independent and one evidence-based practice. I think they're calling me a PRS or psychiatric rehabilitation specialist/student intern. However, that won't help much for the money aspect, as I'm not getting paid - but it's great clinical experience!

 

[sunshinejenn]

I also volunteer at a local Mental Health Centre (in Ontario, Canada), and my jobs range from just sitting and talking to clients in the ward, to playing games with them, walking around outside with them (playing catch, etc.), reading, assisting with moving things in their room...well, you get the picture.

It's actually been a great experience, and since the ward I volunteer on has the same clients week after week, you really feel rewarded when you walk in to begin your shift and the clients get super excited and all want to hang out with you. You really feel like you are making their day better.

Most of the clients in this ward are usually afflicted with depression, schizophrenia, personality disorders, etc. (so it's great experience for those wanting to go into clinical psychology). The doctors and nurses who are always in the ward also are super, and they let me take a look and the behind-the-scenes stuff, like measuring out the medication, and have taught me a lot about psychopharmacology. Amazing experience.

Though it's not paid, I think it looks great on a resume/C.V, and it's invaluable experience in the long run. Really makes you think about whether it's the right field for you!