Does being an RN count as clinical experience

[DO_or_Die]

I was a CNA for 6 months in a medical ICU prior to becoming an RN and have currently worked at the local children's hospital on a surgical-trauma floor for 1.5 years before switching specialties for an Adult/Pediatric Burn ICU at a level 1 trauma several months back. I am taking the medical school pre-reqs and will be completed w/ them in roughly 2-2.5 years while I work. I know that this switch is something that I truly want, to not only be an advocate for my patients, but to directly be able to be in control of their medical care as a primary member of the medical team.

My question is, does me working as an RN count as clinical experience towards my medical school application, or should I also volunteer at the children's hospital in the waiting area or something along those lines for several hundred hours as well in order to strengthen my app? (I will be shadowing different physicians separate from this volunteering, but I particularly would like to be a pediatrician). I don't want to take a different clinical position because I would be working outside of the scope of my license, but as being an RN and MD are so distinctly different I'm not sure if my experience will carry weight with the ADCOMS.

Secondly, any suggestions on any particular type of volunteering that you enjoyed?

Thank you for any advice you're willing to lend me!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[aldol16]

What do you think?

As a nurse, you see physicians interacting with patients all the time and you are also a member of the patient care team. You see the hospital in action as your job. You should still shadow doctors to see what it is that doctors do because you're right - it's different from what nurses do. But you should have no doubt that this is a clinical experience.

 

[Catalystik]

I was a CNA for 6 months in a medical ICU prior to becoming an RN and have currently worked at the local children's hospital on a surgical-trauma floor for 1.5 years before switching specialties for an Adult/Pediatric Burn ICU at a level 1 trauma several months back. I am taking the medical school pre-reqs and will be completed w/ them in roughly 2-2.5 years while I work. I know that this switch is something that I truly want, to not only be an advocate for my patients, but to directly be able to be in control of their medical care as a primary member of the medical team.

My question is, does me working as an RN count as clinical experience towards my medical school application, or should I also volunteer at the children's hospital in the waiting area or something along those lines for several hundred hours as well in order to strengthen my app?

As you are gaining active patient experience through a variety of jobs as an RN, it isn't necessary to gain additional clinical experience through volunteering in a medical facility. But your application will benefit from nonmedical community service. Find a cause you care about and give them your time for a few hours a week. Some ideas for community service might include Meals on Wheels, homeless or women's shelter, soup kitchen, food pantry, crisis hotline, after school tutoring of kids or ESL for adults, Big Brother/Big Sister, Special Olympics or coaching athletic programs for the physically disabled, helping with a scout troop or other youth group, providing enrichment classes in a poor school (eg, science demonstrations or health topics), Habitat for Humanity, or Humane Society.

 

[LizzyM]

As you are gaining active patient experience through a variety of jobs as an RN, it isn't necessary to gain additional clinical experience through volunteering in a medical facility. But your application will benefit from nonmedical community service. Find a cause you care about and give them your time for a few hours a week. Some ideas for community service might include Meals on Wheels, homeless or women's shelter, soup kitchen, food pantry, crisis hotline, after school tutoring of kids or ESL for adults, Big Brother/Big Sister, Special Olympics or coaching athletic programs for the physically disabled, helping with a scout troop or other youth group, providing enrichment classes in a poor school (eg, science demonstrations or health topics), Habitat for Humanity, or Humane Society.

@bent1993 QFT

 

[WheezyBaby]

Yes, but you should subtract any time spent charting or changing over patients. By my estimate, you have a solid month or two of clinical experience experience.
















Just kidding, obviously it's clinical experience

 

[calivianya]

Right there with you - four years FT work as RN. It definitely counts.

I am doing some volunteering, too - just because it can't hurt, and everyone else does it. I've been enjoying it too, so it's been a great experience. Unfortunately, it is also medical volunteering, not non-medical as other posters have suggested. We'll see how it pans out.

 

[Princeton Medical Student]

Yes, but you should subtract any time spent charting or changing over patients. By my estimate, you have a solid month or two of clinical experience experience.
















Just kidding, obviously it's clinical experience

I was about to go on a tirade. You got me

 

[NP 2 DPM]

I was a CNA for 6 months in a medical ICU prior to becoming an RN and have currently worked at the local children's hospital on a surgical-trauma floor for 1.5 years before switching specialties for an Adult/Pediatric Burn ICU at a level 1 trauma several months back. I am taking the medical school pre-reqs and will be completed w/ them in roughly 2-2.5 years while I work. I know that this switch is something that I truly want, to not only be an advocate for my patients, but to directly be able to be in control of their medical care as a primary member of the medical team.

My question is, does me working as an RN count as clinical experience towards my medical school application, or should I also volunteer at the children's hospital in the waiting area or something along those lines for several hundred hours as well in order to strengthen my app? (I will be shadowing different physicians separate from this volunteering, but I particularly would like to be a pediatrician). I don't want to take a different clinical position because I would be working outside of the scope of my license, but as being an RN and MD are so distinctly different I'm not sure if my experience will carry weight with the ADCOMS.

Secondly, any suggestions on any particular type of volunteering that you enjoyed?

Thank you for any advice you're willing to lend me!

Yes it does, actually. Especially if you are a certified acute care registered nurse; ergo ER, ICU, Cardiac Acute Med Surg, Neuro Med Surg, OR.

 

[NP 2 DPM]

Yes, but you should subtract any time spent charting or changing over patients. By my estimate, you have a solid month or two of clinical experience experience.
















Just kidding, obviously it's clinical experience

Charting is done on the side and in between the direct patient care responsibilities of the Registered Nurse Professional. Let us not try to belittle the invaluable Patient Advocacy in addition to the patient care.

 

[WheezyBaby]

Charting is done on the side and in between the direct patient care responsibilities of the Registered Nurse Professional. Let us not try to belittle the invaluable Patient Advocacy in addition to the patient care.

You make an excellent point. Let us also not forget the exceptional humor of the Registered Nurse Professional. Always a delight!

 

[NP 2 DPM]

What do you think?

As a nurse, you see physicians interacting with patients all the time and you are also a member of the patient care team. You see the hospital in action as your job. You should still shadow doctors to see what it is that doctors do because you're right - it's different from what nurses do. But you should have no doubt that this is a clinical experience.

I would also recommend to the OP that he or she shadow or observe the emergency department clinicians who may give ample points of views in the management of patients from the moment they enter the emergency department, the triage nurse is the one that ultimately dictates what patients are admitted , sent to the acute side ER or to the surg / subacute ER. The truth of the matter is that Nursing runs hospital managment , and clinically rounding with the Nursing Supervisor , the Charge Nurse can help a student see what he or she is getting into. I would encourage the student to also ask questions and interact with the RNs, Nurse Practitioners, Physicians Assistants and Physicians -- so that he or she can get a clear picture of the health teams that he or she will be working with.

Best of luck to all aspiring students !

 

[Kobethegoat24]

Um yeah lol


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile