Is this clinical experience?

[No2Pencil]

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I have been volunteering at a local Kaiser Permanente hospital for several weeks now. My job is to man the main information desk in the main lobby of the hospital. I basically just answer questions about where things are in the hospital. This means that I occasionally help patients around the hospital.

Does this count as clinical experience?

 

[the duck]

I would say it probably doesn't count. Look for something in an er or free clinic, there are way better gigs out there than what your doing now.

 

[Asyouwereatrio]

Having volunteered at a local Kaiser Permanente, I would say you do have other choices rather than the Information Desk.

I volunteered in the ED, where I was able to sit at the Patient Intake Desk and observe nurses triaging the patients as well as walk around in the actual ED and observe patient interaction with doctors and unforutnately, stock supplies.

I was also able to volunteer Peri-Operative Services, where I was able to work in pre-op and PACU--so I had the chance to interact directly with patients, talk to them as I would transport them to another area of hospital or to the front loading zone to be taken home by a family member. I also had to clean beds, which also teaches you the value of a nurse's job! Someone's gotta prepare the bed that patient is laying in!

I should try to make my point clear--find another department to volunteer at! You should be able to!

 

[the duck]

If that doesn't work, look at other hopsitals in the area.

 

[MedicalP]

No.

 

[DrSmooth]

There is not a manual out there that says what "clinical experience" is or is not. You are going to get asked in interviews something like, "so you volunteered with Kaiser for quite a while, what was that experience like?" You might have a hard time coming up with something if you were sitting behind a desk for a year. There are clinical volunteering programs out there where you can be hooking up patients to monitors, giving CPR, taking vitals, etc that will give you a much richer experience. Call around. Seems like your time could be better spent.

 

[gravitywave]

i believe the illustrious LizzyM has/had something in her sig about how "if you can smell patients, it's clinical experience." seems like a pretty good guide to me.

 

[LizzyM]

"Can you tell me about a memorable patient situation at Kaiser?" If you can't manage that interiew question, you haven't had enough experience or it isn't a clinical experience.

 

[jpagano]

probably not.

 

[Morsetlis]

Can you smell the patients?!?!