"is this experience clinical" questions

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beyondhuman

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Two separate questions about two separate experiences:

Would working as a CNA in a nursing home be clinical or nonclinical experience?

and

Volunteering at a free clinic, if I have a mixed experience (I do a lot of reception work but also occasionally assist doctors, talk with patients a ton, and do administrative tasks) will this count as clinical or nonclinical?

My hunch for both is clinical but I don't have a very good sense of smell personally so I thought I'd get some input from the forum.
 
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Would working as a CNA in a nursing home be clinical or nonclinical experience?

and

If I have a mixed experience, I do a lot of reception work but also occasionally assist doctors, talk with patients a ton, and do administrative tasks at a free clinic will this count as clinical or nonclinical?

My hunch for both is clinical but I don't have a very good sense of smell personally so I thought I'd get some input from the forum.

I think there was a pretty good discussion a few months back where LizzyM stated that working in nursing home is a non clinical experience.

of course i could be wrong
 
Would working as a CNA in a nursing home be clinical or nonclinical experience?

and

If I have a mixed experience, I do a lot of reception work but also occasionally assist doctors, talk with patients a ton, and do administrative tasks at a free clinic will this count as clinical or nonclinical?

My hunch for both is clinical but I don't have a very good sense of smell personally so I thought I'd get some input from the forum.

Whatever type of experience it is, it's definitely valuable!!
 
I did see that LizzyM had said volunteering with seniors in a nursing home is nonclinical but that is very different from working as a cna.

volunteer: play bingo, chat, paint, bring cookies, etc.

cna: take vitals, wipe butts, help maintain blood sugars, give showers, etc.
 
I'd count nursing home as clinical, but probably not administrative part, even though the other aspects of medical care are definitely very important! I guess it depends what you're doing at the nursing home too though. That's just my take on how I'd put it in my app, perhaps others would disagree?
 
Right-o. A CNA is a nursing assistant and nursing is a clinical role. On the other hand, as has been said, if you are playing piano for the sing-alongs, helping with bingo or other social activities for residents it is volunteer (which is good) but not really "clinical".
 
Right-o. A CNA is a nursing assistant and nursing is a clinical role. On the other hand, as has been said, if you are playing piano for the sing-alongs, helping with bingo or other social activities for residents it is volunteer (which is good) but not really "clinical".

Thank you for your input LizzyM.

What about a mixed experience should that be categorized as clinical or nonclinical?

The bulk of the volunteering I did at the free clinic was nonclinical reception but I spent so much time there that the scattered clinical experience really started to add up and I'd hate to gloss over it on my app.
 
Thank you for your input LizzyM.

What about a mixed experience should that be categorized as clinical or nonclinical?

The bulk of the volunteering I did at the free clinic was nonclinical reception but I spent so much time there that the scattered clinical experience really started to add up and I'd hate to gloss over it on my app.

If you were a receptionist who was dealing with patients face to face or on the phone, I'd call that "clinical" because you are close enough to "smell patients" even if you aren't touching them. If you were working at an administrative reception desk, e.g. answering the phone and recieving visitors for the director of nursing and medical director, etc, then I'd say "non-clinical".
 
Sorry for raising this thread from the dead ... @LizzyM The nursing home I work at is directly attached to a hospital and I work specifically in the ventilating unit of this nursing home . Most of the individuals there are incapacitated and cannot speak I help the nurses and CNA 's mostly be aiding in cleaning the patients and moving them on the bed so they can be properly examined . Would this be considered clinical as they are in such dire need of constant medical surveillance
''??
 
Sorry for raising this thread from the dead ... @LizzyM The nursing home I work at is directly attached to a hospital and I work specifically in the ventilating unit of this nursing home . Most of the individuals there are incapacitated and cannot speak I help the nurses and CNA 's mostly be aiding in cleaning the patients and moving them on the bed so they can be properly examined . Would this be considered clinical as they are in such dire need of constant medical surveillance
''??
Yes, that's clearly clinical. Playing the piano or calling bingo numbers is a different story.
 
@LizzyM, what do you think about working at a vet's office as a receptionist? I'm not like listing it as a clinical experience on AMCAS or anything, but we do deal directly with patients (which are animals in this case) and the doctors and we spend a lot of time running around pharmacies and labs and treatment rooms.
 
@LizzyM, what do you think about working at a vet's office as a receptionist? I'm not like listing it as a clinical experience on AMCAS or anything, but we do deal directly with patients (which are animals in this case) and the doctors and we spend a lot of time running around pharmacies and labs and treatment rooms.
You are dealing with the public when they are under a lot of stress and emotions are high. There are good lessons in experience like that.
 
You are dealing with the public when they are under a lot of stress and emotions are high. There are good lessons in experience like that.

That's certainly true. The worst is when you have to give people the cremated remains of their pets.
 
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