I have seen a few different posts with this question and the answers seem to vary so I am trying to get something definitive. I am working as a Personal Care Assistant in an assisted living facility this summer so that I can gain clinical experience. My job duties primarily include showering, dressing, feeding and helping with toileting/hygiene. Although everyone is called a "resident," over 90 percent of my residents are on hospice. I planned on counting this as clinical experience but after reading conflicting answers from previous posters, I'm not sure. Can you please give me your thoughts as to whether this is clinical? According to AAMC, caregiving is considered clinical but the following leave me in doubt:
From LizzyM in 2019:
"If you need clinical experience, hands on care of the elderly and disabled is good experience. Any adult* who has a wound, a catheter or is incapable of wiping their own behind qualifies as a patient in my book when you are providing the care required due to the wound, catheter or incontinence.
Where I come down on nursing homes not being clinical is when you are playing the violin, calling bingo numbers or having a chat as a friendly visitor. That is non-clinical volunteering that is highly regarded but not clinical. Serving as a nursing assistant, patient care technician, or whatever title one has to provide intimate care is certainly clinical.
*I say adult because changing a baby's diapers is not clinical care."
From LizzyM in 2023:
"Is the person a patient or are they a "resident"? Is being a nanny for toddlers clinical? Why would it be different for someone who is aged or who is living with a physical or mental disability.
Better to call it non-clinical than to be called out by someone who things that you are trying to claim clinical experience when they don't see it that way."
From LizzyM in 2019:
"If you need clinical experience, hands on care of the elderly and disabled is good experience. Any adult* who has a wound, a catheter or is incapable of wiping their own behind qualifies as a patient in my book when you are providing the care required due to the wound, catheter or incontinence.
Where I come down on nursing homes not being clinical is when you are playing the violin, calling bingo numbers or having a chat as a friendly visitor. That is non-clinical volunteering that is highly regarded but not clinical. Serving as a nursing assistant, patient care technician, or whatever title one has to provide intimate care is certainly clinical.
*I say adult because changing a baby's diapers is not clinical care."
From LizzyM in 2023:
"Is the person a patient or are they a "resident"? Is being a nanny for toddlers clinical? Why would it be different for someone who is aged or who is living with a physical or mental disability.
Better to call it non-clinical than to be called out by someone who things that you are trying to claim clinical experience when they don't see it that way."
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