volunteer or nursing assistant?

[dreams]

I am trying to decide whether to volunteer for exposure/ experience or become a nursing assistant and get the exposure/experience in the med field that way. Would it make a difference which one I did when med schools are looking at how or what you did for exposure-experience?

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[MassTransport]

What you do doesn't matter as much as what you get out of it. Both are good ways to get clinical exposure and see how it's done.

 

[M.Furfur]

I did both, I like the nursing assistant more because you actually get to do more stuff.
I don't know how it works in the states, but here's how it is in Canada.
As a volunteer you are not allowed to lift the patient, you don't provide personal care, you have no access to the patient's chart and you are not allowed to deal with any patient who is on any type of precaution ( isolation, contact)....So your scope is limited to socialize with the patient, respite acticivities and feed him or her.

As a nursing assistant you can do all that and also + administer topical medication and even accompany the patient to outpatient clinics and get to see ECGs, CT scans, Ultrasounds, Xrays and those are amazing experiences.
Its much harder work, but it's paid 🙂

 

[TheRealMD]

I remember some adcoms saying that you should have done some "volunteer" work at some point in time. The idea isn't to actually DO stuff in a hospital (you aren't really trained for it), but you spent a lot of time observing how the system runs and get a better idea of the field itself. If you are actually working (and getting paid), you have to ignore everyone else and just focus on your task.

 

[Jew Alcindor]

I remember some adcoms saying that you should have done some "volunteer" work at some point in time. The idea isn't to actually DO stuff in a hospital (you aren't really trained for it), but you spent a lot of time observing how the system runs and get a better idea of the field itself. If you are actually working (and getting paid), you have to ignore everyone else and just focus on your task.

Yeah, I remember reading that too. They did say that if you had to work then that was understandable, but that some places do put a premium on volunteering.

 

[DrReo]

I think volunteering would be better and like the above posters stated you'll understand how the system works. Also, an advisor told me, med schools want to see you give back to your community, hence volunteering.

 

[paki20]

I remember some adcoms saying that you should have done some "volunteer" work at some point in time. The idea isn't to actually DO stuff in a hospital (you aren't really trained for it), but you spent a lot of time observing how the system runs and get a better idea of the field itself. If you are actually working (and getting paid), you have to ignore everyone else and just focus on your task.

is this volunteering in the hospital or ANY type of volunteering??? volunteering in the hospital can be such a waste especially if the volunteer can't interact with the patients..

 

[prmdbeach17]

As long as you have contact w/ the patients, I'd go w/ the volunteering in a hospital. You get clinical exposure & volunteering in at once. Then again if you have time to do the nursing assistant thing & volunteering, go for it.

 

[DJ BOLO]

Nurse assistant looks much better. Adcoms know nurse assistant is a hard job and if you keep it for a long time, you will stand out much more than volunteering at a hospital (which everyone does). Doing the dirty jobs of medicine will show your dedication. If you can handle the stuff, you will be ahead of the pack. Clinical experience trumps the need for volunteering on an application anyday.

 

[ERmed3eb]

I agree with the above poster. I work as a nursing assistant and I definitely know how the system works. Just because you are working does not mean that you don't get to observe. I have seen MANY things, like volunteers do, BUT I have also done many things, which is clinical work. Volunteers just have clinical exposure, not that there is anything wrong with that. Being a nursing assistant is a dirty job sometimes, but it opens up doors to things that you can't see as a volunteer. ADCOMs definitely think working in a hospital and gaining patient contact is more valuable than just filing papers in the ER. I also volunteer, but in other places besides the hospital.

 

[MChitty]

The point of volunteering is to give back to the community, not obtain some type of clinical exposure while also being able to put down on your resume that you volunteered. Things like observing procedures, gaining clinical knowledge, etc. should not be your main objective if you're volunteering. If you are able to get some clinical exposure during your volunteering, that's icing on the cake.

To the OP: if you want some clinical exposure, you should probably go with the nursing assistant job. If you want to show that you can work with different populations and get some community service, but are not as concerned with having guaranteed clinical exposure, go with the volunteering.

 

[dreams]

I agree with the above poster. I work as a nursing assistant and I definitely know how the system works. Just because you are working does not mean that you don't get to observe. I have seen MANY things, like volunteers do, BUT I have also done many things, which is clinical work. Volunteers just have clinical exposure, not that there is anything wrong with that. Being a nursing assistant is a dirty job sometimes, but it opens up doors to things that you can't see as a volunteer. ADCOMs definitely think working in a hospital and gaining patient contact is more valuable than just filing papers in the ER. I also volunteer, but in other places besides the hospital.

This is more along the lines of what i thought, I have heard of programs online where you can pay a fee and take the cert. test for nursing assistant (at a facility) without having to take any coursework, do you know of anything like this?

 

[ERmed3eb]

The point of volunteering is to give back to the community, not obtain some type of clinical exposure while also being able to put down on your resume that you volunteered. Things like observing procedures, gaining clinical knowledge, etc. should not be your main objective if you're volunteering. If you are able to get some clinical exposure during your volunteering, that's icing on the cake.

To the OP: if you want some clinical exposure, you should probably go with the nursing assistant job. If you want to show that you can work with different populations and get some community service, but are not as concerned with having guaranteed clinical exposure, go with the volunteering.

I never said that the point of volunteering was to gain clinical exposure, but the debate of this thread is which is better for clinical exposure. For clinical exposure, being a nursing assistant is better because you see more and can actually do stuff instead of just observe. I volunteer and give back to the community but I volunteer in two places that I really like and not somewhere were I will probably end up filing papers. I think volunteering is great and necessary and I would never tell somebody to not do it. I was just saying that you will get more clinical exposure and learn a lot more in the work setting.

 

[ERmed3eb]

This is more along the lines of what i thought, I have heard of programs online where you can pay a fee and take the cert. test for nursing assistant (at a facility) without having to take any coursework, do you know of anything like this?

I have never heard anything about this kind of training but it surely could be out there. My training entailed going through a month long class, 9 hrs a day and then a week of clinicals. Then I had to take a state test to be state certified. But maybe where you live the online option is available to you and if so, that is great!

 

[DJ BOLO]

In some states you can take the CNA exam, IN PERSON, without taking a course (its called "challenge test" where I hail from😎). Contact the government agency that is running the CNA certification and they will let you know what's up.

If you have some clinical experience or have a CNA friend who will teach you, you should easily pass the test. You still may want to buy a book to learn the theoretical part and learn how to do certain tasks.

 

[MChitty]

I never said that the point of volunteering was to gain clinical exposure, but the debate of this thread is which is better for clinical exposure. For clinical exposure, being a nursing assistant is better because you see more and can actually do stuff instead of just observe. I volunteer and give back to the community but I volunteer in two places that I really like and not somewhere were I will probably end up filing papers. I think volunteering is great and necessary and I would never tell somebody to not do it. I was just saying that you will get more clinical exposure and learn a lot more in the work setting.

I completely agree with you! I was responding to some posts that stated that the OP should volunteer as long as they get clinical exposure. I was just pointing out that volunteering isn't meant to serve that purpose. For clinical exposure, the nursing assistant is definitely the way to go...

 

[ERmed3eb]

I completely agree with you! I was responding to some posts that stated that the OP should volunteer as long as they get clinical exposure. I was just pointing out that volunteering isn't meant to serve that purpose. For clinical exposure, the nursing assistant is definitely the way to go...

Oh! hahaa I just read it again and saw what you were saying! Sorry I didn't realize that! I totally agree with you when you say that volunteering is for giving back to the community.

 

[Dayfed]

I became a CNA this past winter, and I love it. Yes, it's not for everyone, but if you really think that you want to "help" people, I don't know of another job that is as intimate and "helping" as becoming a CNA. Also, another side of it, when something goes really wrong, you can say, "This is why I am getting an education and not doing this for the rest of my life." It pays pretty well, and though it is harder work, I don't get the burn out that I used to get at old jobs, maybe because this job is more worthwhile to me.

As far as volunteering goes, I have done plenty over the years at the hospital, but it doesn't compare to being a CNA. Now that's just from what I've seen. If you were working at a free clinic or something, maybe you'd get more exposure, but I don't know for sure. Things I did as a volunteer were medical records, mail, gift shop, restocking rooms...the only patient time I got was passing out menus and asking patients what they wanted to eat. There is a difference in that and being responsible for someone's well being.

As far as, "knowing the system," I get plenty of exposure just by being around the doctors/nurses/administration.

Also, I know that in Minnesota, you can just take the exam if you want. I took the class, and since I work at a nursing home (i'll be working at a hospital pretty soon), I got my tuition from the class back.

Hope this helps.

All being said, no matter what, you do need to volunteer, as well as clinical experience, so the choice is really up to you, and how much time/effort you want to put into it.

 

[dreams]

I have a limited amount of time before I apply (want to apply June 08) and I don’t really have any volunteer activities yet so its going to be hard for me to do both volunteer and the nursing assistant, so I was trying to see which one would be better since I really do need to choose just one, otherwise I would totally do both.

 

[MChitty]

I have a limited amount of time before I apply (want to apply June 08) and I don’t really have any volunteer activities yet so its going to be hard for me to do both volunteer and the nursing assistant, so I was trying to see which one would be better since I really do need to choose just one, otherwise I would totally do both.

What kind of activities do you have? I think some type of volunteer experience is good. If you have no clinical experience, I'm sure you can volunteer at a place where you can get some type of clinical experience, but what most people are saying is that it wouldn't be as much as if you were a CNA. If you need the pay from that job, I would go with it still. And you could still volunteer a couple hours of month on the side for the next year (that's what I'm doing right now as I'm working full time)

 

[dreams]

What kind of activities do you have? I think some type of volunteer experience is good. If you have no clinical experience, I'm sure you can volunteer at a place where you can get some type of clinical experience, but what most people are saying is that it wouldn't be as much as if you were a CNA. If you need the pay from that job, I would go with it still. And you could still volunteer a couple hours of month on the side for the next year (that's what I'm doing right now as I'm working full time)

I really don’t have any activities at all, I am post-bac now and I took 3 years off from school (high end restaurant manager) and in my undergrad I switched schools a couple of times and never really got set into any activities, so I am very limited. that’s why I was thinking that the CNA would be the best bet for me, but who knows.