So What Constitutes Clinical Experience?

[missninaRN]

I'm a newer nurse with 15 months experience in Med Surg. I am contemplating leaving hospital nursing for something less stressful while I work on my Bachelor in Nursing degree. I may even go part time.

I eventually want to teach and the ads for nursing instructor positions that I've seen usually want at least 2 years' clinical experience. What exactly counts as clinical experience? Is it just acute care? Would hospice or a Dr's office count?

I just don't want to find out later that I should have stayed at the hospital for another year or so.

[PICNICRN, BSN, RN]

Well.. Most of the positions that require only 2 years clinical experience are for Clinical Nursing Instructor as opposed to a lecture position that would require a Masters or higher. So... you would most likely be teaching a clinical group at a hospital. I'd expect the employer would want hospital experience.

[elkpark]

Well.. Most of the positions that require only 2 years clinical experience are for Clinical Nursing Instructor as opposed to a lecture position that would require a Masters or higher. So... you would most likely be teaching a clinical group at a hospital. I'd expect the employer would want hospital experience.

:yeahthat:

[emmalou*]

If you want to teach nursing students you really need well rounded experience, including acute hospital experience IMO. I had a couple of nursing tutors at uni who weren't very experienced (we called them textbook nurses) and they weren't very beneficial for our learning really .... it's not like we couldn't tell either, even at our level of knowledge.

The best teachers were the ones who had the stories to tell (funny, sad, scary, confronting), and who were obviously experienced and comfortable when they taught us in the hospital setting as well as the lab setting.

Sorry if that's not what you want to hear but I felt it was best to be honest!

[PostOpPrincess, BSN, RN]

Bedside. And Remember you will be competing with people who may have a LOT MORE.