Clinical Experience

[ohmg]

Hello,

I'm currently working in informatics. My clinical acute care experience is lacking. Due to the saturation in the market where I lived (40+ nursing colleges in a 100 mile radius), getting an RN job was not possible. I worked in IT for 3 years and volunteered for three years.

I have 5 years acute CNA experience and 5 years EMT experience, but I'm thinking my volunteer only RN experience will be detrimental in the future.

My current position rocks but will likely end in 2 years.

I have the opportunity to start a nurse-residency program. It would mean likely taking a 30k pay hit (it would still be 20k more than I was making in IT), and I would be contracted for three years.

I feel it may be the right choice to get the acute care experience as I'm more than solid in IT/informatics.

Thoughts?

[ikarus01]

I've worked with vendors and they got plenty of people out there implementing clinical applications with zero clinical experience and many of them do better than those with clinical experience.

I'm curious...if you've been working in informatics, do you feel you haven't been doing your job properly because you have no clinical experience?

[ohmg]

Hello,

I am doing quite well, and all departments have states this and are quite satisfied. I think my 2 years of full-time acute care experience as an ADN student (which for some reason 'doesn't count), has been very helpful. I do know that many employers look for the clinical experience and wanted a feel for what others are seeing. Thanks!