Does subacute nursing home experience counts as acute hospital experience?

PAERRN20 · Mar 3, 2010

I don't believe most hospitals would count this as acute care experience. However, don't give up! Sub-acute gives you experience with wound care, IVs, meds, etc. This is valuable. Hang in there. Some hospital will value these skills. Good luck!

Neats, BSN · Mar 3, 2010

Well it depends on what you are doing and the hospitals you will be applying to. I know I have worked in a subacute skilled nursing facility and some "traditional hospitals" say I do not have acute care nurisng experience. I think you need some very good resume documentation regarding your last year experience. Let the hospital know you have serious nursing skills. Ask your supervisor to provide you a skills check list and sign off on those skills just like in nursing school. Ensure yor resume contains exact knowledge, skills, ability and is reflective to those of a medical surgical unit, example would be s/p surgical wound assessment and care on daily basis, or IV assessment, starting and monitoring weekly.

I have always found it funny that the medical community treats the skilled nursing facility as an ill tempered side dish. There are many talented nursing staff both RN's and LPN's that are competent, have experience and make a difference in the lives of our residents.

sasha1224 · Mar 3, 2010

I had a similar problem when I was applying for a travel contract because my most recent experience when applying was in a LTACH ICU. Even though it is acute care, because it has that Long Term in there, I wasn't considered to have recent hospital experience. Didn't matter that in this unit we had vents, ETTs, CVLs, NGs, PEGs, drips, tele. Now granted, it wasn't to the same level of some ICUs I have worked but we still had some pretty intensive patients. Kind of reminded me of a smaller hospital ICU. So the contract I was able to get was on a tele floor. And good thing, cause it was probably the best experience and most enjoyable nursing position I have had in my almost 20 years!

caliotter3 · Mar 3, 2010

I described my subacute experience one time during an interview and it was acknowledged and well received, but I was not being interviewed at an acute care facility. Anything to belittle, it seems sometimes.

netglow, ASN, RN · Mar 3, 2010

So, all... how does the OP's experience play just for a medsurg hospital position?

Pediatric4077 · Mar 3, 2010

No, it is different than acute care. However once you have experience there you can highlight your abilities and skills learned in that setting. I worked in a long term trach vent unit for infants/children and was able to highlight the skills required in that area in order to get a job in an acute care hospital. It can be done. You just have to sell it.

Hope this helps.

LuvScrubs2, BSN, RN · Mar 3, 2010

Thanks for the info everyone:D

truffles111 · Jul 20, 2010

i have just started in a subacute and was wondering the same thing...should i have held out for a hospital job. i have 12 patients vs. a hospital or acute rehab w/6 patients?? will this experience be as valuable? can i enter a hospital without acute care experience??

SunnyAndrsn · Jul 20, 2010

I was able to obtain a part time position in a hospital, with one year of experience in a subacute setting. Honestly, I think many of my subacute pts. have been sicker than my med/surg pts!

I highlighted my experiences when I applied--just as some of the other poster have suggested. PICC line cares/central line cares, administration of TPN and other IV fluids; PEG tube cares, wound care/surgical wound care, trach cares from my homecare experiences...you get the idea.

I've loved my subacute nursing experiences, and have had a very wide variety of experiences in a short time (2 1/2 years now).

You might find you really like it and don't want to go to a hospital :-)