How important is having WORK/VOLUNTEER Experience on your application?

VYisgod · Nov 12, 2009

I too am very curious as to the right amount of healthcare experience for applying. For example, a nursing school representative told me that 10 years of accounting experience is not as important as x years of healthcare experience.

nurseg09 · Nov 12, 2009

I'm sure it has got to help. Not only will it look better for your application, but it is also good for yourself. Volunteering at a hospital will allow you to experience what it is like to be in a hospital setting and all the lingo that occurs. It just never hurts. The nursing school I graduated from does not ask for volunteer experience however they would like for your letter of recommendation to be written by a nurse. Unless you know a nurse who could write a letter for you, the best way to network would have to be through hospital involvement.

Many hospitals near me only ask that you commit a minimum of four hours once a week and a six month commitment. See if your area has any volunteer opportunities that occur only once that are health related. I wish you the best of luck!

elppaym, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN · Nov 12, 2009

It might help, and it couldn't hurt.

I know I had experience working as a PCT, but I also know students that have no experience in the health care field or any volunteer work. It just depends on your school.

I will say that working as a CNA will give you more confidence when it is time to start clinicals and interacting with patients. Is it necessary? Again some of my fellow class mates have no experience with direct patient contact.

I think it has to do with the school, if there are places for the info on the application, then it might be a good idea to have something to put...besides you want your application to stand out from others!

JBMmom, MSN, NP · Nov 12, 2009

I think it's going to depend on the application process for your school. Where I'm applying there are 3 criteria: TEAS test, A&P 1 grade, and GPA. Based on those things applicants are ranked for admission. The class will be made up of 60% top applicants and 40% a lottery of all other qualified applicants. There's no essay, no interview, no volunteer experience or anything else. In that case I certainly don't think volunteering would hurt, but it would increase the likelihood of admission.

elppaym, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN · Nov 12, 2009

I would have to agree with JBmommy,

On the top 3 criteria: Entrance test, Science grade and GPA.

With that being said don't try to do much if it cuts into your time for getting good grades on your pre-reqs.

From what I've seen in my experience with my classmates neither volunteer or experience mattered...but the GPA and entrance test did. They first evaluated your credits, if you met the minimum requirements you were able to take the entrance test. At my University you only have one chance to take and pass the entrance exam.

It seems like you have a full load already with classes and work and family. Don't overload yourself even more, concentrate on the classes your in now and next semester.

Sand_Dollar, BSN · Nov 12, 2009

The University I am applying to requires only good grades and a good essay for their BSN application. There are no letters of recommendation or even a space to enter work or volunteer experience. Since I have chosen to stay home and home school my kids I have no health care work experience or volunteering myself. However, I have a 4.0 in all my pre-reqs and I like to believe my essay was strong. I won't even find out until Feb/March when the letters go out.

I am recommending to my daughter to volunteer, not for her application to the same school in a few years, but to gain exposure to the hospital setting and see if she really wants to do nursing.

guiltysins · Nov 13, 2009

My school also only looks specifically at grades and the entrance exam. There's no interview, no personal statement, nothing. They don't even really acknowledge resume's or anything. However, I still want to get an internship or volunteer job, not for the school but for when I graduate, at least I can have SOMETHING on my resume besides nursing school but yea I'm really only looking into it for me.

hmpark · Nov 18, 2009

Thanks everyone, this helped a lot. There were a lot of good points raised that I never really considered: experience, for my own benefit, making application stand out, etc.

It was really informative to hear your guys' thoughts, and I will definitely look more closely at the requirements and emphasis schools place on experience/work. It was kind of nice to hear that there were SOME people who had no experience at all that made it into programs heh heh... :coollook:

But I think i def want to get SOME experience/exposure/work under my belt, if not for the applications themselves, than for my own experience and benefit. Perhaps when I'm taking less-challenging courses.

THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH again everyone! Good luck to all :loveya:

guiltysins · Nov 18, 2009

Thanks everyone, this helped a lot. There were a lot of good points raised that I never really considered: experience, for my own benefit, making application stand out, etc.
It was really informative to hear your guys' thoughts, and I will definitely look more closely at the requirements and emphasis schools place on experience/work. It was kind of nice to hear that there were SOME people who had no experience at all that made it into programs heh heh...
But I think i def want to get SOME experience/exposure/work under my belt, if not for the applications themselves, than for my own experience and benefit. Perhaps when I'm taking less-challenging courses.
THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH again everyone! Good luck to all :loveya:

The best time I've learned to do work or volunteer in a hospital is during the summer. Most hospital have some kind of summer program that are aimed towards medical field students and I find it a lot easier to work with than trying to fit things around your class schedule.