No prior healthcare experience

[Elizabeth Hanes, BSN, RN]

I have always wanted to go into healthcare, specifically nursing, but once I started down a path of office/administrative work, I found I was unable to get hired in a healthcare setting because I lacked the specific experience required to work (in an administrative support capacity) in clinics or medical offices. At a certain point, I would have had to ditch my decade-old administrative career to start over in an entry-level healthcare position, and I couldn't afford to do that.

Now, however, circumstances have made it possible for me to apply to an accelerated BSN program, and I'm currently working on my prereqs. But I'm worried about how my lack of any prior paid healthcare experience is going to affect my application.

I was looking for a healthcare position as recently as this week, but if I get accepted to my program, I'll be starting in 1/2007, and I don't think it's fair to take a job knowing I'll be quitting within a year.

I have quite a bit of lay nursing experience, including managing my dad's eight-week home infusion therapy. Maybe that type of experience will compensate?

Thoughts, advice, words of wisdom or just encouragement are greatly appreciated! I'm really quite worried about this.

[antares]

first of all, good luck with the admissions process.

while some schools place particular emphasis on healthcare experience, having no such experience doesn't mean that you will not be accepted. remember, people entering accelerated nursing programs come from diverse backgrounds. when i was applying to schools, one of the applications had a statement saying that it preferred applicants with at least some clinical experience. volunteering three hours a week in a hospital or nursing home counts toward that clinical experience. working as a nurse's aid is also helpful. the school where i completed the accelerated program stated that clinical experience didn't matter for admission's purposes because most accelerated students don't come from a healthcare background anyway. they looked at recommendations, grades, progress toward the completion of prerequisites (and those grades), and the admissions essay.

hope this helps.

[future_crna]

I am currently a pre-nursing student. Prior to starting down that raod, I volunteered 8 hrs a week on my days off. I worked my butt off. Under the recommondation of the nurse supervisor, I got a job the day before school started at that very same hospital. I work as a clinical assistant in the surgical dept. Its a way that you may wish to start as Antares suggested. As for the job, its very rewarding. Even better is when I do becoma a crna and know that it all started from me being a volunteer.

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

I went to nursing school without having any prior clinical experience, paid or volunteer, at all. I still don't think it makes a difference. Knowing how to do the clinical hands on care is only one part of what an RN has to know. RNs are primarily involved not only in the actual physical care of their patients to varying degress, but more importantly with the management of their care. This is a big distinction from the work of a nursing assistant.

If you absolutely feel the itch to get your hands into it, go to a nursing home and work as a nurses aide. You've been in business awhile so I assume you understand the importance of showing up for work every day ontime, yada, yada, yada. You will have a real eye-opening experience if you work in nursing homes as to how the CNA help acts. CNAs come and go with great regularity in nursing homes. Staying employed in one for a year earns you a kiss on your feet by their administration. Most would be glad to take you on for as long a time of employment as you can give them. And, the elderly people need care by good, caring and kind people.

[RosesrReder, BSN, MSN, RN]

I am currently in nursing school and too have no healthcare experience. What I do suggest doing is volunteering at the local facilities or hospitals so that you can put that on your application and if you feel it necessary.

Good luck

[Elizabeth Hanes, BSN, RN]

Thank you all for your suggestions and reassurance.

Our two local hospitals both require a 20-hour per week commitment from volunteers. That's pretty much out for me, since I work full-time, go to school part-time, and volunteer for the local chapter of the Lupus Foundation.

Antares, you are right that the accelerated BSN programs pull in people from diverse backgrounds. I mean, that's sort of the point. They're offering to make nurses out of people with a bachelor's degree in any discipline. Surely they don't expect people with an English degree, for example, to have significant healthcare experience. It doesn't mean we're not committed to nursing. Obviously we ARE or we wouldn't be undertaking the daunting task of changing careers!

Thanks again to everyone for the positive reinforcement.

[Kathyz]

No experience here. Keep plugging away. It will happen! :)