pharm tech or volunteer at hospital?

[jcn]

hi! I am currently a pre-nursing major and looking for healthcare experiences to enhance my application. would being a pharmacy tech or volunteering at a hospital or something else be the best option?

[Okami_CCRN, BSN, RN]

I highly recommend working as a PCT/CNA, it will give you a real life example of how care is structured and delivered at the bedside in an acute setting. 

Pharmacy tech will probably help with medication recognition and knowledge. I would not recommend volunteering, you will mostly be used as a courier for supplies and lab specimens. 

[pctlc_734]

Okami_CCRN said:

I would not recommend volunteering, you will mostly be used as a courier for supplies and lab specimens. 

I kind of disagree with this. I was a beside volunteer on an orthopedics unit for a while and my main tasks were answering call lights, passing food trays, transporting patients to the lobby, etc. But that experience got me more comfortable with patient interactions and learning different procedures from the nurses. Plus, my exposure as a hospital volunteer led me to my current PCT job and gave me a leg up in understanding the pace of hospital setting. 

Any experience you can get from the hospital/medical field is good experience. There is always something to learn from any position you take, and nursing schools want to see that you are willing to learn in the field as well as in lecture.