"Do you have paid clinical work experience?"

sbostonRN · Feb 18, 2014

I consider that paid clinical work experience. It's not paid clinical nurse experience, but it's work experience. I consider clinical work experience to be anything with patient care experience: nursing assistant, EMT, phlebotomy, medical assistant, etc.

BrandonLPN, LPN · Feb 18, 2014

Yes, it is clinical experience. Not true nursing experience, but working as an aide, PCT or MA is all paid clinical experience.

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Feb 18, 2014

You'd better not just say "Yes" and be done with it. They want to know if you've worked as a nurse, not a CNA. Many, many employers do not want to hear a new grad embellish her resume by claiming two years of clinical work experience only to disclose in interview that well, er, ahhh, I was a nurse's aide in a SNF.

emergency_love · Feb 18, 2014

You'd better not just say "Yes" and be done with it. They want to know if you've worked as a nurse, not a CNA. Many, many employers do not want to hear a new grad embellish her resume by claiming two years of clinical work experience only to disclose in interview that well, er, ahhh, I was a nurse's aide in a SNF.

There is a box immediately below for explanation of the work experience. I'm assuming I should put "yes" and then explain I'm an NA II in an emergency department. NA II's in our ED perform a wider range of skills that are usually only performed by RN's on the floors (in the hospital I work at - example are blood draws, foleys, EKGs, etc.) - So I feel like I'm kind of a bit in the middle between an NA and RN, at least at my facility. I just don't want to put "yes" and seem untruthful just because I misunderstood the question.

OCNRN63, RN · Feb 18, 2014

I would ask for clarification. Sounds like an end run around saying "We don't hire new grads."

emergency_love · Feb 18, 2014

I would ask for clarification. Sounds like an end run around saying "We don't hire new grads."

This is on the application specifically for new graduate RN's with an expected graduation in May/June. It is understood no one applying is actually licensed yet.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Feb 18, 2014

There is a box immediately below for explanation of the work experience. I'm assuming I should put "yes" and then explain I'm an NA II in an emergency department. NA II's in our ED perform a wider range of skills that are usually only performed by RN's on the floors (in the hospital I work at - example are blood draws, foleys, EKGs, etc.) - So I feel like I'm kind of a bit in the middle between an NA and RN, at least at my facility. I just don't want to put "yes" and seem untruthful just because I misunderstood the question.

You answered your own question: check Yes and then in that box provided, list your skills but make it very clear that the experience is as an ED NA. That is what I would do.

Best of luck.

loriangel14, RN · Feb 18, 2014

They likely won't count it since it's not paid nursing experience.

classicdame, MSN, EdD · Feb 18, 2014

I would say yes, then if you get a live interview you can expand on particulars.