"Do you have paid clinical work experience?"

Hi everyone!

Sorry if this isn't the correct forum, but I'm a 4th semester nursing student and I'm applying for New Grad nursing positions. A question on one of the online forms is, "Do you have paid clinical work experience"? I'm wondering if anyone knows if working as a Nursing Assistant II is a "yes" to this, or are they asking about nurse externships only? I currently am employed as an NA II at a local hospital.

Thanks!
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.

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

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.

Quote from GrnTeaYou'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.

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

Quote from OCNRN63I would ask for clarification. Sounds like an end run around saying "We don't hire new grads."

Quote from emergency_loveThere 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.

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

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