Hi everyone,
I am a newcomer to this forum and would like some advice. I have been in the healthcare field for the past 8 years and wanted to know if I needed to gain more experience and what type of other experience would make me competitive for PA school. Below is a segment of experience that I have done:
1.Psychiatric Technician June 2006-Sept. 2014
• provided care to individuals with intellectual disabilities, limited skills, and who are mentally impaired
• Administered antipsychotic and other types of medications; followed physician's prescription orders
• Prepared meals, assisted in hygiene care, bathing, toileting, and other activities of daily living
• Obtained and recorded individual's vitals in the residential group home
• Observed individuals to detect behavior changes/patterns, documented, and reported observations to Medical staff
• Lead individuals in therapeutic and recreational activities
• Assisted with ambulation, transfers, and other forms of mobility assistance
• Provided catheter care to individuals with catheters
• Scheduled medical appointments for individuals living in the group home
2.Medical Scribe
Emergency Medicine Scribes Systems (EMSS) | July 2014-Oct. 2014
• Charted in real time as the medical provider assessed and examined the patient
• Transcribed ancillary test results and their interpretation
• Reviewed prior medical records of patients
• Documented procedures and treatments by the provider and as well as prescriptions and instructions for patient discharge
3. Volunteer Research Assistant Sept. 2014-Dec. 2014
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Research |
• Participated in a grant-funded research study to assess if the effect of fear on the maintenance of PTSD symptoms is dependent on shame
• Ran subjects for data collection and assisted in entering collected data into experiment database system
4.Caretaker Sept. 2011-Oct. 2011
Private Residence, Internship |
• Supported a 25 year old female diagnosed with Rett Syndrome, in the comfort of her home
• Provided enteral nutrition, mobility assistance, administered medications via PEG tube, while being supervised by a home health nurse
• Identified that parents were experiencing caregiver role strain
• Nursing care plan for family included assessing family’s support systems, educating family on stress reduction techniques, and providing emotional support
I have other experience working in a hospital setting, however, I know it will not count because it was when I was a student nurse doing my clinical hours. Do you think I need more hours? I plan on doing non-paid volunteer experiences (first aid booths, missionary trips, for the next few days). My only fear is that my hours (besides those as a nursing student) were not in a hospital setting. Does the healthcare experience have to be in a clinical or hospital setting?
Thanks in advance for your input