Patient care hours dilemma (gaps, disability, different status)

[J89Mike]

I'm just about to finish my CASPA application and only need to upload my hours employed. I'm an RN now but I worked as a CNA for the past 5 years.

 

Here's the thing -- I have almost 7,000 hours as a CNA and I'm not sure how to add them into CASPA. I was full time for about 2 years, then went per diem as I was in nursing school (when the hours varied literally week by week), then went back to full time before I landed a job as an RN. Unfortunately, before I got a job as a nurse, I was forced to go on short term disability for 3 months due to a seizure.

 

So entirely, the total hours divided by the weeks employed is about 25 hours/week. But CASPA asks if I was full time, part time, temp etc...

 

Should I try and separate the hours for each status (full time, part time) or should I just say it was a total of 25 hours/week and explain in the description my situation breaking up the hours? I'm hoping someone might have experienced something similar and can shed some light. Thanks!

[pastudentw]

I had this same sort of experience when I entered in my CASPA patient care hours since there were times I worked overtime, full time, part time, less than part time or not at all for months as a PRN position.

I basically got my final total hours based on my pay stubs. With that employer it kept a running total for each year. So then put in whatever weeks to hour ratio on CASPA that calculated out the total patient care hours I actually worked. I felt justified in this because if there was any question in how many hours I worked, I had the paystubs to back up my claim.

As far as full, part time or PRN I would put whatever status you were for that position for the majority of those years. So for example, if you were full time for 5 years out of 7 years total, I would select full time. If you were full time for 3 years out of 7, you might be more inclined to put part time since that would more accurately describe your employment status for the majority of the time. You could also just put whatever status (full, part time or PRN ) your were at the time you quit since that was the most recent.

In reality I don't think it is that big of a deal as long as you aren't overselling how much you worked or underselling yourself.