I am a second profession nurse, entering the healthcare community later in life with many life experiences under my belt.  From experience I can truthfully say book knowledge is not sufficient for entering a field where life is only a breath away from death.  The lives of good, hard-working, god-fearing people are in our hands and we must be adequately prepared to do everything in our power to succeed.  Most of this "power" is not learned from books, but rather from hands-on experience.  Clinical rotations help prepare a student nurse for the curves in the road ahead.  Curves that if not navigated correctly can mean the difference between life and death....much like driving a car....would you want to ride in a car in which the driver has not fulfilled all the requirements for a driver's license?  I think not!  I would not want to put my health and well-being into the hands of a "baby nurse" who hasn't been adequately trained to straighten out the curves of my life journey and help make sure I cross the finish line without being hurried there by lack of hands-on education.

I vote no, do not overlook the value of clinical experience.