Any advice for surviving clinical?

kayel · Jun 4, 2006

No answer, Beth, but I am sitting on the sidelines rooting for ya and eagerly awaiting some wise words from those who have gone through it!

ChadleyNC · Jun 6, 2006

each of your patients will be different. Their needs will change. That's part of the interest for me. My only words of advice are to make a cheat sheet schedule (Which you have already done) for your patient's care and fill it in during and around report in the am. Then just stick to it and above all else, remember, as a student, on a clinical day, your objectives are 2-fold. SHow up on time, and learn something.

Stressing over clinical judgment, and how you will handle all of your requirements won't help with retaining it or helping your patient at all. Every program and every instructor is different. Just try to stay organized and check things off as you go, ask questions when you need help and let the rest of the chips fall as they may.

msn2008, MSN, RN · Jun 6, 2006

Alot of my organizational skills come from experience and trial and error. Do your assessments as soon as you get out of report and before breakfast. You can pass meds to these patients while they are eating breakfast, especially if their meds are better tolerated on a full stomach. During their baths you can complete your assessment, especially skin checks. If they can get out of bed, do that after their bath and then make their beds. Make sure to keep up with your charting after each assessment and med administration. You usually have a little quiet time after these AM tasks are completed before starting 10AM meds. Depending on when your luch break is scheduled, you may want to wait til trays are almost passed to your patients before glucose checks. That way you can give your insulin coverage when trays are within sight; I learned the hard way to never assume trays will be on time! I had given my regular insulin according to the patient's sliding scale and then trays didn't come for over an hour-some problem in the kitchen. Well......some of these patients were too unstable from a diabetic point of view and needed to eat! We all searched the cupboards and got some PB and crackers and avoided blood sugars crashing.Another helpful thing : find an organized nurse and ask how she organizes her day! Good luck and stay calm!

Melissa

royr · Jun 6, 2006

Beth

One of the best things I have come up with to help in my clinicals is a small pocket size mini notebook and a good pen. As the stress builds, it is good to have an available place to jot down critical information during your shift in a way that does not give you something else in your hands. Not having to remember in your head but having a ready reference helps alot. I also have noticed that 2 pairs of comfortable shoes helps - rotate them and save your feet alot of stress and agony. Invest in an excellent stethoscope. I discovered that being able to hear everything clearly takes all the stress out of doing assessments and takng vitals. I bought a litman's cardiac III and am very happy with it. The student scope in the school kit was almost impossible for me to hear with on the frail elder and peds patients that do not have resounding vitals. Eat a good meal before clincal - hard to work when you are hungry. Enjoy your patients - they are all different and each has a story to tell and alot to teach you. Good luck with you rotation. I start my senior year in my BSN program in August - so I too have many more clinical hour to complete. If I discover anything new - I will pass the thought along to you. Good fortune to you - be prepaired and all should go well.

Roy