First Year Clinical Sites

locolorenzo22, BSN, RN · Mar 24, 2008

Ok, we don't have to do a memorization exam...but we are expected to know what we're giving to patients, why, and what to look for....just standard part of clinical....

My rotations were about the same as yours(and I grad in May)....the usual, med/surg, tele, ortho, ICU, nursing home, community clinic, OB/peds, psych home, hospice care....the general overview of everything in town....what exactly do you feel is substandard about your program? Most courses don't really help...when it comes to theory..you're in the "perfect" setting.....when it comes to clinicals, that's when it all comes together. I think almost EVERY student feels that way. just part of real-world vs. school nursing......

Nurseinprocess · Mar 24, 2008

In my program I think you spend most of the first year of clinicals in Med-Surge at a hospital, although at the end of the first year there is an 8 wk clinical for Psych. We learn meds as we go, as they correlate to different body systems. We are expected to look up all drugs we will be passing to our patients and be aware of what they are getting and why.

southernbelle08 · Mar 24, 2008

In the first year we did:

1st semester - Nursing Home, Med-Surg

2nd semester - Psych, Pediatrics, Health Department, Labor & Delivery, Postpartum, Nursery, Surgery

In the second year:

3rd semester - Cardiac, Surgery, Med-Surg, Psych, Home Health

4th semester - Ortho, Med-Surg, CCU, Neuro, ER, Oncology, Psych

tabswifeRN · Mar 24, 2008

our first quarter we did our clinical at the nursing home. last quarter (2nd) we did rotations in: OR, ortho, acu, icu, ER, and med/surg. this quarter we are doing psych and maternity. that is what I have so far.

sneakymom2011 · Mar 24, 2008

I'm only in my 2nd half of the 1st semester of nursing school.

My first placement was in a hospital, on a rehab floor. Interesting, but I didn't get to do a whole lot. PT and OT did a lot of the care, and we were told that the pt's had to do as much as they could for themselves.

This time for Pharmacology/Assessment, we're going to a nursing home. So I should be able to see and do a little more.

I'm in Pharmacology now. I know we have to do a dosage calculation exam. But we haven't been told what drugs we have to memorize. If we have to memorize them, I really HOPE we get told that soon. We're almost at the halfway point in this class.

COLPN · Mar 24, 2008

...what exactly do you feel is substandard about your program?

I really feel the instructors aren't very good at teaching and I find lectures are just a reading straight off a power point and outline the book. I can read the book on my own and get the information I need.

I also feel they are very inconsistent in the structure of the classes. We started out the program with all these rules that can't be broken and one by one they are bent.

I had another question for you guys. Are you required to pass your math exam with 100% to get into the second year?? This is a new rule they are implementing for a class before we enter into the second year of the program.

Sorry if I'm ranting, but it is good to get it out there.

Love2Live · Mar 25, 2008

Are you required to pass your math exam with 100% to get into the second year?? This is a new rule they are implementing for a class before we enter into the second year of the program.

In my program we take a med cal test at the beginning of each semester we are only required to make a 90 on it. I think a requirement of 100 is reasonable, It's what will be expected in the real world.

COLPN · Mar 25, 2008

I think a requirement of 100 is reasonable, It's what will be expected in the real world.

In the real world or so I've heard, you always want to have another nurse double check your math. Is this correct? Or am I wrong?? I personally think it is unreasonable to require 100%. One reason is they allow three attempts. How is three attempts on a math test getting 100%???

Love2Live · Mar 25, 2008

I think in most cases you will have someone to double check your math, but do you really want to rely on someone else's calculations, how do you know if they are right? And the fact that you get three chances to get a 100 is a favor on behalf of the nursing school, because again you won't get another chance to correct a med error.

I'm sorry they sprung this on you at the last minute, but other's have got through it and you will too, you wouldn't be in the program if you weren't capable.

Good luck.

locolorenzo22, BSN, RN · Mar 25, 2008

when you're going for a job, an employer would EXPECT you to be able to perform a basic calculation exam......however, my school is the same way....the powerpoints are made, and points read, but then expanded on.....I have a philosophy..."do what you have to to pass.....the 2 years of school will be nothing on 20 years of being an RN....."

snl011 · Mar 25, 2008

this is my first semester clinicals, and we are in respiratory step down, really awesome place for learning your lung sounds!!