How much clinical time to you get?

adnstudent2007 · Oct 23, 2006

Not so much hours in a day - although I am interested in that, but how many days per semester? all at once or spread out?
We started the 3rd week of class (2nd year - 1 semester - supposed to grad in May with ADN), we go once a week for 7 clinicals out of a 15 week semester. I don't think it enough. According to my instructor " I am just not where I need to be", I think it is lack of experience and it is taking me longer to get there (wasn't a CNA first - change of career from education).
So I was just curious if this is about the same amount of time everyone gets or what?
Sunny

It depends on our rotation. I'm also in the 1st semester of my 2nd year for an ADN and also hope to graduate in May. We do Med/Surg II and Psych each for six weeks, 2x week. Last year we did Med/Surg I for 8 weeks 2x/week and OB for 3 weeks 2x/week. I don't feel like we have much clinical time either (although it sounds like we get more than you do). It seems like just as I start to understand a little of what I'm supposed to do, the rotation is over.

WDWpixieRN, RN · Oct 23, 2006

I haven't counted exactly, but I think we get 6 or 7, 2-day sessions this semester for 1st semester clinicals. We attend on alternate weeks.

I think I heard that 2nd semester is 1 day/week every week.

BoonersmomRN · Oct 23, 2006

Each semester past fundamentals is

6 weeks of class. 2X wk/ clinical = 12 clinicals. 2X "special day" = 10 actual clinicals.

sunny59 · Oct 23, 2006

We do Med/Surg II and Psych each for six weeks, 2x week.

WOW! Our psych was one day, tomorrow I do ED which is also one day, and same day surgury (not OR but pre-op) is also one day - that leaves 4 days of med-surg for the semester. Last year we got 1 day in OB (none this year) and one day in the OR (none this year) and the rest was considered med-surg - although about 6 weeks was 1x a week in a LTC learning what the aides do (tough work). With only 4 med-surg for the semester I don't know how I am going to get good enough "to be where I need to be"! It is not classroom work, my grades are great, it is just clinical skills. I can't get a direct answer either when I ask what I need to work on - just told everything. It sucks! I know I take longer on my head to toe assessments than the others in my group. But I also know I do them by the book. A couple of the other students borrow my stethoscope to do theirs and have it back to me in under 3 minutes which includes them walking down the hall, listening to heart/lung/apical pulse and bringing it back. So other than cheating like the others do I don't think I am going to get faster without the practise. I did break down last week after clinicals and the next am went in to talk to the instructor and she said since I was upset and crying that now she doesn't have to worry about me as much since "I know I don't know", it is all so frustrating, I wish I had as much clinical time as you. Thanks for answering.

Sunny

marilynmom, LPN, NP · Oct 24, 2006

repost

locolorenzo22, BSN, RN · Oct 24, 2006

We appear to have clinical one day a week. This semester it's only for 4.5 hours in LTC setting, then next semester it switches to hospital for 8.5 hr day. We don't get to psych til 4th semester. I'm actually looking forward to getting to the hospital because there's only so much you can do in a LTC setting, especially between breakfast/meds/programs/lunch/families/etc. Hopefully, hospital will have a little more variety.

bisson · Oct 24, 2006

we have one nursing class for 2 days and them clinicals on the 3rd day. we have clinicals every week for the whole semester. and in our second year our clinicals are 8am-3pm also once a week every week.

land64shark · Oct 24, 2006

Nursing 2 is 2 times a week for 13 weeks. Nursing 3 will probably be the same and 5 weeks of psyche (once a week) in addition. Don't know about Nursing 4 and Nursing 1 was twice a week for the second half of the semester.

PeainthePodRN2006 · Oct 24, 2006

Semester 1 was on the general floors. 7:30-2pm 2x a week. For a total of 7 days/45 hours.

Semester 2 half OR the other half OB. 8-12pm 1x a week. For a total of 9 days/36 hours.

Semester 3 all Med-Surg/Oncology floors. 8-2pm 2x a week. For a total of 24 days/144 hours.

Semseter 4 Psych/ICU/Peds. 8-3pm 2x a week. For a total of 15 days ( 5 per rotation )/105 hours.

Semester 4 Client Care Management 4 days/32 hours.

I wish we had more time in clinicals. But not too bad compared to what is posted here. 362 clincal hours not counting the 2-3 hour non-credit assessment labs that we have 1x a week since the beginning of Nursing 1 which would figure up to another 81 hours.

Karen

Bonny619 · Oct 24, 2006

Im in the second semester and we have 16 total weeks of clinicals, 12 hours per week which would be 192 hours for this semester.

texas2007, BSN, RN · Oct 24, 2006

Semester 1: LTC/Rehab: 8 hr, 1 day/week for 15 weeks

Semester 2: Med-Surge: 8 hr, 1 day/week for 15 weeks

Psych: 8 hr, 1 day/week for 15 weeks

Semester 3: OB/postpartum/newborn nursery 8 hr, 2 days/week for 7 weeks

Peds/School nurse 8 hr, 2 days/week for 8 weeks

Semester 4: Med-Surge: 8 hr, 1 day/week for 10 weeks

Public Health: 8 hr, 1 day/week for 10 weeks

Preceptorship in area you want to go into: same schedule as the RN you are paired with for 3-4 weeks, total of 120 hours