My very first clinical, HELP!!

by johnnrachel
  1,045 Views   7 Comments

  1. Okay, today I had my very first clinical. I am amazed at how they just throw you into client care. I understand that 1st semester is basic care, but I hope that as the semester goes on it will be more nursing stuff and not just cna, Ie;helping to comode, doing baths etc. Can anyone give me a little hope that it wont be all dirty diaper changing, I know this is a part of nursing dont get me wrong, however, I want to learn more. I would love to hear everyones first clinical experience. Thanks and this site has been a godsend
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  2. 7 Comments

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  3. by shape0fmyheart
    Feb 12, '04
    I hate to tell you, but I know that MY first semester was basically just giving baths/changing diapers like you said. We were on a TCC floor and in a nursing home, so there was really nothing to do at all, it was boring. By the end of the semester though we began to start giving meds so I did that once and also gave an insulin injection. But that was about the extent of my excitement for semester one. You can still learn though through observation. Try to see as much as you can. Last night was my first night of clinical for semester two and it's SO much better! We are able to do and see a lot more, we're on an oncology/med-surg floor. It'll get better though... and you'll become a pro at bathing!
  4. by NICUbabyRN
    Feb 12, '04
    My first semester was like that too but we did get to give meds (PO, Hang IV's, SQ's, IM's) later in the semester. I am not sure if that is something many schools allow. We did have to be able to pass a math test with a 100% and we were supervised alot that semester. The instructor always went over it with us. You know checking the 5 rights and if it was anything but a PO med she went in with us. I guess the only route we did not do was IV push. That was saved for last semster.
  5. by KimRN03
    Feb 12, '04
    What you have done so far is what I got to do. We were all discouraged that we weren't given more difficult tasks. I think what you are doing now, will help you appreciate all the ancillary staff related to nurses. You will have a greater appreciation for those nursing assistants after this clinical experience. Hang in there, you will get to do some fun stuff in the coming semesters. Just consider this first semester as a right of passage!
  6. by Ruylupez
    Feb 12, '04
    My first day all we did was go up and down the hall taking vitals and then went back and changed the beds. After that we got assigned one person and on that person we gave baths and took vitals and changed bed and helped to the commod ect. Later in the semester they added first PO meds then injections.

    First semester they don't expect you to know much yet so you get a lot of practice at the few things you do know. As you progress in the program they will add more and more.
  7. by ItsyBitsySpider
    Feb 12, '04
    Unfortunately, that is all the first clinical semester consists of. I do agree that you will appreciate the CNA's more than ever after this, but I really thought that it got ridiculous after a while. You really are not allowed to do anything that semester. The one thing that I recommend is if you hear about a patient or if your patient is having ANY procedure done, go watch. You do learn alot from observing all the different procedures I watched that first semester made it a little bit interesting. Hang in there it will be over before you know it...
  8. by wonderbee
    Feb 12, '04
    Beds, baths, VS, learning how to read a chart, bedpans and learning how to chart is pretty much the norm for first semester. Ya gotta crawl before you walk. In our program, by the end of first semester we will also be able to pass PO meds, insert a foley and do IM and SQ injections, as well as hang an IV. When you think about it, that's really a far piece to travel in 16 weeks.
  9. by suzy253
    Feb 12, '04
    Yes my first semester in clinical was doing basic stuff like a.m. care, making beds, occupied and not but I had a very interesting experience my 1st semester in that the pt I was caring for was having surgery and I got to go with her in the OR and observe the whole procedure. The nurses and docs were truly amazing, explaining to me all along what was going on, etc. etc. Now in my second semester we're doing meds including injections and still the bed baths, etc. but little by little they are adding more and more responsibilities.

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