New Clinical insturctor says we are falling behind in what we should know

colleen10 · Oct 29, 2003

At my school our instructor goes to the floor Friday evening and posts our patient assignment for the following day (Saturday 7AM-3PM clinical).

We must go to the floor before clinical starts at 7:00AM on Saturday to look up our patient's history, diagnoses, meds., Kardex, etc.

So far we don't have to have a Care Plan written out by the start of clinical, but we do have to know the action of the meds they are on, why they are taking them, if their dosage is within normal limits, etc. We also must have written out their history and any other pertinent information about their diagnoses and what their labs are. All of this "paper work" must be submitted to our instructor at the end of clinical.

It is a lot of hard work, I can spend anywhere from 3-4 hours completing everything on Friday night, but it is a good way to become familiar with your patient. Also, our instructor does not expect us to memorize all the meds and dosages they are on. We are allowed to keep this info. with us and if she asks us we are allowed to refer to our written notes or look it up in a drug book.

I can't understand how your instructor would expect you to "know everything" about your patient if you are not given your patient assignment in advance. Still, even if you look at your patients records that morning, if you get a doozy of a patient you could be there quite a while going through everything.

I would go to your instructor and be very gentle and kind in asking her this but say "I'm having trouble memorizing and remembering all the information on my patient. Do you have any suggestions for me or is there a way I can get my assignment earlier so that I am able to go over all the information." And see what she says.

I wish I could give you more info. but as a brand new student I just don't know how she can expect you to commit to memory everything about your patient if you don't have some time to prepare and go everything. And honestly, I would much rather have a nurse write down a few notes or my BP or glucose than try to commit it to memory and possibly forget or make a mistake in writting it in the chart.

PJMommy · Oct 29, 2003

We also have to "pre-lab". Assignments are posted the afternoon before clinical and we have to go to the hospital and read charts, look at lab values, write down med orders....you name it. When we walk onto the floor the next day, we better know any question thrown at us. If we don't know what a prescribed med is for (or what side effects it has), we are "clinically unsafe" and asked to leave until we can come back with the knowledge we need.

It is hard work -- we have to know the entire patho of the disease or injury which has the person in the hospital. For example, if the patient has HTN and heart disease and came in for bypass surgery - we have to know the risks, causes, tests, labs, assessments...everything!! for this patient. If we don't, we are asked to leave the floor. It generally takes me about 4 hours the night before to do all my reading and planning. We can take notes but not a ream of them...a notecard that fits in your pocket is about the extent of it. :)

kimtab · Oct 29, 2003

Well, if you aren't getting your patient assignment ahead of time then all you can really know if she asks you a question first thing in the morning is the report you got from the previous shift and your assessment if you have done it. If you are getting your assignment ahead of time then yeah, she can reasonably expect you to be prepared with info about your patients history and current condition. It's beneficial, I always learn a lot more looking up Pathophys for a real patient than I do in just a reading assignment for a lecture.

Every time you switch clinical instructors they all do some things different. Just roll with it, whatever her pet issues are- satisfy them. As far as memorization goes, write it down. I she really asking to reel it off the top of your head or does she just want you to be able to come up with the info quickly?