is this normal?? (Clinical experience)

[shippoRN]

I'm on my second semester, of nursing school. My first semester went fantastic, and i had a great clinical instructor.

I don't like complaining but my current instructor just isn't cutting it.

I won't go into details, but I do have one question... is it just me, or is there a little something wrong, with the instructor making her students practice injecting sterile water into oranges on the clinical floor?

We were suppose to start our injections at clinical this week, and there weren't any patients who needed shots on the floor, sooooo my instructor got an orange i guess from a patient's tray, and made us stand on the floor infront all the RN staff and patients, and made us draw up sterile water and inject it into an orange.

Is this a normal thing to do on a clinical floor, i mean i know they wanted us to bring an orange to lab to practice, but on the floor?

[SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN]

My instructors have never done this but that was his/her choice. CIs can do what he/she wants to do within the policy and procedures of the facility and the objectives of the course. With that said, I doubt there is anything the CI did wrong. Besides maybe he/she is in fear of this new group and trying to ensure that the students he/she has will be comfortable giving injections.

Yes, lab is a good place to practice. However for some reason MANY students without clinical experience will usually drop his/her brains in the toilet while in the clinical setting. This of course puts a patient's safety at risk. In fact, I am sure drawing up sterile water and injecting it into an orange was nerve wracking for others in your group and may have assisted him/her in being able to calm down (not that anyone in your group will admit this to other student nurses ...).

[APBT mom, LPN, RN]

Was the clinical instructor the one that taught you all how to give injections? Maybe she just wanted to see your skill level before you guys get to do it on patients to see who knows what they're doing and who doesn't. Our instructors are the same three we've had throughout school so when we have check offs in lab they now how well we did/didn't do and who they need to give pointers to when on the clinical floor.

There was another school at one of the clinical sites that we went to and their instructor had them practice whatever skill they were to do that day before they did it on the patient. Some of the students said the rumor was that a couple of the students in the class before theirs didn't do something properly and the facility blasted the instructor for it because if the student screws up doing anything related to patient care. It's the clinical instructors license on the line.

I'd be annoyed about having to do in front of everyone like at the nurses station. I think it would have been better for everyone if she had had you do it in the staff break room or a conference room.

[llg, PhD, RN]

I don't see anything wrong with it. In fact, I commend your instructor for giving you a good opportunity to practice in the actual clinical setting. Sometimes the lab doesn't seem real enough to get the full simulation experience. What she did is better than having you sit around and do nothing.

[NooNieNursie]

I can't get over an instructor wasting precious time to shoot up oranges with sterile water, LOL. Just thinking about that is causing me to freak out about time management. Even if it was a slow day and there wasn't much to be done... I mean, there is so much better use of clinical time than practicing injections on an orange.

I understand why the instructor would consider doing this (to see if the students are proficient at injections I assume) but it's a waste of everyone's time, really. My instructors have always found it sufficient if I explain how a skill is performed, what supplies I need, etc. There just isn't *time* in the clinical day for everyone to demo a skill they haven't done before doing it. That's what lab is for.

I would be ******, but only because my time was being wasted with something useless.

[Rexie68]

i can't get over an instructor wasting precious time to shoot up oranges with sterile water, lol. just thinking about that is causing me to freak out about time management. even if it was a slow day and there wasn't much to be done... i mean, there is so much better use of clinical time than practicing injections on an orange.

i don't know about everyone else, but when i only have one patient in clinical, i run out of things to do by 9am, unless they're a complicated pt. i'd much rather practice giving injections on an orange than make another bed/empty linen/pass water. not that those aren't important, but i think we pretty much have that down pat. some students might not be proficient at giving injections and it's not unreasonable for the instructor to ask to see a demonstration.

[Batman24]

Hi Mysti!!!!!

Having you do it in front of the staff and patients seems a bit off to me. That seems unnecessary. It's almost like she is putting on a show. I don't have any problem with having you practice as that could be helpful, but the way she is doing it seems odd.

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

Oranges have been used for decades to practice injections.

So, yes . . . it is normal.

As to doing it in in front of folks . . . good practice to get over stage fright.

steph

[ChiSmile6]

totally agree with rexie! when you run out of things to do and really have nothing to do..i would love the practice, even if it sounds silly. In the long run, it is for your benefit.

[NYRN08]

I have to say that my college use to do this...that is until one student took an orange into a patients room during clinical to teach the patient how to do injections (newly diagnosed diabetic) of course she was already in the process of being taught by the RN's that were her nurses.

The student was just reinforcing what was already being taught..anyway the student teaches the patient and the patient in return demonstrates back by using the orange...well this same patient returned back to the hospital after being discharged because.she was injecting her insulin in the orange and then eating it...because she thought that was what she was suppose to do.

So needless to say...like I said - our school no longer uses oranges to practice injection with at all.

[NightOwl0624]

I have to say that my college use to do this...that is until one student took an orange into a patients room during clinical to teach the patient how to do injections (newly diagnosed diabetic) of course she was already in the process of being taught by the RN's that were her nurses.

The student was just reinforcing what was already being taught..anyway the student teaches the patient and the patient in return demonstrates back by using the orange...well this same patient returned back to the hospital after being discharged because.she was injecting her insulin in the orange and then eating it...because she thought that was what she was suppose to do.

So needless to say...like I said - our school no longer uses oranges to practice injection with at all.

:lol2::lol2:

[Hydakins]

Now THAT was a funny clinical story!

Reminded me of when I was taking the nursing assistant course. A friend came by and we had to use our imaginations to practice the skills. We used a grapefruit, a rubber glove tied around it to form somewhat of a triangle (pubic region), and a straw to practice cleaning the foley cath.

I don't think that there was anything wrong with the CI's technique. I dont really see an issue with other people being around because it is already understood that you are students. Even if you were giving the injection to a patient, the patient IS there with their body part. You're being watched regardless.