What is your clinical set-up like?

Nursing Students General Students

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This week during my pediatric clinical the students from the local ADN program was also on the same floor as my school was. (I am in the BSN program for those who do not know). I was talking to one girl from the ADN program and we were comparing our programs and it was quite interesting. It seems like my classmates and I are getting ripped off compared to what they are getting clinical wise.

AT my school we have 3 weeks of OB, 3 weeks of Peds, 4 weeks of Med-surg, 4 weeks of ICU, 4 Weeks of Med-surg, 2 weeks of long-term care, 1 day of public health, 2 days of home health, 12 weeks of community divided into 2 semesters, 2 days of OR, 3 weeks of school screenings, 6 weeks of clinical in the hospital (It varies from clinical group some of us were on orthopedics, some were on skilled nursing/rehab, others were on pulmonary.) Then our last semester in our senior year we have a nine week senior capstone in the area of our choice.

We have clinical 2 days a week from 630pm-2pm and one day a week we stay for post clinical conference from 2pm-3pm.

Just out of curiousity what is your clinical set-up like in your program. I just find it really interesting how so many programs vary in major ways.

Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho.

My ADN program we have 2 lecture days of 2 hours, and 2 clinical days(7-130) per week. We get 1 day in home health, 1 day in burn unit, if we are lucky we get to sit in on a cardiac surgery, 1 day in cardiac cath lab, 2 days in ICU. This is over 1 year of ADN program. The clinical areas are limited because of the number of other students from schools that use the same facilities. We get 6-7 weeks at each clinical site(3 sites per semester) and it could vary from cardiac stepdown, to the neuro unit, but we dont necesarily concentrate just on the neuro while on the neuro unit. Thats the best part, just because you are on a cardiac unit doesnt mean you have to concentrate just on the cardiac problem, patients have a whole host of other medical problems that you can also address and learn from.

so, if i'm adding this up correctly, you have 103 clinical days, right? that sounds pretty good to me.

we have 64 full days in the facility clinicals and close to that amount in "classroom" clinicals. we have 4 lecture hours twice a week.

we have a limited # of facilities to do our clinicals at and other schools that use the facilities as well.

the classroom clinicals involve skills, computer simulation etc.

I believe it goes by number of clinical hours not days (as a day can be diffrent lengths) (yea I know 24H. But in nursing school I spend 24 hours a day just studying out side of class lol)

I have heard BSN don't have as many clinical hours. Then again I have heard that they spend the same number but more are in a community setting.

In my bridge program, we spent 140 hours in clinical the first semester in adult/med surg. This started out as lab time. The last 5 weeks were one 8 hour day and then progressed 2. This semester we have five week rotations, 16 hours a week. I have rotated through psych, peds and now I'm in OB. We also have community health one day a week. The total clinical time is supposed to be 280 hours with 40 of that in community health. This summer I go back to med-surg for five weeks, 2 days per week. More hours in community health. The summer concludes with "boot camp". We work for 3 weeks, 4 days a week as a nurse. We have our own patients and do all the care. We are supervised but is it alot like an internship.

I'm sorry this was so long. ;)

In my nursing program, 1st semester (out of 4) we are in the nursing home for 6 wks, (8a-12p) and then we were on the orthopedic floor of the hospital for the other 6 wks. In second semester,(730a-12p) we have 6 wks of med/surg and 6 wks of OB (2 days in L&D, 2 days PP, 1 day AP, and 1 day nursery) 3rd (630a-230p)semester we choose either medical or surgical and peds or psych. (each 6 wks) then in 4th (630a-230p)we choose the 2 that we didnt choose in 3rd semester.

The Fall schedule is up and should I be accepted so my schedule will be something like...our Nursing 101 course is split up into 4 classes...Meet once a week for Lecture for 2 hrs....once a week for Laboratory, once a week for Tutorial and clinicals are going to be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 - 2:20....so hopefully we'll get lots of experience. I have to take my Nursing Entrance Exam on May 6....I'm sooo nervous.

Fatima

"RN 2B in 2004"

Hi, I an in an ADN program in CT. My program is 2 years long and works as follows:

Semester 1- 7 weeks skills lab(learning vitals, catheters, etc.)

7 weeks-basic med surg 1 day a week 8am-2pm

Semester 2- 7 weeks OB (LDRP floor) 2 days a week class/ 2 days a week clinical from 8am-3pm

7 weeks med-surg(diabetes,or, endocrine, etc.)2 days class, 2 days clinical from 8am-3pm

Semester 3- 7 weeks Med-surg(Psych) 2 1/2 days class, days cliniacl from 8am-330pm

7weeks med-surg(cardiac-I think) same as above

Semester 4 7 weeks med-surg (respiratory) sama as above

Last weeks are managment classes for graduation

Basically thats how my classes go. Overall we get about 14hrs clinical a week and we get rotated for a day to the OR, ICU, etc. We don't do any community nursing from what I know of because I think only BSN's have that in their programs.

Teresa

This is all pretty interesting to know about different programs.

Teresa, as far as only the BSN's having community in their programs I think it depends on the area. Usually it is. However, one of the ADN programs in my area have a taste of community clinicals. I think the BSN programs but a heavy emphasis more so then the ADN programs because usually many jobs in the community/public health area require a BSN. I think community clinicals should be optional to a certain extent. Meaning that everyone should do 3-4 weeks instead of 12. If a student is interested in community then they can have the option of doing more community clinical. 99% of the students in my program said there is NO WAY you can get them to do community/public health. I have a strong interest in it but NOT before doing some work in a hospital first.

Well, here's how it is in South Florida. I am in my last semester of a BSN Program. Sophmore year, fall; Fundamentals- class 2 days a week for 4 hours, lab 1 day a week for 4 hours x 5 weeks, last 10 weeks in the hospital on med surg for 5 hours 2 days a week. Spring med surg; class 1 day a week for 4 hours, clinical 2 days a week for 5 hours per day on a med surg floor x whole semester (14 wks). Junior year, fall; OB, class 1 day a week for 8 hours, clinical 8 hours per day x 2 days a week for 10 weeks, last 5 weeks of fall = 1st half of peds; class 1 day a week for 8 hours, clinical 8 hours a day x 2 days a week. Spring, first 5 weeks is the last half of peds, same schedule. Last 10 weeks of spring is mental health, class 8 hours a day x 1 day per week, clinical in an inpatient unit 8 hours x 2 days. Senior year, fall; critical care, class 8 hours x 1 day, clinical 8 hours x 2 days per week in icu and er for 10 weeks. Last 5 weeks are 1st half of Community health. Class 1 day per week for 6 hours and clinical 2 days per week x 8 hours spent at public health facilities. Spring; 5 weeks continuation of community health. Last 10 weeks are management which consists of 1 day of class for 8 hours and a senior preceptorship in the hospital for 2 days a week, each being 8 hours. I'm in the er. My University is very clinical intensive for a BSN program and most all of our faculty are practicing nurses. I think we got a lot of clinical time considering what I've heard from other BSN programs. Any thoughts? :)

Steve, by any chance to you go to FIU?????

I am in a degree program in Canada (Manitoba to be precise)

[same as BSN]

Up here where I am we get:

6 weeks gerontology(nursing home)/6 weeks geriatric community

6 weeks maternity - 3 L&D, 3 post partum and 6 weeks mat/child school nurse added

that's year 2

12 medicine - the ward varies, with a choice of 6 peds/6 adult or all 12 adult - I chose 12 adult, on a family med ward ( mostly stable cardio-resp, mixed w/ diabetes )

12 surgical - just finished. ward varies. I lucked out to get a burns/plastics ward

3rd year + 2nd facility clinical are 7:00-13:00, depending on site, instructor, etc. 3rd we are responsible to come in the nite before to research our pt ot fill out a Care Form

that is our 3rd year

In 4th we do both palliative and mental health, but I don't know the breakdowns off the top of my head:devil:

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