what to expect from clinicals

[3rdgenRN2B]

Hi, I am a long way off from starting clinicals but I was just curious what it's like starting out? Do you generally work with your patients on your own or in groups? Are you just thrown in there or do you have guidance? Did you switch facilities/floors per week, per semester, ??? Please share your experiences...Thanks.

[Achoo!, LPN]

We started out in a nursing home. Yes you have your own patient, but we " buddied up' in the beginiing so if you needed help with cares, turning etc.. you could help each other out. The next rotation was med surg, which gave more opportunity than cares and med passing. We were exposed to more treatments, IV's etc, and then we bumped up to 2 patients. After that we moved to different hospitals and different areas such as OB, surgery, cardiac etc.. just to get a feel for the different places. Each rotation was about 6 weeks, except psych was only 3. Last semester is more team leading, and then preceptorship.

[canidoit]

We didn't ever work the nursing home in first semester, we went to the hospital. We had a few weeks of learning at school first to get the basics down, and then we started on the hospital floors with one patient of our own. As we were checked off on new skills we would be able to do that for our patient the following week. I was just checked off on IV starts so the next time I have a patient who needs an IV I will be able to start it. It is overwhelming and intimidating and you totally realize the HUGE responsibility a nurse has. However, as the weeks pass, you begin to slowly grasp the knowledge and hopefully by the time I finish school I will be able to manage on my own! Good luck and enjoy. Nursing school is one of the hardest things I have ever done, but I think its worth it.