If evening clinicals don't work for you, just be sure that you tell them up front during orientation. There was only a few that had to this year during the mental health rotation (8 week duration). The people who couldn't do clinicals at night were accomodated. Each clinical rotation is 8 weeks in duration except the first one, which is the whole semester. Although, I still got to work in two different areas the first semester. I did my mental health rotation the first 1/2 of the second semester and am now started last week in orthopedics at SMMC. Last week I got to speed the day in the OR. It was great. I had a super surgical team so it was a fantastic experience. I wil warn you, not all nurses are what you might say thrilled to see students. I don't think their intent is to be mean. Many are just soooo busy and really don't want one more "task" thrown on their plate. Others are nice and see it as one less patient to have to take care of because you are assigned to one of their patients. Depends on the nurse.
To answer the other question for Shannon....there are several sites that we do clinicals and a group of 8 (or so) are in each group. They do vary and you are assigned to a clinical instructor and a group. For example, some people worked on an oncology unit last semester, but I was on telemetry and med/surg with my group. It just varies. The hospitals that they work with are all throughout the KC area: SMMC, St. Luke's South, NKC hospital, Overland Park Regional, St. Joe etc.
If either of you know how to send a personal email through this system, you are welcome to send me your email address and I can provide either or both of you with my phone number should you have more questions. I just don't know how. Sorry. I remember I had soooo many questions before I started. There are a few things that you can start on this summer that I would recommend. If you take the 1 hour medical terminology class and get an "A", you don't have to take all the med. term tests.....I think there were three total. (PLEASE verify this to make sure that is for sure still the case). And for the med. term test, I bought an old version of the text for $12 over the internet instead of buying the new one for $75 and got along perfectly with it. I would also recommend getting the drug calc. stuff out of the way this summer too. There is just too much going on in the beginning to be bothered with additional work that you can get done ahead of time. Once you go to orientation, this will make sense. Orientation is held mid-May. One helpful hint.....Don't buy all the books on the REQUIRED list right from the start. You will find that they really aren't "required" and some are hardly ever used, if ever. For example the workbooks. I say skip them. I never used them and haven't heard of anyone who did. None of this will probably make sense to you right now. After orientation, my notes will make more sense. Depending on when orientation is, I might volunteer. They ask for second year students to help out with first year orientation. Wow! Second year student!? Me? Ha! Time has flown.
Apr 1, '07 by momma&nurse2BNurseMiller-Thanks for all the helpful info! I noticed you mentioned that some students have evening clinicals. I'm curious if this is randomly assigned or if student's situations are considered before assignments are made. The reason I ask is that my husband (also a pre-nursing student) works urgent care each evening as a phlebotomist, and we have a 3 year old, so evening clinicals would not be an option for me. Thanks again for giving us the insider scoop! I really appreciate it!rn2bandmommaX3 likes this.
