Clinical Hours vs. Shadowing Hours?

Jules A, MSN · May 1, 2008

We did a lot of direct patient care but it is natural to be a little nervous about your soon to be independent role as a new grad. If your school is ok with the BON I would think they are meeting the requirements but in any event if I were you, I surely wouldn't bring it up.

Congrats on your graduation!

NycCutie · May 2, 2008

:bowingpurI am in a 10-month LPN program, due to end this June. The description of the program included quite a number of clinical hours. Three of our 8-week rotations have minimal patient contact - they are largely observing what a PN does in different settings. This has been all very interesting, but aren't we supposed to get a certain number of actual CLINICAL hours, meaning, working directly in the care of patients? (I'm in New York State.) I'm anxiously awaiting graduation, but am feeling terribly deficient in skills, and am wondering if fellow PN students have encountered a similar large proportion of shadowing to clinical experience?

Which school in new york are you currently attending, because most new york PN programs allow hands on pt care!

Perpetual Student · May 2, 2008

So how many weeks of clinicals did you do where you actually were the one primarily responsible for patients? During my PN program we were fully responsible for everything other than IV issues for our med-surg patients. When we ventured into other areas (ER, ICU, cath lab, PACU, etc.) we were working directly with a nurse there, but we actually still gave meds, assisted with assessments, changed dressings and did basically anything else that came up that was within our scope of practice--and a few things that we found out were not after the fact. :uhoh21:

When you say that you're "shadowing" other nurses are you just passively standing there, or doing some/most of the work while she supervises you and gives you guidance? What types of settings are you doing this in?

In reality, so long as you've developed a reasonable knowledge level and have sound judgment you should be OK. You'll learn the rest during your orientation.

rumplegaster · May 3, 2008

Yes, we've pretty much been passive participants. First clinical was long term care, which was for the most part hands-on, practicing basic caretaking skills. We changed trachs, did tube feedings, B12s, glucose monitoring & insulin (only with instructor present.) That was for 6 weeks, then a combination one-day shadowing (passive paricipation) and one-day career exploration (again 6 weeks), then a 6 week leadership rotation where we each got to be leader while the rest of us took basic care of up to four patients, the final two rotations are 1) 6 week at hospital where two days will be caring for two patients (except injections and meds); the balance is passive shadowing; then 2) 6 weeks at another hospital with same two-days patient care and shadowing. The program is supposed to be very good, but I'm perplexed at all the shadowing, when we could be practicing and refining our clinical skills???