Clinicals what are they like

jimthorp · Jan 4, 2006

The first clinical semester will be mostly CNA type work in a nursing home. My first semester clinical was one day a week from 0645-1550. The second semester it was 2 days a week the same time. The third semester it was three days a week the same time. midway through the second semester we took a medication administration test. We needed a 90% to pass meds in clinical and we had to retake a med exam in the third semester to pass meds.

We were given a pass/fail for clinicals. It did not affect your grade for the classroom work.

truern · Jan 4, 2006

My first clinical site was an orthopedic floor with oncology overflow. It involved mostly ADLs, vital signs, and PO meds. At that particular facility, we had access to the pyxis, too.

We didn't have a LTC assignment until our geriatrics/psych semester.

We have to pass a med calc test EACH semester before being allowed to go to clinicals. Our clinical grade is also pass/fail, but if you fail clinical you fail the entire semester, no matter what your lecture grade is.

It's great when you're working with patients and actually start to understand what you've been learning in lecture

jimthorp · Jan 4, 2006

I presumed she was asking about PN clinicals.

Butterflybee · Jan 4, 2006

midway through the second semester we took a medication administration test. We needed a 90% to pass meds in clinical and we had to retake a med exam in the third semester to pass meds.
We were given a pass/fail for clinicals. It did not affect your grade for the classroom work.

What is involved in the medication administration? And you say they dont affect your grade for classroom work? 90% to pass meds, what is involved? How difficult is it would you say?

Also, were the clinicals on the same day as class? Yes, this is for LPN/LVN. thanks:saint:

jimthorp · Jan 4, 2006

The medication administration exam involved calculating dosages, aspects of a correct order, patient rights, checks prior to administration, limits of various routes, and reading labels.

I found the exam very easy. Some in the class struggled with this exam and had to retake it. This really suprised me as the successful completion of a math skills evaluation exam and prior math courses are required to get into the program.

The medication administration exam did not count toward our grade in the classroom but if someone could not pass it they were dropped from the program.

Our performance in clinical rotations was evaluated by the clinical instructors and evaluated independently of all other work. We either got a pass or fail. This did not affect our grade in the classroom work nor count toward our GPA but if you failed a clinical rotation you were out.

Since a clinical day is a 9 hour day, obviously it is not on the same day as lecture or lab.

I took A&P I along with Nursing I, A&P II with Nursing II, and the third semester (summer 2005) I had just Nursing III. The first semester I had one day a week off. The next two semesters was a 5 day a week deal.

During Nursing 1 we had two days a week of a 3 hour lecture and one day of a 4.5 hour lab and one day of clinical. Nursing II was two days a week of 4.5 hour lecture, one day a week of 4.5 hour lab, and two days of clinical. Nursing III was two days a week of 4.5 hour lecture and three days a week of clinical.

Butterflybee · Jan 4, 2006

Thank you Thorpe. Now this gives me an idea of what I should brush up on. I was going to take other classes with the Nursing instead I just want to saturate myself in Nursing. I already have taken A/P 1/2 and Micro. This is something I need to get through so that is all that I want in my head for the next 18 mos. Do you work as an LPN now?

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Jan 4, 2006

My nursing program was divided into 5 levels.

Level 1's clinical rotation was spent in a nursing home learning the basics. Level 2 was spent in a LTC sub-acute facility and on a hospital's med-surg floor. Level 3 was also spent at a sub-acute facility and at a med-surg floor of a hospital. Level 4's clinical rotations consisted of a cerebral palsy facility, a small hospital, and outpatient clinics. Level 5 was spent doing inpatient OB and peds at a hospital and outpatient child/teen clinics.

Clinical rotations were either pass or fail, with no letter grades.

jimthorp · Jan 4, 2006

Thank you Thorpe. Now this gives me an idea of what I should brush up on. I was going to take other classes with the Nursing instead I just want to saturate myself in Nursing. I already have taken A/P 1/2 and Micro. This is something I need to get through so that is all that I want in my head for the next 18 mos. Do you work as an LPN now?

You're welcome butterflybee.

Keep in mind that each school is a little different. The program is setup using your State Board of Nursing guidelines. Even within those guidelines there are variations on how the objectives are met. There are some things that the schools cannot deviate from, other than increasing, such as number of classroom and clinical hours.

Yes, I work as an LPN.

BBERFY · Jan 5, 2006

The medication administration exam involved calculating dosages, aspects of a correct order, patient rights, checks prior to administration, limits of various routes, and reading labels.
I found the exam very easy. Some in the class struggled with this exam and had to retake it. This really suprised me as the successful completion of a math skills evaluation exam and prior math courses are required to get into the program.
The medication administration exam did not count toward our grade in the classroom but if someone could not pass it they were dropped from the program.
Our performance in clinical rotations was evaluated by the clinical instructors and evaluated independently of all other work. We either got a pass or fail. This did not affect our grade in the classroom work nor count toward our GPA but if you failed a clinical rotation you were out.
Since a clinical day is a 9 hour day, obviously it is not on the same day as lecture or lab.
I took A&P I along with Nursing I, A&P II with Nursing II, and the third semester (summer 2005) I had just Nursing III. The first semester I had one day a week off. The next two semesters was a 5 day a week deal.
During Nursing 1 we had two days a week of a 3 hour lecture and one day of a 4.5 hour lab and one day of clinical. Nursing II was two days a week of 4.5 hour lecture, one day a week of 4.5 hour lab, and two days of clinical. Nursing III was two days a week of 4.5 hour lecture and three days a week of clinical.

I'm busy trying to brush up on my rusty math skills prior to trying to enter an LVN Program.

Can you tell me specifically what kind of math skills are involved in a medication administration exam? Is it Fractions? Decimals? Basic arithmetic? Algebra? Or some combination of all four?

Thanks in advance for your reply.

Barry

jimthorp · Jan 5, 2006

A combination of all four.

BBERFY · Jan 6, 2006

A combination of all four.

I don't really see what algebra has to do with medication administration. Can you enlighten me?

Barry