Day One in the Life of a Nursing Student

That is so awsome how you found enough courage to turn your outlook around!

That's awesome. Thinking of them before their accidents is what got me through so much working in hospitals.

So sorry to hear that you had so little support from the mentor, tank god for the tech and the clinical instructor!

That was a really good story! Continue to keep that compassionate heart

I can honestly say that i completely understand how you felt and all and i am glad that you emerged from your low point on your second day. Those are true nursing qualities emerging, you get up and brush yourself off when you feel you have fallen. I myself had a similar experience the first day of my LPN rotation. The secret in all of this is never be afraid to ask for help whatever the task is. Also remember that your position is not only to provide patient care. There are many other roles of the "lpn student."

Always start your day off with a plan, ok , so you go to your assigned patient just basically making sure they're alive, obtain their vital signs, converse with that patient and develop a sense of trust. While doing patient care/ bed bath, utilize that opportunity to also assess the patient for any new signs of discoloration, cyanosis, new lesions, signs of edema or any upcoming decubidi. There is so much you could obtain from the skin. Look at the characteristics of the urine in his Foley Bag. Take this time to basically practice a head to toe assessment especially if there is a specific problem. (if they have an abdominal disorder, listen to their bowel sounds)

There is so much to do and if you get bored for whatever reason you could take an additional atient and get as much practice as you could get of the real world where there is no such thing as a one patient only assigned to a nurse. Remember clinicals is what you make from it, you basically determine your experience.

So GOOD LUCK and congrats in your choice of career and remember YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!

OMG That was SO funny and SO very accurate. I have just graduated, and I TOTALLY felt as you do. I would see my classmates flittering around with their "mentors" and me, well I was always alone -- well except for that crow!! It's fun to see posts like this - makes us realize we are only human and we are NOT alone.

Thank you!

Wow! This is a great post. I enjoyed reading it and actually laughed out loud. You have done an excellent job of capturing and describing what you don't here about as a pre-nursing student.

That is great - it reminded me of how scared I was my first day on the med/surg floor! I think I wandered around A LOT with sheets and towels in my hands, trying to do anything but bathe my patient. Thanks for giving me a chuckle (now that it's behind me, I can laugh about it!)

That was a really great post, thanks!

I loved your story and can totally relate to it. I can also remember having classmates say they couldn't wait til they "were RN's and didn't have to scrub butts anymore". But the fact is as long as we're in the hospital, there is a 99.9% chance you will still have to scrub an occasional butt, well, more than the occasional.... alot, but it's ok by that point, you'll be used to it and it will give you a great chance to see any areas of beginning breakdown to document on head to toe assessments, As you are scrubbing and chattering away to the pt as to not make some of them feel bad for having to clean them up, you are looking over them, noting anything and everything. Although, when you are the nurse, you have ALOT more responsibility, it is sometimes necessary to help your pca out and I don't mind it.