Most Valuable Clinical Experience?

TraceyMarino · Jan 25, 2013

I am only in my first rotation of clinicals (third of six semesters) and was just wondering what experiences have been the best learning opportunities? I am in a primary care, nurse-practitioner run clinic right now and am loving it. I have learned A LOT about psych meds and URIs and UTIs, but the lab is limited, there is no on-site X-ray, and very minimal procedures. I was pondering my summer rotation and was thinking ER to get procedures, tests, and more critical patients. I would love to hear others' experiences!

Find a busy urgent care, one that does suturing, x-ray, FB removal in the eye/nose, where ever, STD testing.

I find that other NPs, PA's and midwives allow students to do more "stuff" than docs. I was very lucky that the docs I did clinicals with knew me and had worked with me for years, so they let me do lots of stuff. Other students I went to school with did not get as much hands on as me.

I would also recommend doing some hours in OB/Gyn. That was my best rotation for learning, and I am so happy that I did 200 hours in it, even though I am an FNP. I learned how to perform a really good women's health exam, how to put in IUD's, how to take out IUDs, and how to manage menopause symptoms, and other women's health issues. I learned how to work up dysmenorrhea, menorrhagia, amenorrhea, how to recognize gyn infections. Not all discharge is a "yeast infection". Best rotation I did!

tryingtohaveitall · Jan 25, 2013

I was able to do a month in an ED with a dr I know well. That was a terrific experience. If I could have seen patients the way the MDs do in that ED, I might have accepted the job offer there.

phillycpnp-pc, MSN, RN, NP · Feb 16, 2013

I'm currently in a pediatric ER and i love it. its a nice balance with my peds primary care rotation. I see and learn a lot in the ER setting. I'm with a NP in the urgent care side of the peds ER.