Am I Behind the Curve in Clinical?

[studentnurse0987]

I'm getting my RN in 12 months. I know I am smart, capable and a hard worker. But wow...I never knew things would start getting this hard. Some days are 17 hours without a break practically.

We just started our first med-surg clinical. Today was my second day. We'll be going once a week through the end of May. I like my instructor, she's nice, but no nonsense and I think she will whip us into shape. She has talked to me and told me my main problem is nerves. I care and want to do a good job so I've been quite flustered my first two days, but I feel like I'm getting better. My first patient last week was very easy, just one PO med, hardly anything else to do for her, so I didn't get the experience some of my classmates got with having a crazy first day. My patient this week was harder, abdominal wound, I&O's, lots of PO meds, constant charting...still fairly easy but I was busy every moment and constantly on my toes. Next week, some of my classmates will get to start IV meds but my professors said she thinks I need another week of just PO meds. I havent given an injection yet, just accuchecks (no opportunity yet). Some of my classmates at other hospitals have already put in IV's.

Am I behind the curve? Should I be moving faster in this program? I really want to do well.

[studentnurse0987]

Oh and I meant that I am in a 12 month long accelerated program. Has anyone else felt so unsettled about clinical? I feel like there is so much to learn and we've just been thrown in and expected to learn everything simply through osmosis. Like charting. Not much time has been spent on teaching us that at all.. but we're expected to do it correctly...I take these things really seriously....hence the nerves. We've only gone over how to hang IV's and give IV meds once in skills lab, how can some people already be starting it next week? But here I am worried that I'm already falling behind. I guess that's nursing school!

[Katie71275]

I don't think you are behind and wouldn't worry about it.

Clinicals can be fast paced and it's great to get as much experience as you can while in clinicals. Im into my 2nd year and haven't successfully put in an IV yet. My first IV in the ER? Obese male, and my instructor and I blew veins(He really needed a PICC line..no one could get a vein in)..I've yet to have the opportunity again. I wouldn't worry, you will get the majority of your hands on skills training as a new RN.

[studentnurse0987]

I don't think you are behind and wouldn't worry about it.Clinicals can be fast paced and it's great to get as much experience as you can while in clinicals. Im into my 2nd year and haven't successfully put in an IV yet. My first IV in the ER? Obese male, and my instructor and I blew veins(He really needed a PICC line..no one could get a vein in)..I've yet to have the opportunity again. I wouldn't worry, you will get the majority of your hands on skills training as a new RN.

Thank you Katie for sharing your experience.

[HH_RN13, ASN, RN]

First of all congrats on being on your way to becoming RN :-) I am in my last semester of school and I can honestly tell you that each semester as I come back to clinicals I feel a bit flustered and anxious because its always a new instructor with their own preferences on how they like everything done, it's a new hospital, and the number of patients is more (we were up to 4 pts this rotation). So don't worry, it's ok to be a bit nervous and it's ok if you don't get everything you wanted done right away. Just look out for opportunities to practice your skills and be ready to do it (put in the iv) even if you feel like omg this is all happening too fast. Instructors are there to guide you through or at least the nurse is (not sure how it works in your program)

Cheer up, it all gets better with time!