Clinical Experiences

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Jul 31, 2007

I attended a 12-month program that was divided into 5 levels, and each level lasted about 2.5 months each. Our class started clinical rotations toward the end of that very first level. Throughout the 12 months at the program, I had clinical experiences at 8 different facilities. I attended school in the greater Los Angeles area, so I practiced at Mountain View, Providence Holy Cross Medical Center, West Hills Hospital, Kaiser Hospital, All Saints Healthcare, United Cerebral Palsy, Encino Hospital, and Northeast Valley Health Center.

Clinicals were 8 hour days, and typically scheduled 3 times per week during the daytime hours. Sometimes we attended from 6am to 2pm, sometimes 8:30am to 4:30pm, and sometimes 6:45am to 3pm. One hospital only accepted nursing students during the evening, so we attended clinical rotations there from 3pm to 11pm.

BigMack · Jul 31, 2007

"Hi everyone, I am soon starting LPN school in Edmonton and I was wondering if anyone could share their experiences with the clinical part of school. Its my understanding that we dont start clinicals until the second semester. Did you enjoy them? Were you nervous? How many times a week did you attend them? Did you find it a little overwhelming to have to deal with a day in clinicals as well as any homework you had? Any input is appreciated!"

Did you enjoy them? For the most part yes. I'll admit there were times where I did not feel like getting up in the morning at 5:00am to beat traffic but you get over that =)

Were you nervous? Oh yea, in the beginning definately! But as you get more comfortable with the clinical setting it gets better. The key is to be assertive and get your hands on as much exp. as possible, the more you do things like: turning pt., talking to pts., drawing blood, starting IV's or inserting a foley etc... the less nervous you get. Get your hands "dirty". I can tell you "claiming the walls" at any clinical setting will not help you and instructors frown upon that so try to be proactive in your learning experience. and remember you are doing for the patient not the instructor!

How many times a week did you attend them? Three, eight hour days is the normal at hour school.

Did you find it a little overwhelming to have to deal with a day in clinicals as well as any homework you had? At times yes, but if you manage your time well you should be alright. Im not sure if you have a full time job or not but it is definately doable! Do not let that discourage you =). Nursing school for me got easier as the weeks/months progressed... you start to understand critical thinking + A&P + Disease Proccess + Nursing Process all ties in nicely.

Im in my last quarter of nursing school, i've enjoyed every bit of it except Peds and OB (it was a prison camp!) but just hang in tough and you'll be done sooner than you think. Promise!!!

Hope this helped!

pagandeva2000, LPN · Aug 1, 2007

I started clinicals during fundamentals of nursing at a nursing home. In the beginning, it was quite basic; bedmaking, bedpans and bedbaths. At the end of the first semester, we medicated patients. As time went on, we did less bathing and more medications, but I had lazy clinical instructors that would cancel out at the last minute or would not stay long. It gave me more time to study, which was good for me. I didn't care for clinicals too much because I knew they were basically B-S. It will be nothing like that in the real world of nursing and I knew that as an aide. But, I played the game in order to do what I had to do to graduate and sit for the boards.

Most times, they have a pre and post conference. Pre conference would be discussing the focus of the day, and post conference would be discussing the clinical experiences and assignments would be given to be completed by the next time we met. It would be drug cards, care plans, reports on a particular disease and how it related to your patient and such. Make sure you get a good care plan book so that these things would be produced quickly. I used to do mine on the same day that I left so that I can focus on the rest of the school work.

You have to have a clean uniform, bring some shoe polish because you can be sent home for a dirty uniform. Nails had to be cut low, hair cannot be hanging, it had to be in a bun. Make sure you have the supplies, such as a stethoscope, bandage scissors, penlight and a drug book. They sell pocket sized drug books that are not so cumbersome. And, a black pen. No gum chewing, loud talking or silliness is tolerated, usually. Do NOTHING without permission from your clinical instructor, no matter how much the nurses may intimidate or try and convince you it is okay. You are working under the license of the clinical instructor, so any mistake you make will be a mark against HER and they do not take too kindly to that. The clinical instructor is supposed to follow you when you give out medications, so, having the drug book is handy to know what the med is given for. Also, the clinical instructor should guide you to how to document in the chart. Mine used to have us write on a seperate piece of paper before we actually wrote in the chart so that she can see if it is appropriate to chart that information. You should be fine. It is the initial fear that gets to most people.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Aug 1, 2007

I didn't care for clinicals too much because I knew they were basically B-S. It will be nothing like that in the real world of nursing and I knew that as an aide.

I felt the same way. The clinical rotations were not helpful, in my opinion. They simply served as something to occupy space and time. As a real LPN in the real world of nursing, you will not be performing full care on 1 patient unless you happen to score the rare position in the ICU. Some of my classmates complained, and reported a clinical instructor to school administration because she had 'the nerve' to assign 2 whopping patients to each student. I was thinking to myself, "How are these people going to cope in the workforce upon graduation if they cannot handle 2 patients today?"

pagandeva2000, LPN · Aug 1, 2007

I felt the same way. The clinical rotations were not helpful, in my opinion. They simply served as something to occupy space and time. As a real LPN in the real world of nursing, you will not be performing full care on 1 patient unless you happen to score the rare position in the ICU. Some of my classmates complained, and reported a clinical instructor to school administration because she had 'the nerve' to assign 2 whopping patients to each student. I was thinking to myself, "How are these people going to cope in the workforce upon graduation if they cannot handle 2 patients today?"

Oh, yeah...it was a joke. I already knew it going in as a person that was trained to be a CNA, medical assistant, patient care associate and phlebotomist. In fact, I think that the nursing school situation was the absolute worse. Traveling together with the students for a year and dealing with the personalities and phoniness was over the top for me. You are lucky if you are able to even give out medications on time even under the best of circumstances. I counsel at least 18 patients a day in my clinic and in med-surg, had to medicate the same amount. After checking the constantly changing orders, I literally lost my mind.

linzz · Aug 3, 2007

I would say that they were lacking at times. We only were given two patients at the most and this did not help prepare for the real world demands of many more patients.

tarzo · Aug 8, 2007

I am in my 2nd semester and about 6 wks into clinicals, so far I love it. It stinks because you wipe rear ends all day but what a good way to get up close and personal with you patient. I guess you can say its better to start at the "bottom" and work your way up. Also realize not all clinical instructors are the same, the first 3 wks I had a lady who showed you nothing. :down: She had a sink or swim attitude and dont dare ask a question. A few weeks later I have a guy who is calm and patient and oh my god WILLING TO TEACH what a concept. :monkeydance: