Clinical rotations but never worked in a hospital

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Jun 12, 2006

Rest assured you are not alone. I went to nursing school without any experience working in a hospital at all. I had heard plenty of stories from my mother who worked in CCU, mostly things that scared me to death and actually made me think twice about even going to nursing school! I had only been in a hospital to visit my dad before he had brain surgery when I was 16. And, the day I went, some old man went streaking down the hall naked with a foley catheter dragging behind him. My poor little 1960's virginal eyes were in shock! My best girlfriend and I visited her sister who was on a pediatric ward in a spica cast for correction of a hip dislocation a couple of times when I was in high school. That was the extent of my experience. Let me also tell you that every day I walked into the hospital to do my clinicals for nursing school I was scared to death and nearly threw up. This went on for a couple of years. I worried that I would accidentally kill someone. I never said anything to anyone because I didn't want them to think I was a coward. However, I've learned over the years that there were a good many of us that felt the same way. I was just talking with my niece who is in a radiation technology program not too long ago and she confessed to feeling the very same way! The way I came to look at things is this--thousands and thousands of men and women have gone through the nursing school experience and survived, passed and gotten their licenses. If they can do it, so can I, so can you. I was able to get a job as a nurses aid in a nursing home after my first year of nursing school. What an experience that was! (The days before all the regulations.) After you've done your basic nursing classes, test out for your CNA and you'll find work in a nursing home very easily. I worked night shift. All we did was make rounds taking people to the bathroom or cleaning up wet/dirty bottoms and beds every two hours and started getting people up into wheelchairs for breakfast at 6am. Nice job. Some of the aides I worked with were kooky though. Can't say I ever regretted it. Sometimes I think that going into a profession like nursing without any experience is better because you will learn everything you need to know THE CORRECT WAY from your nursing instructors and not by what you have been seeing others doing on the job.

BoonersmomRN · Jun 12, 2006

I never worked a day in any healthcare field and it didn't matter. 1rst we were taught everything we would be doing FIRST and then our instructors were by our sides for anything that required it. I had a great time at clinicals and found that I got right into the groove. Your going to start with small things like vitals, assessments anyway.....GOOD LUCK!

PickMePlze · Jun 13, 2006

I had no prior experience either. The downside IMO is that when you have no previous experience, you tend to be more nervous and anxious than those who worked as nurse assistants, techs, etc. I think the best thing to do is to work as a tech or intern as soon as you can.

clemmm78, RN · Jun 13, 2006

Not only had I never had any experience in any hospital setting, I had a tendency to faint at the sight of blood. :-)

Twenty three years later, I still have my RN and I do fine.

In fact, I don't recall knowing anyone who had any prior hospital experience. Considering that most people who enter nursing school are only in their late teens, where would they have gotten any unless they were lucky enough to volunteer or land some sort of job in a hospital?

smilin_gp · Jun 13, 2006

Considering that most people who enter nursing school are only in their late teens, where would they have gotten any unless they were lucky enough to volunteer or land some sort of job in a hospital?

This might be a regional thing, but in my area at this time, many, many people enter nursing school later in life than their teens. I don't think that paid hospital experience is necessary to succeed in nursing education, it might just make some clinical skills seem more routine and less intimidating.

clemmm78, RN · Jun 13, 2006

This might be a regional thing, but in my area at this time, many, many people enter nursing school later in life than their teens. I don't think that paid hospital experience is necessary to succeed in nursing education, it might just make some clinical skills seem more routine and less intimidating.

Many people might be entering nursing school at a later age, but there are still people entering it right out of high school and in to university - regardless of location.

smilin_gp · Jun 13, 2006

Sorry, I was disputing that "most" people enter at that age, at least in the area that I am in. The median age for entrance here is 27.

crb613, BSN, RN · Jun 13, 2006

I was the only one in my class that did not have prior experieence. I did fine,& you can too! I was scared to death....taking a b/p was a major event! :lol2: I practiced my skills in the lab & on anyone that would let me.....I drove my family nuts! I had no experience so I had no bad habits or shortcuts. Every little thing was a first for me & I was really excited & never bored. You will be fine if you need help don't hesitate to ask. Good Luck!

TallGirlAni · Jun 13, 2006

I had no prior experience when I started my first med/surg clinical. I was not alone. There were a couple of others in my group of 8, and the students within my group--we helped each other out.

I was nervous, at first, especially when meeting my first patient. Then, getting used to the skills, the charting, etc. But, you will see that you will start off with one patient, and you learn so much as you go. If you need help, ask another classmate, your instructor, or the nurse assigned to your patient. There are many resources for you on the floor. And when you go in the next day, you build on your learning experiences. No one is expecting a student to have prior experience. It is not a prereq. In fact, you will be learning according to your instructor's way. And, no one is expecting you to be brilliant at all of your skills. They take practice. Some of the most important things you are learning in the beginning are communication skills, anticipating the needs of your patients for basic things (like helping them to wash up, repositioning them for comfort, applying lotion to their skin, giving them a backrub, etc.) These are the times that you will have more time to spend with a patient (since you will surely have one to start out with). Use it to your advantage. Practice your assessment skills, etc.

As the semester progresses, you will learn things as they arise--Inserting foleys, passing meds, hanging IVs and piggybacks, evaluating and managing pain, starting IVs). There is plenty of time to do these things and you will learn them as the your patients need them.

Establishing a good rapport with your nursing staff, fellow students, your patients and their families will be crucial in order for them to trust you. Those are the things that you will want to focus on greatly in the beginning. As you go along, you will learn to prioritize tasks, you will find that things aren't adding up and question them (critical thinking and rationale seeking). This is your time to learn, so use it wisely.

The most important thing is knowing the rationale for why you are doing something. Don't just do it because you are told to do so. Nursing is all about being the last line of defense for the patient and you are the one that will catch and prevent most errors (made by others and even perhaps you). If you can't explain to yourself why you are giving a particular med, and what side effects this med may cause to the patient, then you shouldn't be giving it. I used to explain to the patient why I was doing whatever needed being done. This helped me with my rationale seeking.

Above all else, don't blindly start doing things you unsure of. Know when to ask for help, even if you feel like you may look or sound stupid for asking. If you are unsure, then stop what you are doing and get the instructor, don't wait until it is too late and you find your way completely submerged into a problem.

Always recheck and recheck meds, dose, route, patient, etc. I found a couple of med errors just by asking the patient what they normally take, etc. before I start passing the med. Your patient is your richest source of information. They know a lot more about themselves than some of their doctors and nurses give them credit for.

You will find that if you continually evaluate your nursing philosophy (as it is ever-evolving), then you will flourish as a student, and as a nurse.

There is much to learn and you will not learn it all in one med-surg clinical. I took my first job out of school on the same med/surg floor that I was a student on the year before. I had a 10 week orientation, have been on my own for 2 months now, and every day, I am learning more and more. The clinical experience is a taste of what you will be learning as a nurse. So savor the experience and practice wisely!

OURN83 · Jun 13, 2006

These are a lot of great posts. Thank you. I feel more confident now!

Balder_LPN, LPN · Jun 13, 2006

I am starting clinicals this fall. The closest I have come to a health care job was working in the IT (computer) field at a large homehealth agency, and in many doctors offices (I specialized in electronic data interchange READ electronic claims filing) I have been married twice and both my wives were nurses also. So at least I knew WHAT a nurse does before I got into it (some of my fellow students still dont have a clue, but they will learn soon)

I am not prone to the anxiety of the OP, but I am antsy to get into a healthcare setting soon. I dont see the sense of taking my CNA this summer and then starting the same classes in the fall (OK I see some sense, I really dont want to duplicate my efforts so close to each other.) So first I volunteered with the activities director in a LTC/skilled nursing/rehab facility, that was fun, but they where too disorganized and often had nothing for me to do.

Now I am volunteering in the ER at the only local hospital here (starting friday). The volunteer coordinator said she loses most of the college students that volunteer there when summer hits, and most of the older ladies who volunteer want to answer the phone and deliver flowers. I will be in back doing some of the dirty work (errands, locate equipment, run samples to the lab, xport pt's, clean up messes etc) no pt care is allowed of course. I will be in the ER 4-8pm every friday, I cant wait. We are also alllowed to show up anytime we want to help out, and we can go float the other areas of the hospital as we feel like it. They asked for a once a week six month commitment. We also receive a 4 hr orientation that covers the hospital layout, infection control, body mechanics, policies, and something on sterile procedures ( I guess they dont want you messing up something they are working on, I dont think I will be involved in sterile procedures)

Also, I get my HEP B, MMR titrations (I dont have any shot records, Uncle Sam lost all that stuff) and the two step TB test I needed for school done for free!

I'll let you know how it goes. But hurry and go sign up at your neorificest hospital, at least you will be more comfortable when you get there for clinicals!