Clinicals/Skills Test

ChangeHappens · Jul 23, 2008

i guess its different in every state. where are you?? just make sure that during the test you verbalize everything you are doing. that was the hardest part for me. ohh, and remembering to pull the privacy curtain and lowering the bed back down to its lowest position.

casi, ASN, RN · Jul 23, 2008

Talk yourself through it. It is hard having an instructor watching, but when you verbalize you let them know your thought process and it also kind of gives yourself a memory jog.

If you need to go back a step. IE:"Oops! I forgot my gloves. I will put the patient's bed down and then get a pair of gloves."

SoonToBeCNA · Jul 24, 2008

Thank you very much for the tips...there are only a certain number of skills that I am worried about such as like making an occupied bed and perineal care...stuff that has a million steps

rancelumsden · Jul 25, 2008

Practice, practice, practice! That is what our instructor harped on. In class, you often only do the skill once or twice. Not enough to do it.

I posted recently that I had difficulty with the occupied bed. I'm married, so I had the wife be the 'patient' and I rolled her back and forth, rolling up the sheets, putting new ones on (yes, I really was practicing skills :chuckle ).

A number of people in class stayed late and worked together, or went to someone's house and practiced. YEs, it will get easier when you do this daily on the job. Try to find a study partner now (who knows proper technique) and spend an hour practicing).

Gabby_101, BSN · Jul 27, 2008

Eventually actually probably really soon after you start working all of these things just come as second nature. You don't even think about how to do things like you do in class and clinicals. It really won't take long at all and you will be a pro! Good Luck! You will do GREAT!

ScrubMan0416 · Jul 27, 2008

Have no fear, as long as you have passion for what you do, you will be great. When I went through my clinicals it started out rough and I felt akward till the end, but once you become a CNA and get out into the real world, everything changes. You will find that nurses are not only there to tell you what to do, but they will guide you if you need help. Fear not, it WILL be ok!

ScrubMan0416 · Jul 27, 2008

PS.......Don't worry about peri care. When it came time for me to complete that part of my skills verification before clinicals, I had to perform peri care on a manikin that was placed in the classroom off to the side in front of pretty much the whole class. I was PETRIFIED!! I did it though (just barely). Just remember when you get out there and have to perform these tasks on real patients, it all changes. You will loose that feeling of "eeww" or "that is gross"; you will realize that you are performing a service that not many people can cope with and the patients will thank you over and over again.

SoonToBeCNA · Jul 28, 2008

Thanks everyone for the advice...I am using my family as practice whenever I can....clinicals are in 3 weeks so hopefully it will all "fall into place" as long as I know what I am doing....