Do/did any of you hate clinical?

S.N. Visit, BSN, RN · Nov 28, 2007

Only 2 med-surg clinical rotations, because of the instructors. I LOVED all of my Psych, Home-Health and OB/Gyn clinicals though.

llg, PhD, RN · Nov 28, 2007

I hated clinicals in school. I can't think of any of them I liked. But I got through it and graduated.

I became a NICU nurse and loved it.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Nov 28, 2007

I absolutely despised my clinical rotations, as they did not accurately reflect the real world of nursing. Unless you're an ICU nurse, never in a million years will you be taking care of only 1 or 2 patients as a bedside nurse. In addition, the CIs were too busy to oversee what we were doing, and we were not permitted to do anything other than basic care unless the CI observed it.

bethem · Nov 28, 2007

Hated most, tolerated a couple, LOVED one: ICU. That's where I'm going next year and I will stay there until I am either physically or emotionally unable to keep going.

LeesieBug · Nov 28, 2007

Loathed every minute of pretty much all of them.

swee2000 · Nov 28, 2007

i absolutely despised my clinical rotations, as they did not accurately reflect the real world of nursing...never in a million years will you be taking care of only 1 or 2 patients as a bedside nurse.

i couldn't have said this better myself. although i'm glad we only had 2 patients because several of the instructors struggled to keep things running smoothly & on time, no matter how organized they or the students were. and med passes were no better, since the instructor had to be present every time a student gave a med(for the record, i completely understand why). one instructor for 7-8 students, and each student having 2 patients to pass meds on. like that's realistic!

actually, this reminded me of a scenario that always happened no matter which instructor i had and always when i was waiting patiently to give my meds: at the first opportunity that the instructor became available, i would snatch her up and make a mad dash for the patient's room. all while silently praying (alot) that she wouldn't get stopped 1/2-way there by the "i-have-a-quick-question-for-you" student who seemed to have a knack for doing this & at the worst possible time. of course the inevitable happens and the instructor stops to answer the "quick question", which resulted in a 20 minute mini-lecture on some complicated patho-phys topic and made me even more late with my one med: a damn multi-vitamin. :angryfire

al7139, ASN, RN · Nov 28, 2007

How true all the comments are!

As a student, there is never enough time! In my school, if you had been signed off on a skill (passing oral meds, etc), you just had to get the meds with the CI, then go over them (what they are for, dosage, side effects, etc.), then you could give them on your own. Some CI's who had a good relationship with the RN's on the unit would trust them to instruct us on a skill like foleys, IV's etc. But that was rare.

When I graduated, and started working as a "real" nurse in the "real" world...I realized that except for my 40 hour preceptorship (where I worked with an RN for her shift), I had absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into. It was not until the last semester of school that we got a pt load of more than 3 pts, and were allowed to do everything (with the exception of transfusions).

Until then, clinicals really sucked. I felt trapped, impatient, and frustrated with what I saw as "being held back."

When I did my preceptorship, and by the end of the 40 hours had 6 patients to totally care for, I realized just how sheltered a student really is.

It does get better, you just have to get through school first.

Amy

Trauma Columnist · Nov 28, 2007

Hated OB and psych clinicals with a passion that even 17 years later makes me chilled!

In OB the patients were waaayyy too whiny for me. Psych - we had to journal our feelings! Ugh - I finally got ticked off and wrote that I had no feelings because between working full time nights, going to school full-time days, taking care of my kids and praying for my husband who was deployed. I passed and she didn't say a darn thing to me the rest of the time - lol.

Its amazing how talking about these experiences can bring up the old frustration. However, 17 years later and hey I'm still an RN!

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Nov 28, 2007

I hated psych clinicals too!! That touchy-feelie stuff is not where I want to go!! I had a CI who told me that I was so good with therapeutic communication that I should become a psych nurse. NEVER! I'd be a patient on the locked ward inside of a week. Of course, that was before I had a public meltdown in front of my whole clinical group during a role-playing exercise that brought up a few issues for my own psyche. But I have to say that she went to the wall for me to keep the other psych CI from bouncing me out of school altogether.

beanie72 · Nov 28, 2007

Can anyone who hated clinicals at school, tell me why it is better once you graduate?

CT Pixie, BSN, RN · Nov 28, 2007

I guess I'm the odd ball. I haven't had clinicals that I hate. Not too thrilled with the out rotation I had to do to for Growth and Development for children. But I wouldn't say I hated it.

I must have lucked out big time. I have had the BEST CI's one could hope for. Each one of them went out of their way to make sure all of their students got every opportunity to do all the things that were ok for us to do. Some of my classmates had CI's that wouldn't let them do anything but CNA work. My instructors pushed us to do more and more even though we might have felt a bit nervous about doing more than what we were use to. It has really helped us with our self confidence and autonomy.

I feel so bad for those who end up with bad clinical experiences. Hopefully, my good experiences carry through the last 2 sets of clinicals I have before graduation.