First Check Off Coming Up... Nervous! Any Advice??

[alexg524]

So Wednesday 4-21-10, I am scheduled for my first check off in basic care. It's done using a "lottery" system so you don't know what skill you will have to perform until that day. It could be CBB, Oral Care, Hand Hygiene, ROM exercises, moving the patient from bed to wheelchair and v.v. ... You pick a paper from a "hat" and it will have two of these skills and you will be required to perform them perfectly.

You know the drill lol...

The problem is that I am not sure HOW to approach studying. I was thinking that I can make flashcards for all the steps, with rationale on the opposite side of the skill. I can go over them and drill them into my brain, and then just practice them on my kids and husband as much as I can. I'm planning on going into the lab to practice on the mannequins and I'm going to talk to a few other people so I can practice in a group... Whatever to get this down.

Anyone wanna share what works for them when they are preparing for check offs? I'm all ears! This is what I came up with but I'm always up for a better/more efficient way of studying. I'm so nervous... The CNA's seem much more confident, but I have NO health care experience whatsoever... this is all NEW to me. HELP!!

Thanks .

[tothepointeLVN, LVN]

Don't worry about the CNAs seeming more confident. They'll only have an advantage for about six weeks. Best advice is to physically practice as much as possible. Once you feel confident with the actual skill concentrate on the rationales if you haven't already got them done.

[StudentNurse2142]

You have to do "Hand Hygiene" reguardless. I pulled BB, I remember I was sooo terrified with that first check off, bc you never know what to expect. But I passed, and it felt great.

Flash cards I wouldn't bother with, unless your dead set on using them. You don't talk to you instructor during check off, just to the dummie. Practice ROM and BB at home, transfer and denture care is good at the school. Get a good group to practice with, and stick with them. Thats what I did. Take your time, and don't rush it, you'll do fine. At the end of it, you'll laugh about how stressed you were over it. My class graduates tomorrow, and just the other day us girls were laughing over how we were shaking like a leaf over a transfer and denture care, and BB.-(Please note this- they way you are expected to perform at check off, is no where close to how its really done at clinical!) Good Luck!

[StudentNurse2142]

oh yeah, what V.V? lol