First Clinical This Week...Any Advice?

prinsessa · Oct 19, 2009

First of all congratulations for making it this far! Just remember you won't always have the right answers. Many times my clinical instructor would ask me a question I wouldn't know the answer for. I would generally make an educated guess and be close to the answer. If the clinical site you are at has a reference section on the computer, take time to look up everything to do with the patient's problems and medications. It sounds obvious but many of my classmates would forget to look up something obvious. Bring lots of pens! It is embarrassing to have to ask for a pen. And bring a highlighter. It can help to highlight important information. I'm sure there is lots that I am forgetting. Good luck!

btw, don't feel bad about asking the nursing questions about the pt. Most nurses don't mind helping out. Just make sure you don't bother the nurse too much....s/he is probably really busy!

CrunchyMama, ASN, RN · Oct 19, 2009

Ask questions! If you don't know something or don't know how to work something....ask! Oh and if you have to faint.....sit down first. :)

shescoolie · Oct 20, 2009

Be calm with your patients. The last thing they need is a nervous student fumbling with a blood pressure cuff or pressing all the buttons on the bead manically! lol my partner and I did that to the bed of this poor old man. I was soooo funny to us because we were like up no down no knees, no feet now head. Finally I was like stop...lets think about this. lol Luckily the guys was a good sport and probably enjoyed the company of 2 young students poking and probing lol.

Think before you act. Walk through in your head what you plan to do before you get in there. Memorize the normal VS ranges, don't forget SAFETY first (put that bed in the lowest position BEFORE you walk away) and remember to communicate everything to your instructor.

Blondie24 · Oct 20, 2009

Congrats!

Tips for clinical success:

1. Be prepared! Research your patient's condition, pathophysiology, medications (know the medication type (ie. antiemetic, anticonvulsant, etc.), what your patient is taking that medication for, as some meds treat multiple problems, route and time of med to be administered, onset, peak, duration, side effects and nursing implications).

2. Be confident (but not arrogant)! Some clinical instructors will try to break you down. Don't take offense - prove to them that you deserve and want to be there. They may ask you a question, to which you may reply with the correct response and information, and they ask "ARE YOU SURE?!?!?" If you know you have the correct answer, say "yes!" They are just testing your confidence.

3. Act with responsibility and maturity! My very first clinical instructor told me the following: "If I ask you a question and you don't know the answer, don't guess....politely tell you don't have the answer but will go look it up." I don't have time for guessing and the patient can't afford for you to make mistakes because you'd rather guess, then go look it up. It could cost them their life." This statement couldn't be more true! Mostly likely, if you prepare, as stated above, you will be able to present the correct answers and if you don't then don't be afraid to say "i'd be happy to look it up and get back to you." It's shows you take responsibility without being a liability.

4. Ask questions! There are no stupid questions in nursing. It's better ask even a stupid question, then to not and kill the patient. Anyone who's say differently shouldn't have their license in the place.

5. Stay positive! You'll good days and you'll have rough days, but stick with it! It will pay off in the long run!

Good luck!

cagumbo · Oct 20, 2009

Good luck.

Have fun.

Keep your eyes open.

You are a professional. Act that way. Do not hang around with all of your nursing students in the halls and act like there is nothing to do on the floor. If you really have nothing to do, then ask/tell someone you will check to make sure all the rooms have gloves. Stock the IV trays if you have them. See if patients need blankets or pillows. Remove food trays from the rooms, noting how much was eaten. There are always, always one thousand and one things to do. Do not sit still unless that is what you have been told to do.

If there's nothing to do, see if you can practice with the pumps or other equipment. Go to an empty room and learn how to control the bed, trays, wheelchairs, tvs, phones. Seriously, knowing the way the basic stuff works is huge. And, really, do you want to figure out how the bedside tray works with their meal on it? Nope, you need to see how to manipulate the equipment without food on it or a pt in the bed.

Be prepared, meaning be on time if not early, have done all of your pre-work before you get to the hospital.

Be clear on what you can and cannot do. If you can't push drugs yet, then don't. If all you can do is watch, then that's all you get to do. Do not over step your bounds.

Volunteer for anything that you can while you are there. If shadowing a nurse, ask her to show you things. Ask him what you can do with their supervision. Any procedure, you'll be nervous, but do it anyway. Good, efficient nurses have done procedures a gazillion times. Now is the time to start. Your hands will be shaking, but use your clinical instructors and have them guide you. Believe me, once you're a nurse on your own with no one to guide you, you'll be glad you were the one who practiced with help. Seriously, volunteer for everything.

If you can't volunteer, ask to watch. Sometimes all you need to do is to see it for the first time. The more you see and do, the more confident you'll become.

Make sure before you give a pt a glass of water or a juice that they can have it. Always double check with your nurse before you give it. No need to delay a procedure if the pt was to be npo for a test in the AM and you gave them something they shouldn't have had. Docs don't like to hear that.

Treat your first patient like gold. It's about the only time you'll have only one patient. Do everything for them. Give them a massage. Wash their face. Ask them what they need. Take the time with them to be that person that makes their stay in the hospital just that much better. To you, they're your first patient, but remember, they are in the hospital and no one really wants to be in the hospital.

Relax and have a good time. Remember that you are learning how to be the best that you can be so find out what you need to do to learn. And then go do it. You'll be fine. We need you out there practicing. Enjoy and we'll see you in a couple of years.

b

HyperSaurus, RN, BSN · Oct 21, 2009

Is this first clinic at a nursing home or at the hospital.

DolceVita, ADN, BSN, RN · Oct 21, 2009

For the OP...

Good luck I start my first clinical in about 10 days. I am so excited yet so anxious.

Sheepwithagun · Oct 21, 2009

Breathe!!

We had our first clinical like two weeks into nursing school. It was a total deer in the headlights experience. They're only going to have you do things you know how to do. If they ask you to do something you don't know how to do, tell them. Most nurses I've worked with have been more than happy to teach me how to do something.

Oh, and follow the docs into your pt's room when they go in. My instructor always says that if the docs are in your pt's room you should be in there with them. Alot of the docs will even answer questions you have about the pt's diagnosis or treatment.

Have fun! You'll be fine!

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Oct 21, 2009

If you don't know something, never say "I don't know." Say "I can find that out for you." It sounds a lot better.

If you get abnormal VS readings, retake it manually (this means no VS machine, but use a manual cuff for the pressure, your fingers/steth for the pulse, etc.). Don't run to the nurse/CI before retaking it because the first thing they'll ask you is, "did you retake it?" If they're still abnormal, then let your nurse know ASAP.

Also, if you make a mistake, own up to it ASAP. Don't try to hide it--it'll never stay hidden, and you really will get into a lot more trouble if you try to deny it or cover it up, than if you are honest about it.

Treat the CNAs/techs/aides with respect, because they can be your greatest asset or they can make your shift a living hell. Besides, they're in with the patients a lot...sometimes more than the nurses are.

The only stupid question is the one that wasn't asked but should have been.

Kringe38 · Oct 21, 2009

How do you know when the patient would just like to be alone? We will be with them so much since we will only have one patient - how do you know when to just get out and let them be for a bit?

Do you need to check Kardex or chart every time you're going to give them a drink to make sure they haven't suddenly been made NPO? I mean, I just know I'm going to mess even that simple thing up.

Someone posted to go take trays out of other rooms and note the amount eaten - I'd be afraid to do that! What if I wasn't supposed to? Eeeek.