First day of Clinical!

[melodramah]

Today is officially the first day after 3 weeks of classes/ clinical in the lab. I'm excited and nervous at the same time.

We are going to a nursing home. How do the patients typically react to students?? Should I prepare for things to be thrown at me?! lol.

[locolorenzo22, BSN, RN]

Being in LTC...usually they try to assign patients that may present a "challenge"...but they can be friendly. Just be pleasant, ask about them, things in room(if they aren't alzhiemers), or what they ask you or what they talk about. MY first clinical, I had a older gentleman who wouldn't talk much, just took his pills, I assessed, he went to chapel, then his activity group....and we were done for the day. I saw him maybe for 45 minutes!

Also, my day on the alzhimers unit was interesting....I had a older woman who was so worried and upset about how she was going to pay for breakfast....Until I offered to come over and explain that I was the manger of the "resturant" and she was the 1000 customer....so breakfast was on the house. She grinned from ear to ear and asked me for my phone number!(I didn't give it of course, but it was a good story)

[redtshirt]

I liked my long term care patients. They all had stories to tell and most of the time they loved students. Students arent caught up all the time in notes, drug rounds, especially if its your first clinical, they see you as someone to talk to. There are patients who have challenging behaviour but dont let that deter you, generally theres a reason for it or a misunderstanding. A kind smile goes a long way