First Med Surg clinical?

[jessalynnn]

What was everyone's first Med Surg clinical like? What were you able to do and how do you think I should prepare for it? I've only had Fundamentals clinical (at a nursing home) and honestly we did nothing there. I got an email from my instructor that the first day we will meet at the hospital in the morning and then drive back to campus in the afternoon so she can see where we stand assessement wise? Is this normal for instructors to do...I was under the impression that we were supposed to be at the hospital for a 12 hour day? (once a week)

[excited1]

It depends on the program. With my RN program, we were on the med-surg floor first semester. We went the day before clinical to pick our patients. Then we would go home and research the pathophys on the conditions and the meds they were prescribed based on the MAR. Then the next morning at clinical, our group would meet with our professor and then we would start our day with our patients. When it was time to pass meds or do a procedure, our instructor would come supervise. During down time with our patient, I would answer call lights to stay busy.

We had 6 weeks of skills lab prior to going go clinical. Two days a week skills lab for meds, physicals, vitals, foleys, wound care, etc. we had practicums and dosage exam that all had to be passed before progressing into second half of second semester which is when we started at the hospital