First time clinicals question!

[EnkeliRN]

Could somebody please share some experiences about their first time going to clinicals? Or to give me advice? I am just starting mine, and I'm a bit nervous about what to expect. Thank you so much for any replies. :)

[MB37]

We do three semesters of clinicals (accelerated) and we don't pass meds until the second (this) semester. First semester (our second semester of NS) we focused on assessment, skills checkoffs, and learning how to organize time and interact therapeutically with our patients. We took 1-2 per shift. Assuming I pass in lab on Monday I'll be passing meds for the first time Tuesday, and we will do all PO, SQ, and IM meds. We learned insulin the first day of lab this semester. We've had essentially no practice, and we absolutely forbidden to take syringes home to practice on grapefruits or anything. We got two total hours of instruction/practice 2 weeks ago, and there has been no open lab time this semester (hooray for FL lowering taxes). I'm a little worried, since if I don't pass I can only retest at my instructor's convenience, and I really need to start learning how to do this!

[APBT mom, LPN, RN]

We do three semesters of clinicals (accelerated) and we don't pass meds until the second (this) semester. First semester (our second semester of NS) we focused on assessment, skills checkoffs, and learning how to organize time and interact therapeutically with our patients. We took 1-2 per shift. Assuming I pass in lab on Monday I'll be passing meds for the first time Tuesday, and we will do all PO, SQ, and IM meds. We learned insulin the first day of lab this semester. We've had essentially no practice, and we absolutely forbidden to take syringes home to practice on grapefruits or anything. We got two total hours of instruction/practice 2 weeks ago, and there has been no open lab time this semester (hooray for FL lowering taxes). I'm a little worried, since if I don't pass I can only retest at my instructor's convenience, and I really need to start learning how to do this!

That sucks about the lab time. Our school made us buy all of our lab supplies so we were able to bring the needles, syringes, and simulated insulin and NS home.

Don't worry you'll do fine.

[skinnedknees]

i'm in a two-year rn program that i just started last fall (07). the first quarter of the program we had clinicals in a ltc facility. we were each responsible for total care of a patient each week. in addition to the basic cna dudites we also tried to get in some of the skills that we were learning. i got to do a suprapubic catheter and some dressing changes. we worked with care plans and head to toe assessments as well.

this quarter i'm very nervous about starting clinicals next week. i've been assigned to the hospital's tcu. we will each be assigned 1-2 patients for total care including oral and parentral meds (and insulin), but no iv's. lots more paper work too, especially with all the charting. we had an orientation on the accuscan pda's last week and darp charting.....clear as mud!