Foundations Lab Questions

I think we were had one "test day" and one remediation day if needed. I'm pretty sure no one failed the lab in my semester because the skills were all things like bed baths, vital signs, feeding someone, etc. Plenty of people failed the lecture portion. And Health Assessment lab where we had to perform a full head to toe assessment was another story.

I don't remember how many skills we were tested on but it began with washing hands, making unoccupied and occupied beds, etc and went to the more advanced skills as the weeks went on. We were tested each week on a skill with a 30 minute time limit, if you were unsuccessful you received remediation and had to repeat at the beginning of the following week, unsuccessful on the 2nd attempt then you failed the course. You had to complete each skill before progressing to the next. Many students, including myself, had to repeat some of the exams, but only 1 person received a failing grade for not being able to pass the skill after two attempts and they withdrew from the program rather than waiting a year to repeat the course.

For foundations, we only had two formal skills check offs - one for medication administration and one for foley catheter insertion. You were allowed one retest. No one failed out because of these check offs. For health assessments, we have two, too. One vital sign check off, and one complete head to toe assessment.

First semester skills application lab we only had one final check off. We did skills throughout the semester but weren't formally graded on them individually. For the end of the semester they designed three different scenarios that each used a bunch of key skills we'd covered over the semester. You needed to be ready to complete any of the three scenarios within a time limit in front of one of the instructors. You didn't know which scenario you were doing until you were called into the lab for your turn. The one I got included giving an insulin dose, getting a urine sample from a foley, and making sure the IV drip rate was correct based on gtt instructor gives you. You do all the details as well, introduce yourself to the patient, hand hygiene, scan area for hazards, provide privacy, explain what you're doing and why, check doctors orders, have second nurse confirm your insulin dosing, etc.

Second semester we did foley insertion check off early in the semester and everyone does the same senario check off at the end. It'll be Trach suctioning, assess pain levels and give IM pain meds with dose depending on pain score. Plus all the little details similar to scenarios last semester.