Early clinicals- are u awake?

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Anyone who has early clinicals (which we all do) knows what its like to suddenly find yourself standing sleepily, half awake at a hospital while your clinical instructor energetically spews out the days expectations and assignments. You try and wake that brain up with coffee but your just not quite ready to do a full physical exam on Jerry down the hall in room 234, in the next 5 minutes......

I have an hour commute and a 3 yr old to get to preschool before I even arrive at clinicals at 6:45 am. Im thinking of getting up even earlier like 4am or earlier in order to pep myself up with exercise or something before I get to clinicals. Coffee just isnt enough for me- I am not a morning person.

What does everyone else do to get going on those mornings? I know early risers are consisnantly more productive, but im getting up early anyway! Any earlier and were talking 3 am on clinical days. However, it is important to me to be fully there when working at clinicals, I hate grogginess. I also have ADD so that makes it even harder for me to focus. I just wanna be good at what I do.

Share your morning wakeup rituals some of us could use some ideas!

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I wake up around 6am for an 8am clinical but this semester we have to be there at 6:45 so it will be much earlier. I usually just enjoy a hot shower. I don't drink coffee, I drink Mountain Dew for the caffience boost, which is so bad for me. lol I think that's why I gained 20 lbs this past semester. On my drive to the hospital I like to listen to upbeat music. I'm pretty good when it comes to feeling awake but the second I walk in the door when I get home it's like I can't move or talk to anyone. lol I love Friday clinicals because I know I don't have anything the next day and I can sleep in.

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Yes please! I haven't gone to bed before 2 am in over 10 years, and now I'm expected to be not only awake but functional and responsible for people's lives at 0630? I have serious insomnia, and part of the reason I'm going into nursing is because I can work night shifts. I'm very afraid of failing as a result of sleep deprivation...

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

I lived 95 miles away from my school. Therefore, I had to awaken at 4am, and leave my house at 4:30am to arrive at the clinical site for 6am. I am not a morning person at all, so this was a definite challenge that I had to learn to overcome. I accomplished the half-sleepiness feat chemically, with plenty of caffeine from soda and coffee.

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ROCKET CHOCOLATE! Just kidding. I'm too afraid to try that stuff because I'm afraid it will work and then I will get hooked. 5.gif

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Specializes in Cardiac Care.

I have all day clinicals from 7-4. I'm very lucky that I don't have to drive more than 10 minutes to my clinical site, but I am expected to be alert! I get up at 5:15, exercise for half an hour, then shower, breakfast and out the door.

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i work night shift and have found it better to avoid excess caffiene.

at low energy times i take an herbal "PEP" brand out of castle rock, colo.

i have heard that guarna is not good r/t the crash when it wears off,

so i avoid anything w/ it lots o' luck hava blessed day

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I wake up at 0400 to be clinicals by 0600. I drink copious amounts of coffee in the morning usually 3 big cups, which really means about 6 regular cups of coffee. Then I fill my travel mug with yet more coffee so that I am double sure that I have enough caffiene. Then on my drive to the hospital I either turn the vent or the A/C on and point the cool air toward my face. I am quite awake by the time I get to the hospital...not sure if it is the cool air or all the coffee :lol2:

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Specializes in acute care for elders, general medicine.

have a good breakfast, it really makes a difference!! On my clinical mornings, I have 2 eggs scrambled with two slices of turkey bacon (I make this the night before, then pop in in the microwave), a yogurt and orange juice. The protein helps keep your sugar levels constant, and prevents you from crashing :) This was recommended to me by one of my instructors, and I've been sticking with it ever since.

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Specializes in Neuro.

Thanks for the breakfast suggestion, SH4NNON,

I need to do something, because I have been going to bed late all summer and getting up around 10:00 and in less than 2 weeks, I will have to be at school by 8:00 and on clinical days, I have to be there by 5:30. Ugh!! Luckily, I live about 2 minutes from both of the hospitals andd school, so travel time won't be a problem. Just staying awake will be!!

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Specializes in Oncology, Med-Surg, Nursery.

Oh do I ever feel you on this one!!

I live out in the country, so everywhere is a drive for me. The closest facility I have had clinical at has been one that was about 15 minutes away so I was able to sleep a tad later. Everywhere else is 45 minutes to an hour from my home. Here is how my normal clinical day plays out:

Go ahead and factor in I have probably been awake until 12 or 1AM finishing up my pre-clinical assignment. I don't remember a single clinical eve where I was in bed before 12:30 the morning of and I am dead serious.

Next we factor in that I never sleep well the night before clinical. I toss and turn and my mind races and it's the worst sleep possible. My alarm is normally set for 4:45 and not a second later. I get up, do my morning routine, throw my uniform on...grab everything I had laid out by the door the previous night and I am always on my way by 5:30. In the car I depend on loud music to keep me going or the occasional call from a classmate.

Most of the time by the time I get to pre-conference, all I wanna do is crawl back in bed and sleep the day away. However, if I am completely busy with 1,001 things I HAVE to get done before a select time...somehow my body kicks in and I go and go and go. Normally my fatigue really takes over after lunch, so that is a bit of a struggle I hope to find an answer for here.

I don't drink coffee. I can rarely get breakfast down due to nerves on the morning of clinical, so I am in desperate need of some advice too. You are NOT alone!

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Specializes in Neuro.

southern,

If you figure something out, be sure and let me know!!! I am one that tends to not eat until around 11 or so, but from what everyone tells me, you pretty much have to eat so you don't pass out at the hospital!! I live on Dr. Pepper, but the caffine factor doesn't do it for me anymore, and I can't do coffee in the middle of summer when it is actually hotter outside than the drink!! So I am kind of screwed either way!!! And I too have a problem getting to be early, when so much is going on and when 4 kids want to play instead of going to sleep! So I guess we will be in this together!!! Hmm, maybe we need to take turns doing wake up calls!!!

Good luck!

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