Nurse Per Student Ratio in Clinicals?

suzanne4, RN · Jun 20, 2004

Normally, the student is assigned to a patient. Then you work under the actual nurse that is legally caring for the patient. You will be just doing basics and spending quite a bit of time on your care plans. You normally will not be involved with medications and IVs at this point. Your instructor will be there with you on the floor also.

Good luck............. :balloons:

RNIAM, BSN, RN · Jun 20, 2004

Usually your instructor is the person guiding your hospital expereince. You may give report or inform your primary if there is an issue that requires her attention. You will more than likely be doing basic patient care to start. Good luck and enjoy the experience. :)

KristinWW · Jun 21, 2004

Thank you for the responses! I had visions of standing and waiting to learn something! I definitely like what I am reading.

Altra, BSN, RN · Jun 21, 2004

Kristin,

I agree - clinicals for everyone I've ever talked to from any school were based on the premise that you as a student are assigned to one or more patients. You'll be expected to prep on the patient's disease process, etc. and complete whatever responsibilities are assigned to you at this point.

However, I read your similar thread under general nursing discussion, and I have no idea what is meant by "pick a nurse to work with." Your school may handle things differently.

Let us know how it goes. Now I'm curious ... ! :)

KristinWW · Jun 22, 2004

Kristin,
I agree - clinicals for everyone I've ever talked to from any school were based on the premise that you as a student are assigned to one or more patients. You'll be expected to prep on the patient's disease process, etc. and complete whatever responsibilities are assigned to you at this point.
However, I read your similar thread under general nursing discussion, and I have no idea what is meant by "pick a nurse to work with." Your school may handle things differently.
Let us know how it goes. Now I'm curious ... ! :)

I'm curious too - I will let you know at the end of the week after I've had my first experience!

wonderbee, BSN, RN · Jun 22, 2004

Hi Kristin. We started our first week with two students to one patient. We did very basic care (painstakingly long bed baths and bed changes) with very basic observations/assessments and learned to take and give report. It basically centered on communication. Somewhere in week #2, we began to do a 1:1. By the end of the semester, we had two patients for each student, were doing head to toe assessments, giving meds, changing dressings, d/c IV's, inserting and d/c'ing foleys if the opportunity presented itself and forming care plans in addition to the basic care stuff which we were focusing less and less on.

Let us know how it goes.

purplemania, BSN, RN · Jun 22, 2004

Most instructors I know will have the student choose a patient from an approved list, or with help from a staff nurse. The student gets this info the day or so before clinical. That means they spend the night looking up drug/disease info & creating a care plan. An alternative is to get the patient assignment on clinical day. While there are several methods, I think the purpose is to have you learn safe practice, not speed.

KristinWW · Jun 23, 2004

Hi Kristin. We started our first week with two students to one patient. We did very basic care (painstakingly long bed baths and bed changes) with very basic observations/assessments and learned to take and give report. It basically centered on communication. Somewhere in week #2, we began to do a 1:1. By the end of the semester, we had two patients for each student, were doing head to toe assessments, giving meds, changing dressings, d/c IV's, inserting and d/c'ing foleys if the opportunity presented itself and forming care plans in addition to the basic care stuff which we were focusing less and less on.
Let us know how it goes.

Hey, love your new avatar!! Thanks for the detailed answer, that's what I wanted to know. I will be on site in a few hours, and I'm nervous as heck!

KristinWW · Jun 23, 2004

Most instructors I know will have the student choose a patient from an approved list, or with help from a staff nurse. The student gets this info the day or so before clinical. That means they spend the night looking up drug/disease info & creating a care plan. An alternative is to get the patient assignment on clinical day. While there are several methods, I think the purpose is to have you learn safe practice, not speed.

Thanks, Purple. I always wondered as I read stories how the students were able to read up on the pt before the day, I didn't realize they were assigned prior - I feel a bit better!

LisaG21 · Jun 26, 2004

hi guys!

At my school there are 8 students to one teacher. I am a senior now so we don't do much work under the attention of the teacher however my first clinical it was 2 people to one patient, and we only did basic care. Now we do everything and unless you have never done it before the teacher is never there!