Help with first nursing skills exam!

allnurses Guide · Jun 3, 2010

Practice. Practice. Practice. And when you are sick of it, practice some more.

Practice is the ONLY thing that helps with skills exams. They are unnerving and that tends to make you forget or be jumpy or jittery - none of which are good, particularly when maintaining a sterile field. Having it to where you practically do it with your eyes closed is the best thing you can do. Then if your brain shuts down for a minute, auto-pilot is more likely to kick in.

Good luck.

foreverLaur · Jun 3, 2010

How do you practice something like foley insertion and dressing changes and bolus tube feed though? We only have access to the lab during class time and I don't have the supplies or any guinea pigs to practice outside of class time....

I have just been memorizing the step by step procedure for each skill and the supply list because I don't know what else to do not having the lab or any of the supplies...

allnurses Guide · Jun 3, 2010

Maintaining the sterile field is your biggest challenge. You can take items from your household and "make" them your sterile supplies in substitute for the real thing. Then go through the scenario, one step at a time, speaking aloud the things you need to remember...I am keeping my hands midline....I am not crossing my sterile field....I grasp the glove here....I can straighten out the crooked fingers after I have them on....etc etc etc and then talk through the steps of whichever scene you are practicing. If you can't go to the lab, it is the best you can do, and trust me, better than nothing!

foreverLaur · Jun 3, 2010

Thank you :)

Hopeful2011 · Jun 3, 2010

For my first skills exam.. Foley insertion was an option.. and the best thing to do would be to take a stuffed animal or something and cut it open and take out the stuffing... make a make shift private part hole for it and just practice.. you guys must have supplies that you can practice with at home...

Sterile field is what got me! But luckily our school gives us 3 attempts!

I wonder does your school allow you to get credit if you realize you made a mistake and then tell your professor or whoever is checking you off.. for example.. if you crossed over the sterile field.. and you realize it.. could you say "I shouldn't have crossed over the sterile field.. I contaminated the sterile field" .. and would they let you continue on with the rest of the exam?

Good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

foreverLaur · Jun 3, 2010

Yes, but we would have to correct it. For example, if we crossed over our sterile field, we would have to recognize it and take appropriate corrective action. If necessary - start over to make sure everything stays sterile.

That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Jun 3, 2010

Maintaining the sterile field is your biggest challenge. You can take items from your household and "make" them your sterile supplies in substitute for the real thing. Then go through the scenario, one step at a time, speaking aloud the things you need to remember...I am keeping my hands midline....I am not crossing my sterile field....I grasp the glove here....I can straighten out the crooked fingers after I have them on....etc etc etc and then talk through the steps of whichever scene you are practicing. If you can't go to the lab, it is the best you can do, and trust me, better than nothing!

My partner and I packed a wet to dry dressing change in my toaster. We used my shower head as an IV pole, orange was used for injection practice ( when our arms got too tired ) ceran wrap and duct tape and a straw was our central line practice. You can make do with a lot of what you have at home. Have a person who knows what they are doing look over you and have them blow a whistle if you break sterile field. It sounds annoying but it helps you to realize when you are breaking it and not realizing it.

Just remember though...WASH YOUR HANDS

CuriousMe · Jun 3, 2010

I'm in my last prerequisite to nursing school and our skill exam is tomorrow at 7:45am and I'm freaking out because if I don't pass... no nursing school for me and I work until 11:00pm tonight.
We have to pick skills out of a hat, gather the supplies, and perform the skill. Our options are
(1) Wet to Dry dressing change
(2) Dry Sterile dressing change
(3) Foley insertion
(4) CVC dressing change
(5) NG Bolus Tube Feed (plus demonstrating sterile technique as this is not a sterile procedure)
I'm REALLY nervous. If we break sterility and don't realize it, we automatically fail. We need a 70% to pass the exam and course. I haven't had nearly as much time to study as I like because our apartment is having problems so I've had to pay rent, utilities, plus a hotel on top of everything else and I've had to go from working 40 hours a week to 50 to afford to pay the bills. Any suggestions, tips, or encouragement would be GREATLY appreciated! I currently have a 91% in the class.

All these skills are for a prereq to nursing school? They seem to be nursing skills....what class is this?

For skill checkoffs, the best thing I tried to do was just to slow down. Don't be in a hurry, take your time and talk through your thought process.

foreverLaur · Jun 3, 2010

All these skills are for a prereq to nursing school? They seem to be nursing skills....what class is this?
For skill checkoffs, the best thing I tried to do was just to slow down. Don't be in a hurry, take your time and talk through your thought process.

Here is the course: http://global.cscc.edu/CoursesDegrees/courses.asp?D=H&C=NURC102&Y=10&Q=SU

NURC 101/102 are prerequisites to apply to the program unless you are a LPN.

http://www.cscc.edu/nursing/nadmission.htm

These skills are not retaught in nursing school. We are expected to know them.