How much do they let you customize your program/select your clinicals at your school?

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I just had orientation and learned that we'll have 180 hrs of clinicals first semester that are randomly chosen for us. Second semester, we get a choice between various types of surgery and general medicine at a couple different hospitals. Third and fourth semester we have a wide range of options (I'll be able to choose inpatient psychiatry first semester and outpatient psych/substance abuse the next, since my interest is mental health). We rank our choices for clinicals and hopefully get our top choice (though, if your top choice is peds it's less likely you'll get it, since so many people want peds).

How does this work at your schools??

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We are told when and where to be and we show up. Simple as that.

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Specializes in Nasty sammiches and Dilaudid.
We are told when and where to be and we show up. Simple as that.

What she said with the exception of our Senior Practicum where we submitted a list of specialties (ER, ICU, Med/Surg, etc) and facilities and facilities where we wanted to go, then matches were made by our Clinical Coordinator.

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Specializes in Trauma Surgical ICU.

Same as the first 2 posters.

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We are told when and where to be and we show up. Simple as that.

Well of course you show up at the correct place and time. I'm just wondering to what extent other programs give you a choice for your clinicals. It sounds like most don't.

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Specializes in Trauma Surgical ICU.

We had no choice in when or where we went. That was the point of the first OP's post.. They told us, the only choice we had was senior year, even that was not guaranteed :(

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Ah. I see. Yeah, it's not guaranteed for me either, but they try to give you a choice each semester except the first.

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

Don't hold your breath over getting your choice. You will find this particular system in place when you graduate under the misleadiingly titled perk ' self scheduling'.

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We divide our lecutres into three options, A, B, and C. A is morning classes. B is usually morning and the online option. C is usually the night classes.

Then there are clinicals assigned to each option. A usually has morning classes. B is usually morning and weekend options. C is usually weekend, one or two morning, and the 2nd shift clinicals.

When we pick our lecture, we pick our clinical day and spot. Like let's say Smith Hospital Wenesday at 2:15 pm was a choice and Jones Hospital Tuesday at 6:30 am is what we'd see as options. They may change though either day or option. Then that clinical is assigned a floor but we You can see where you will go but you never know what floor you will have till your clinical instructor tells you. Some will get the same floor each semester though.

Some clinicals were canceled due to low enrollment and they would make the people join a different clinical.

Our preceptorship in the final semester was different. We had a paper we had to fill out that had our top 3 choices and our top 2 hospitals plus our place of employment and what department. They offer us different choices. I picked burn unit but unsure if I will get it.

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We get to rank our top 3 choices for our community health clinicals and it's "first come first serve" for your assignment based on how early you submit the form. I'm not sure how the rest are, I'm assuming completely random until practicum senior year.

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We did not get a choice.

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Specializes in ER, TRAUMA, MED-SURG.

We didn't have either - I don't think any of the nsg programs around here do.

Anne, RNC

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