How does your school work??

[newbie08]

We are supposed to start clinicals on October 7 & 8. The 7th will be more of an orientation than actual patient care. Prior to clinicals, we have several 'check offs' that we must be deemed competent in before we can participate in clinicals. It's things like donning PPE for an isolation patient, transfers from bed to wheelchair, positioning in bed, applying TED hose, etc. Does your school have similar requirements or do you just learn these things as you go through clinicals??

Just curious:nurse:

[intuition]

In my school, we had to do the skills check-offs before we could get into clinicals. The more complicated one's are saved for later semesters. They want to make sure you are competent to do the skill, before letting you perform the skill on a human being.

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

We have to get some basic skills checked off in lab first for each class...and we do that and then some in clinicals. I think the lab checkoffs are to let us get some practice with the skills to help minimize (or at least help try to minimize) that rabbit-in-the-headlights look we'll get when our CI tells us to perform the skill on the patient.

Mind you, most of us could practice in lab until the rabbits come home and we're still going to look like a scared rabbit anyway :)

[tiggerdagibit]

We were required to be a CNA before starting school. Once in the program, our first lab was basic skills checkoff. We drew 2 (I think) skills and had to perform them. We started clinicals the 2nd week of class. The first week was orientation to the unit and hospital/computer system.

[bekindtokittens]

Our school worked much the same way. We did our clinicals the last 8 weeks of class in the first semester. I had no experience, and although, like Meriwhen said, I still looked like a deer caught in headlights, I at least did not have a complete meltdown when trying to give my first shower or apply my first set of TED hose!

[intensity_too]

Our school has a two semester Health Skills class that is a pre req for the nursing program. In that we learn things like putting on PPE, taking blood pressure, setting up a sterile field, positioning in bad, transfering a patient from bed to wheel chair, ambulating a patient, using a gait belt, ROM . . .

The first semester of the nursing program we have a 5 week lab that teaches injections, bed baths, making beds, placing a catheter, PO meds and initial assessment. Then we have our first clinical for 8 weeks.

-J

[ADPIE10]

We have an 18 week intro to nursing class that includes clinical skills and competency testing. Once actual clinicals begins as part of the Nursing program, the first few weeks are spent testing competencies and practicing. We have a strict policy of not "practicing" on patients. The objective of cliicals is to gain greater experience, not practice.

[intensity_too]

ADPIE!!!!!!!

That little acronym has been drilled into my head.

Your name gave me a good little laugh, ADPIE10! :chuckle