How to survive clinical

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Feb 12, 2009

I've found that how you start the day can make a big difference, because it affects the attitude/outlook you bring to clinical. So:

The night before clinical, make sure you have everything ready and packed for the day: your paperwork, supplies, reference books, money, stethoscope, tools, etc., so you're not stressing to find it during the morning.
Get enough sleep the night before. If it's going to be a long clinical day (10+ hours), try to go to bed a little earlier than usual.
Eat a meal before clinical so you can make it to lunch, and eat lunch so you can make it to post-clinical conference. Also bring a snack with you. You will not be organized and calm if your blood sugar is low and you are hungry :)

Also:

Get a clipboard with a compartment for carrying stuff. Then you can tote around paper, calculator, pens, etc. more easily instead of cramming it into your pockets. It also gives you a writing surface instead of trying to find one at a crowded nurses station.
I learned this from one of my CIs: I have one of those 4-colors-in-1 pens. I use one color ink for taking report, another color for making notes from assessments, vitals, etc., a third color for additional information I get during the day that I didn't get in report such as lab results, and the last color for whatever I need it for. It helps me keep my information organized, especially at the end of the day report.
Also, try keeping a log of all of your activities. Jot down when you did stuff, so when your CI asks, you can not only tell her you did it but when you did it. It will also help you recall more of it too.
Focus on one thing at a time--don't let yourself get distracted and flustered. Finish what you're doing first before you move onto the next thing, otherwise you'll never finish the first thing. If you have to stop what you're doing to do something else, make a note of it so you can get back to it.