i have no idea what im supposed to be doing

cogath · Apr 12, 2011

Where on earth are you guys doing clinical? I was seriously run ragged, ready to get off on my feet by the end of the shift!! Could be that the nurse of PCT assigned to our patient was not really allowed to do anything we could do (which meant we were pretty much on our own for everything, bedbaths and all).

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Apr 13, 2011

Where on earth are you guys doing clinical? I was seriously run ragged, ready to get off on my feet by the end of the shift!! Could be that the nurse of PCT assigned to our patient was not really allowed to do anything we could do (which meant we were pretty much on our own for everything, bedbaths and all).

It's not like that all the time where I am, and believe me, I would rather be run ragged, do you know how long it seems to take for 12 hrs to go bye when you aren't doing ANYTHING and it's not like you're home and watching TV or playing online or reading or something.

My last day was the worse it had ever been slow wise in 4 semesters of clinicals. The day before that day I was on the same unit and it was non stop busy.

nurse simmy · Apr 13, 2011

During LPN school, we had one patient and did total patient care. There were many times we would get done, and be looking for stuff to do.

This year, in the RN program we have 2 patients, and still doing total patient care. We get on the floor by 0730, cause report usually takes FOREVER, and we pick our patients after report. Two full assessments must be done and charted by 0830, and if a patient needs to be fed, we better do that too. At 0830 it is time to do the med pass, we have to have our drug book marked and know why the patient is taking every medication and be able to answer any questions thrown at us. We have to have our second, focus assessment done by 0930, and charted by 1000. But if the instructor did not pick us to be the first to pass meds, we better be close to the med room. When she is ready for us, if we aren't there, we aren't ready to pass meds, and will fail the med pass that day. Then we give baths and change beds and have the third assessment charted by 1115. Then we do accuchecks, and pass out lunch trays. After trays are passed, we can leave, if we are caught up. One day, a fellow student picked two patients who were non-verbal, incontinent of both bowel and bladder (one was on lactulose), and needed to be fed (those things weren't passed on in report). She was running late, and we helped her as we were able, but she still caught flack because of her lack of time management skills.

~Simmy who feels like I'm whining, but I'm not. We are kept busy during clinicals, the instructors focus seems to be on teaching time management over procedures. While it makes the day go by fast, sometimes it would be nice to have time to talk to the patients.

ImThatGuy, BSN, RN · Apr 13, 2011

I would like things to be faster too. We were supposed to have two patients on the medical/surgical unit. However, there haven't been that many bodies available to work on. Between the five of us and the gaggle of LPN kids there just aren't enough patients to go around. Ever patient typically has a student. I was assigned two last week, but one was discharged during the night.

Additionally, like I noted the acuity has been rather low. It's been pretty dull, and I think the clinical site should be dropped personally. However, it's only about a thirty minute drive to get there. If it were any farther, or if any of the clinical sites were any farther, I wouldn't have gotten into the program.

rachelgeorgina · Apr 13, 2011

Sometimes it depends on what sort of what you're on, the nurses that you're working with, the shift you're on and just.. the patient census that day. Also probably depends on the level of supervision you need, how far along in your course you are...

I've found that each clinical picked up a bit more in terms of what I was able to do as I learnt more skills and had more confidence to jump in and do things.

It sounds like a lot of you are in pretty slow paced places though!