Last semester

[JerseyGirl2010]

Hey there,

So it's my final semester in Nursing school and I reminded of how I've barely had any hands-on clinical experience, at least that's how I feel. I've administered tons of meds PO and IM/sub-q injections, cleaned patients, etc. but haven't inserted a foley cath, haven't hung a whole lot of IV's either. I'm wondering what students' experiences from other schools are like by the last semester. I feel like there should be some sort of checklist of things that the student should have participated in. At my school it was either the floor was slow, the professor was absent or if there was a foley cath inserted, I unfortunately didn't get the chance to insert it. Will I look like an idiot if I don't know how to do these things during my preceptorship?? I know one thing for sure, I'm going to make this final semester count when it comes to my med-surg skills!!

[Nurse Kyles, BSN, RN]

I just precepted a student, and she had the same experience as you. She had not done really any nursing skills. I don't think she had ever hung an IV piggyback, started an IV, or inserted a foley. It is ok. I know you really feel like the skills portion is so important, but you can learn to do these things on the job. Focus on the thinking part of nursing, because this is really the important part. What are you doing, and why are you doing it? Good luck in your final semester!

[RunBabyRN]

Experiences seem to vary even from student to student on this one. I've been very fortunate to have a lot of great opportunities to test out my skills (I joke that it's because I've done most of it before, since I did a lot of it in the military), whereas a guy in my class who has been doing clinicals at the same hospital as me didn't get his first IV until nearly the end of THIRD semester (we have a 4 semester BSN program). Poor guy! I kept trying to get him anytime I had an IV that needed to go in, but I didn't want it to be on some 94 year old woman with fragile, rolling veins- he needed a confidence booster. I about jumped up and down for him when I heard he'd FINALLY done one! LOL But even though he's barely had the chance to do some of this stuff, he's going to make a FANTASTIC nurse. He's made the most of what opportunities he's had, and he's learned a lot along the way, and that counts for a lot.

Try not to focus too much on the skills part- critical thinking is what makes a good nurse! :)

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

Huh, how times have changed.

In my BSN program (when the earth's crust was still cooling) we DID have a checklist of core skills ... with the required procedures we had to do in order to meet graduation requirements. Many of those tasks had to be done (successfully) a number of times. It was our responsibility to "get 'er done". We had to make sure that the instructor was there for the first one, but afterward, it was on us to scrounge around and find additional opportunities... and the staff nurse checked us off. If we didn't have sufficient opportunities during regularly scheduled hours, we had to arrange for extra rotations... approved by instructor & nurse manager.

I do recall that I was super-lucky to land a nice long rotation on the neuro trauma unit - great veins for IV starts & obtunded patients didn't make me so nervous. I do agree with PP - nursing is more than 'tasks' - but it's hard to keep up your self confidence in that first job if you haven't had an opportunity to even do the basics.

Best of luck to you - it'll all work out.