Love Class...Hate Clinicals! Help!

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I am a fairly new LPN student. We just started hospital clinicals last week and I hate them so far! But I love what we learn in class and my grades are good. Any advice? Thanks!

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Specializes in Utilization Management.

What do you hate about them?

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I think it is the skills we are doing right now...bed baths, bed pans, answering every call light...I know these are the basics of nursing and I have to get through this before we can do other things but I am starting to question if nursing is something I truly want to do......

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Specializes in Utilization Management.

Eventually you'll get to do more in clinicals. Everyone starts with the basics before being able to move on. But just b/c you've moved on to more advanced skills, doesn't mean the basics are below you. As a student and as a nurse, basic patient care will always be there.

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I was an LVN student in 1990-1991. I remember those first clinicals like it was yesterday! Now, looking back; I realize that the PLACE we were sent for that first round was understaffed, and happy to have us there to answer those call lights, yet they did not really show that happiness to us! That left many of us feeling unappreciated and lost. I concentrated on learning everything I could, and getting in on the patients that needed the extra help. That seemed to make the boring days more interesting. Realize that all you are learning will definitely be used in your nursing career, no matter what you specialize in.

I always put myself in the place of the patient, and tried to think of what would make ME feel more comfortable in the midst of a lousy situation. That empathy helped me to accept anything I was asked or required to do.

It is a good thing though that you question your true desire to be a nurse. It is always good to question yourself. For therein lie the truth. Nursing is the most rewarding career I think that anyone can have, especially if it is something that you truly love. Give yourself a chance. At the end of your schooling, you will look back on these days and realize how very important they were!! Whether you choose to stay in nursing, or move on to something else...you are giving of yourself, and learning valuable information. Good luck and let us know how you are feeling about your clinicals!

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Specializes in Home Care.

Its better to figure out now if you want to be a nurse or not before you waste any more of your time or money.

I liked clinicals right from the beginning, I enjoy the patient interaction no matter what I'm doing. Well, even if some of it is pretty disgusting, I look at it as making the patient feel better.

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Specializes in L & D, Med-Surge, Dialysis.

Clinical is the best answer to your nursing career. w/o clinical experience, how will you cope? Theory will only allow you to graduate. Think and appreciate your clinical rotation.All the best!

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You are not alone. I hated clinicals also - but I love being a nurse now. Most of the time I felt they were long & boring.

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Thank you all for your feedback...it truly helps to get advice from current nurses and future nurses! I'm going to give it until the first of the year to make a decision because the last thing I want to be is a nurse that doesn't want to be a nurse...because then the patients suffer! Thanks again everyone!!!

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Specializes in Progressive, Intermediate Care, and Stepdown.

Hate clinicals? Hmm, that's odd. I've heard nurses work in the clinical environment, but I could be mistaken....

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Specializes in SN, LTC, REHAB, HH.
I think it is the skills we are doing right now...bed baths, bed pans, answering every call light...I know these are the basics of nursing and I have to get through this before we can do other things but I am starting to question if nursing is something I truly want to do......

I know exactly what you mean. in my clinical group we thought we would never get to do the ''nursey" things because most of the time it was pretty much cna work. don't get me wrong i'm not belittleing cna's, i'm one myself. as you progress in the program there will be more nursing duties that you'll do. so hang in there. :)

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I'm just about done with my program...I graduate next week!

Let me tell you I HATED CLINICALS! I hated them from the start...all the way to the very last day. I hated doing bed baths, call lights, brief changes. I hated all the research, the knowing every little thing about every single med, I hated the fear of the instructor watching me do a dressing change, foley irrigation, straight cath. I hated learning how to document, hated waking up at the butt crack of dawn to be there on time and coming home completely exhausted with out an once to study. I HATED IT ALL. But I survived, and I'm so proud. The stress is mainly what I hated. I can't wait to be a nurse though, I feel like I'm ready! And you will too! It will be over before you know it, TRUST ME!

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