Loving Clinicals?

ad_lpn09, LPN · Sep 22, 2008

I feel bad for saying this, but I didn't really enjoy our clinicals @ the nursing home...it was basically doing STNA work, which I'm not knocking, but I couldn't wait to get to the 'nurse work'. Clinicals in 2nd level were the BEST!! We couldn't pass meds, (we'll be doing that next month) but all the dressing changes, inserting and d/c'ing foleys, head to toe assesments- I loved it!! Being a nurse is all I've really ever seen myself doing and I cannot WAIT until school is over!!

Bortaz, MSN, RN · Sep 23, 2008

I'm in my pedi rotation, and I'm loving the clinical part. I wasn't too thrilled over my med-surg clinical last semester, and hated the first clinical where all we did was bathing and making beds and wandering around lost.

I've done general pedi floor and PICU this semester, and loved them both. Unfortunately, we have to do a school nursing clinical in a couple of weeks, which will have me off the peds floor/picu for two valuable, irreplacable days that I'd rather spend at the hospital. Oh well, can't have it all.

I was already leaning heavily toward working in peds/nicu/picu, and this experience has gelled that thought process. I've found what I want to do.

NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN · Sep 23, 2008

I LOVED my clinical in LTC. My patient and I were almost both in tears when I told him that I would not be back. Not to say that LTC was easy, because it was not. He was a total care pt. , however I realized that he's still human and have feelings. I love NURSING SCHOOL... there's no other career I'd rather be in.

FutureSoonerRN · Sep 23, 2008

To me, this is what makes nursing awesome. The nurses (and students:-)) are just as different as the many different specialties. I don't think that every nurse (or student) likes every type of nursing possible. More power to them if they do:-). I haven't found what area makes me the happiest yet, but I can't wait until I do.

RNMom2010 · Sep 23, 2008

My LTC rotation was Ok, nothing new for me because of my work hx with the elderly as a CNA. 2nd rotation in rehab I liked ok but the pts were so complex health wise I felt I would have done much better if I had been put there later in my schooling. My 3rd rotation, which I am almost done with now, is in Ortho and I love it. Kinda slow as we are on 2nd shift, but the nurses are amazing to work with and the patients have such good attitudes towards getting better.

Nenja · Sep 24, 2008

I hope this time next semester I'm saying the same as you. I am a few weeks into my first clinical on a med-surg unit and I hate hate hate it. Next semester, we have the option of doing Peds & OB or Mental Health & Community Health clinicals. I'm going to do everything I can do to Peds & OB so I can remember why it is I want to be an RN.

DLS_PMHNP, MSN, RN, NP · Sep 25, 2008

I'm in my second semester of Med/Surg (advanced Med Surg) clinicals and I enjoy it.

I'm on an oncology/renal floor. I figure, it's my last chance to operate in a learning environment vs the "real world" and I feel safe asking tons and tons of questions and have someone to go to if I need help.

Sure, it's hard work prepping, doing paperwork, etc., but I figure it will prepare me what nursing practice will really be like when I graduate (and start getting paid to do it) :rolleyes:

good Luck

Diane

Annisme · Sep 25, 2008

This semester I am in Advanced Med/Surg. I feel like it is my reward for enduring OB and Peds. It is a good thing we are all so different or huge segments of our population would have a hard time getting nursing care!

shrimpchips, LPN · Sep 25, 2008

My first clinical day was on Tuesday and all we're doing for the next three weeks is communicating with our patient and obtaining a health assessment, but we're not actually doing the assessing - we just get the information from the chart, copy it all down on the sheet that we're turning in and turn it in on the third week. I love my patient - she is a very talkative, kind and sweet peppy little lady who is mostly independent and has a great sense of humor...she likes to honk the horn on her little scooter when she's riding down the hall to make sure that everyone knows she's coming! We're with these patients for 3 weeks and then we switch over to an LTC/nursing home setting where we do more "STNA" work - and I'm not dissing STNA's/CNA's in any way but I want to do all of the other "fun things" - like IV's and giving injections and doing assessments etc etc - I have some friends who are in their second year that are in L&D clinicals and they LOVE them and I can't wait! I really wouldn't want to work in a nursing home/LTC but I'm just going to stick it out for this semester and not let it stop me because imo the more "exciting" things happen starting next year.

DLS_PMHNP, MSN, RN, NP · Sep 25, 2008

This semester I am in Advanced Med/Surg. I feel like it is my reward for enduring OB and Peds. !

AMEN to that :)

bekindtokittens · Sep 25, 2008

I learned a lot during my first clinical, in rehab.

I liked my first med/surg experience. I was always nervous, but I learned a ton.

I went into OB and Peds not sure if I'd like it. I knew I never wanted to work with kids, but I had a bit of an interest in OB. I came out of the experience wanting nothing to do with either of them again.

I am in Psych now and absolutely LOVE IT. My clinical time flies by, and I'm sad that we only get 8 days total on the floor.

I still have two semesters left to experience new things, but I'm really feeling like I was meant to be a Psych nurse.

And this is the first class in which I haven't had huge doubts about myself.