LPN Clinical Experiences

[Rainscape]

Would some of the LPN nursing students mind sharing their clinical experiences?

The school I attend seems to focus so much on the nurses aide portion. I have nothing against nursing assistants or the work required (and no, I don't think I am too good). However, I am not going to school to become a nursing assistant. It is just that even if an opportunity came up for me to learn something I am too wrapped up in caring for my patient to leave him/her. I have been in clinicals for several months and I have only passed meds (with supervision), a couple of finger sticks, one shot and suctioned a tracheostomy. Is this usual? Am I expecting too much?

I am just worried that once I am finished with school that I won't be prepared.

Thanks

[Starcrossd48]

Well, I am in funds 1 and I have done only 1 clinical so far. And on that clinical we did trachs, woundcare, glucometers, gtubes, feedings, baths, and toileting. So I think it really depends on your instructor. My instructor was a fresh RN and I think that she still understood what it takes and what you need to know.

I totally understand knowing the CNA's job to the letter. A lot of LPN's direct CNA's and how can you direct someone if you dont know the job well? Besides, you can empathize with them if you understand the work load. I've never been a CNA and I'm beginning to understand what they go through.

I have two weeks left of school (OB/GYN Rotation) And I feel very priviledged to have gone to the LPN school at Mercy Hospital here in Miami. I think that it totally depends on your instructors and they are all amazing here.

Like you say on funds we did AM care and vitals. I took it as a time of really getting to know my patients and the human body. For med-surg I we had AM care, vitals, plus meds and assessments. Med/Surg. II we no longer had AM care or vitals but I still did my own manual BP and pulse (I was on the telemetry floor). Yesterday I assisted the OB in a lady partsl delivery... what a ride this has been!

I believe that this kind of stairstep approach is very effective and you get a 3D view of your patient's care.

[kat7ap]

Sounds like your first clinical rotation, don't worry it will get better....

My clinicals were set up like this:

1st quarter was actually no clinicals, but we practiced all skills in our lab at school and with textbooks

2nd was in a nursing home, first couple weeks was learning the basic nursing care. Then we were assigned to a new resident each week and had to do daily head to toe assessments, chart every 2 hours, do med cards, patho's, hx sheets on them. Eventually we worked up to passing meds with our instructor, then with the nurse if she was ok with it, also doing other treatments as well, including doing accuchecks for nurses, wound care, tube feeding, trachs etc

3rd quarter was in the hospital, alot more observation at times. went through OR, Med/surg, renal, telemetry, endoscopy, ob. Passed meds IV's and did treatments, assigned to one pt each week.

4th was in the long term acute care hospital we were all hands on, no assigned pt, we worked with the nurses, although a lot more independent, did more things without supervision. I think I learned the majority of it in this quarter, it all kind of came together.

Then there is the real world. If your school is decent it can give you a great starting point, the rest is up to you.

[coadestone]

Be thankful that you aren't doing CNA work all the way through. In my vocational school, we had patient care up till the last half of the last quarter, we still had bed baths, we still had feedings, we still had toileting etc etc. It was my opinion that they wanted you to know a subordinates job and know it well, so that you can tell if they aren't doing their job properly and also, some units such as ICU do not have nursing assistants, you have full care of 2 patients by yourself as a nurse. So in that case you'd better know your basic skills and know them well.

I agree with the other posters, alot of what you learn in nursing school is helpful, but not how things are done in the real world. However, to pass boards, they teach what you need to know to pass them. You have to maintain confidence in what you know as a basis of learning, and go from there once your licensed and working. I learned way more on the job from other nurses that'd had alot more working knowledge than myself than I ever did in school. When I graduated nursing school i'd never given an IM injection, not one. The clinical sites I was at just didn't have them available to have students give. The first night on a M/S unit as a license I must have given at least 20. Seemed like everyone that night was post-op with demerol ordered for pain.

Keep your chin up, I know that it seems like your a glorified nursing assistant, and all of us have been there and done that. But it'll back down to a managable amount. Our instructors pushed us to the breaking point, by fourth term we had med pass on 2 patients with full care on 3-4 dependent on the students abilities, plus charting every single day on at least 2 patients, with head to toes for all 4. So it CAN be worse.

Wayne.

Postmortem Cowboy,

I hope you're still out there somewhere. I'm getting ready to start LPN school soon

and I've been extremely stressed and questioning if I can actually do this or not.

Your post made me sit back and smile. I think I can really do this.

If it doesn't work out in the end, at least I know I didn't just not try.

Thanks for all the encouraging posts!!!

[*Scrubs*]

Overall, I really learned nothing in clinicals. 95 percent of my learning has taken place on the job with the help of coworkers who can show me the ropes.

Now I am scared. I do not want to HOPE that I work with kind enough people to show me how to insert a foley or something! What If I work with a bunch of jerks who want to see the newbie squirm?

[bluegeegoo2, LPN]

Now I am scared. I do not want to HOPE that I work with kind enough people to show me how to insert a foley or something! What If I work with a bunch of jerks who want to see the newbie squirm?

Most nurses are not like that at all. In fact, I've heard, "I remember when I was a new nurse..." about a million times in the last 8 weeks! Most are very patient and willing to help you learn. The nurses I work with LOVE having newbie around so they don't have to do the "dirty work". (I.e. cathing someone, removing staples, dressing changes, etc.). It works out because I haven't been licensed long at all, and need the experience. I have already done so many caths that I'm sick of them as well! Plus, you gain the benefit of leaning from their years of experience on what NOT to do. They learned the hard way so we don't have to. Of course, we'll get to pass that experience along in 20 years or so....

[*Scrubs*]

Most nurses are not like that at all.

Whew!!!!! I hope I am as fortunate as you.

[Nj~RN]

I just finished my first semester passed all finals THANK GOD:w00t:. During our clinicals we were taught the same thing am care vitals and things of that nature. I think all in all they are just trying to get you used to the type of enviroment a nurse works in not so much what a nurse does. Most of the students in my class had no clinical experience at all so overall it helped them become more comfortable being around patients.

[MsLady06]

Probably depends on how long your program is. During the first level we did patient care but our instructor kept saying she was trying to get us to "think like nurses(getting assessments done and taking vital signs, wound care.)" Her goal didnt quite kick in until the 2nd level when we were passing meds and doing assessments in the hospital. I totally could not do baths and do the nursing skills too...there was not time. My program was about 11mos. How long is yours?

[kakalika]

I have just started my first clinical this semester. On the first day I did finger sticks and assisted with daily cares. On the second day I did wound care, head to toe assessment and gave two insulin shots. My instructor watched me draw up the insulin and double checked it. I will be passing oral meds next time. We still have to do CNA stuff as well. We are responsible for total cares of the patient we are assigned to.

[TaylorDeeLPN]

Thanks.