New to nursing - What is a clinical like and how do you study for one?

[JoshRN81]

Up until now in college I've only completed AP I & II, Microbiology, Chem, and Biology. I've done a few labs in those courses but never a clinical for them. My question is what it takes to pass the clinicals I hear everyone talking about. Do they give you a sheet of paper with instructions on it?

[Glycerine82, LPN]

From what I understand a clinical is where you go to the hospital and work a shift shadowing a nurse and practice your skills. Don't think there's anything to study for. There are different cllinicals for each semester.

"No day but today"

[anotherone, BSN, RN]

clinicals for nursing schools vary. my experience was that for med surg (most of my clinical experience) we went the day before to get our patient assignment ,then you had to go home and look up all of the pt's diseases and meds and know/memorize their use, pharmaceutical action etc. things that as a nurse you look up all the time, but that in school the instructors insist you know without looking them up. we started off with one pt and worked our way up to 4 by the last clinical. in long term care and med surg we did baths, meds, vitals, help with ambulation etc. in labor and delivery , peds and psych and operating room we couldn't do much of anything but shadow the nurse. i would have to say although med surg helped me the most in my current job (i work in med surg) thAt was the clinical rotaions i liked the least. peds, labor and delivery, and or were more pleasent because I got to observe things and they were at a teaching hospital and the residents and attendings and some nurses reAlllly liked explaining things and teaching students. to prepare look up your patients meds and tests and diseases if you can the day before. LD/maternity go over that book, meds used and stages of labor, potential complications . OR remember sterile technique!