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We had one patient the first semester, worked up to two the second. Our mini summer semester we had three patients for three 8 hours shifts a week for five weeks. Overwhelming & frustrating, but boy did we learn time management. Third semester was OB and peds - just observation. By our fourth & final semester we worked up to six patients.
When I started working this summer as a new RN, I felt very well prepared. Granted, I'm in L & D where we usually only have one patient. My classmates who went to med-surg floors after graduation were respondible for 8 - 10 patients when their orientation was completed. They were very thankful we attended a tough program taught by instructors with sky-high expectations!
It really takes until the last semester for everything to fit together. As we learned in school, new nurses are "task oriented" - focused on tasks - meds, dressing changes, etc. It takes a long time to put all the puzzle pieces together. Don't be too hard on yourself!!
Our first year you only get 1..the third semester we started out with one and worked our way up to 3, but our instructor only gave you three if she felt you could hendle the stressof having three..unfortunately I was the first to get 3!! Which meant alot to me but at the same time I just was having a bad morning anyways and was not wanting the added on stress...but she said I did an excellent job with having 3 so that meant alot ot me. Our fourth semester you get 3 until our mentorship and then you get however many your nurse preceptor has which where I'm goin to hopefully be at is 6 patients..not to bad. Clinical seems a little easier this semester because things are finally starting to click!!
glamgalRN
262 Posts
Just wondering.. How many patients do you typically get in your second year of nursing school?
I'm a second year nursing student and just started a new rotation on a SUPER BUSY med-surg unit in a large urban teaching hospital. We were given 3 patients plus meds yesterday and words can not even begin to describe how overwhelemed I felt! Most patients were on like 10-15 meds and I know I didnt handle the stress well at all. After the day was over, my instructor said how disappointed she was with our skills/knowledge of documenting/meds/overallknowledge base. That really hurt my feelings. I tried as hard as I could but I was just so flustered. She even gave some specific examples about what we did wrong and some of them I knew were directly about me (she was looking right at me.) I feel HORRIBLE. I'm not a bad student, I always get solid Bs on all my tests but I realize that when you're on the floor it's not like a "nclex style test" that you need to know what to do one a seconds notice. Basically, I just don't feel like everything has clicked yet (if you know what I mean.) Like I can sit down and tell you signs/symtpoms, lab values, meds, etc but I can't put the whole picture together at clinical. I can't plan well and I dont know how to improve. Please tell me soemone else feels this way!
I just want to be good student and a good nurse when I graduate. Thanks!