practicing in nursing school

cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN · Sep 27, 2006

Good news is no shots or IVs. Bad news is that in most programs you are required to bathe each other. Maybe you will get lucky and not have to do that, but we still had to do assessments on each other, and pretend to be a pt and learn how to change an occupied bed.

In my program we had to feed each other, brush each others teeth, and bathe each other, amongst other things.

locolorenzo22, BSN, RN · Sep 27, 2006

So far, the only things we have to do on a partner are our physical assessments and using a doppler. We did have to take vitals, and transfer from bed to chair. Most of the things mentioned above are in our CNA course, and we're required to be CNA's before gaining admittance to the program.

NeoNurseTX, RN · Sep 27, 2006

we do assts on each other - no shots, ivs..anything invasive like that. we did do a day of bed baths, but in shorts and a sports bra.

linzyann · Sep 27, 2006

I have to lose some weight before nursing school. I hate the idea of anyone seeing my stomach! And go tanning. Do most people feel nervous about someone seeing them?

RNsoon! · Sep 27, 2006

I don't think any Nursing student will care about your stomach and I don't think you should either.Other students will be too occupied with their studies so I doubt they'd care who has abs or not.Losing weight, not losing weight..what's the difference? Will having abs improve your study habits or something? I don't get it...Will it enable you to become a competent Nurse? I don't think so.SO quit worry about meaningless things and Good luck with your studies....

-RNsoon-

Thoc_123 · Sep 27, 2006

We did Physical assessments and V/S our first week and were tested the following week. We were required to only put a gown on over our clothing and to take off our shoes for the Pedal Pulse sites. The only skin that was shown was when we pulled up the Pt's shirt to listen to the lung sounds on the back. The Steth went under the shirt in the front.

When doing our "Bed, Bath and Beyond":wink2: we donned a gown (over clothing) and just pretended to wash the Pt. I don't see how actually using the water and wetting your partner down will enhance the learning experience for you, but I could very well be putting my foot in my mouth right now. Our instructors were more worried about wether we knew the proper techniques or not (Clean to dirty, etc...)

WDWpixieRN, RN · Sep 27, 2006

We only did vitals, assessments, and mobility on each other...we weren't required to do baths or bed changing, but having done clinicals this past week, it probably wouldn't have been a bad idea to do the bed changing in lab....my pt this week was very mobile so it wasn't a problem...but woe to the first pt that isn't!! I about drowned my pt in sweat from nerves this week taking their apical pulse ....I can't imagine how soaked someone in their bed while I'm changing it is going to get!!

richardjboro1 · Sep 27, 2006

you guys had to do bed baths??? LOL, wow, our program hasnt had us do anything but vs on each other so far. We will do an IV and some kind of injection before the semester is over tho. Odd how different programs require different things and how some professors obsess over different things. haha.

Medsport, LPN · Sep 28, 2006

We just had to watch a demo on bed baths. I kind of wish we had practiced it because we have to do it for "real" on a real person the first time. I start clinicals tommorrow and am kind of nervous about the bed baths. The things that may bother me is the dentures, hair care and shaving. That may sound weird, but I hate shaving myself, have never been able to use a straight razor on my face because its like sandpaper and electric shaving takes about 20 minutes. I don't know if it will be the same shaving someone else, especially on the elderly?

jov · Sep 28, 2006

We did bed baths on mannequins and shots on these funky little square orange pillows. Mine didn't even cry. But as far as IV's, in last semester's clinical, we had a substitute-clinical-instructor (our real instructor got appendicitis) and after our last class, she asked if we wanted to sneak over to her office and do IV sticks on each other. Only people who agreed to would get the sticks. Nothing like a real vein with real blood!

michar · Sep 28, 2006

We do IV's/shots on each other (in the future, but I already do IV's and shots) we've done mobility, vs on each other so far. This week is hygenie and I don't know what our pass offs will entail yet.