Becca2011

My first semester of clinicals I stood around practically holding the walls up because I felt so useless. This semester, I search for things to do after I do assessments and vitals on my 2 patients. (And whatever else that is commanding attention at the moment) I answer call lights, I help other students out if they need it, I ask the RNs if there are any medications I can give or things that need to be done, I go through the hard chart to complete my weekly clinical paperwork, I find patients to chat with--And if there's REALLY nothing to do whatsoever, I go empty out all of the soiled linen carts in the dirty utility room and stay out of the way. My clinicals are once a week from 9:30am-6:30pm. Certainly makes the time fly faster! Good luck with your clinicals! :)

It definitely gets a lot easier! I'm in my 2nd semester, and I can vividly remember my first patient. I came in the room to introduce myself to her while the doctor was talking. She started crying after he left and I grabbed her hand and she held it tightly and said, "I don't want to be here." And I just told her that I'd try to help her have a good experience while she was in my care. I had no CLUE what I was even supposed to be doing, but I figured I would try and console her. And I thought to myself, "Yeah, this is what nurses do! I'm helping someone! I'm making a difference! I CAN do this for the rest of my life!" Then the fun started. She was the feistiest old lady I have ever encountered my entire 7 months of nursing thus far! She asked me to open her sugar for breakfast and called me a "smart ass" told me she threw her pills away and watched me search frantically through the garbage when she actually took them, told me to wipe that fake smile off my face numerous times, asked me if I "knew what I was doing" when I took her vitals, (I was fumbling around quite a bit) and mocked me while I gave her a bed bath! Sheesh! It took all I had not to quit nursing school right then and there, especially not ever having a job before. This was a totally new culture shock. But despite all that, I've shaped up quite nicely since. Now I'm giving PO meds, IM/SubQ injections, hanging IV bags, and I can manage 2 patients efficiently without getting cursed at! Granted there is still SO MUCH I do not know, but, I've finally figured out how the hospital works and what my role is. I would've handled that first patient so much differently now! Good luck to you!

I love how relatable these responses are! I have a 20 month old daughter. I'm in my second semester of nursing school, and my husband is active duty Air Force. He'll be out of the military in 3 months, so I rely on my family for help a lot of the time. I try to get in 4 hours of studying/reading in per day when my daughter goes to bed, (makes for long nights, but that's okay!) and then I'm taking 14 credits. OH, and a 9.5 hour clinical. I think that's the most exhausting part! Good luck to everyone!

Congrats! The program I'm in is completely integrated. EVERYTHING is integrated. I'm even in integrated science classes. We started out with 114 in nursing, dropped to 80 after mid terms, and only 62 people showed up to the final. I have no idea how many passed, but, I'm one of them! :)