Question ABout Clinicals

BandEmom · Jun 23, 2005

Hi,

I'm a new grad nurse and I was an OB/peds die hard like you and so many others. I dreaded any type of clinical experience that did not contribte to my immediate goal.

I never had a LTC rotation, we were pretty much always in hospitals. Since it's your first term of school, you will probably be doing glorified CNA stuff for a while at first. You will eventually be passing meds, doing assessments, dressing changes maybe. Very basic stuff. What I can tell you from experience is that in order to do well in specialty area, you have to just know how to be a nurse before you can do well as a specialty nurse. No one expects you to love every clinical experience you have, and no one says your heart has to totally be in it. Take advantage of the time to listen to as many hearts and lungs as you can, learn about the different medications, how to be safe, how to handle the doctors and the occasional undesirable coworker. As time goes on in school, you'll probably have lots of opportunities for exposure to the area you love. For now, LTC is a great area to fumble around with the equipment, listen to someones lungs for five minutes at a time if that's how long it takes you to find the rales. There are generally no worried family members sitting there staring at you, thinking "does she know what she's doing?" Things are not rushed in this environment (not for the nurse anyway - poor CNA's though!)

I wish you the best of luck - keep posting!

L.

cdietrich404 · Jun 23, 2005

Hi,
I'm a new grad nurse and I was an OB/peds die hard like you and so many others. I dreaded any type of clinical experience that did not contribte to my immediate goal.
I never had a LTC rotation, we were pretty much always in hospitals. Since it's your first term of school, you will probably be doing glorified CNA stuff for a while at first. You will eventually be passing meds, doing assessments, dressing changes maybe. Very basic stuff. What I can tell you from experience is that in order to do well in specialty area, you have to just know how to be a nurse before you can do well as a specialty nurse. No one expects you to love every clinical experience you have, and no one says your heart has to totally be in it. Take advantage of the time to listen to as many hearts and lungs as you can, learn about the different medications, how to be safe, how to handle the doctors and the occasional undesirable coworker. As time goes on in school, you'll probably have lots of opportunities for exposure to the area you love. For now, LTC is a great area to fumble around with the equipment, listen to someones lungs for five minutes at a time if that's how long it takes you to find the rales. There are generally no worried family members sitting there staring at you, thinking "does she know what she's doing?" Things are not rushed in this environment (not for the nurse anyway - poor CNA's though!)
I wish you the best of luck - keep posting!
L.

Thanks for responding. I just dont know if i can handle giving an old man a shower or bath or helping him go to the bathroom. I dont know if i have that in me. Honestly the thought of having to wipe an older persons behind is haunting to me. Should i consider a different career path because of something like this oe just deal with it and tell myself that this will pass shortly?

Cheryl

**Elektra6, ASN, BSN, RN** · Jun 23, 2005

I am going to be entering into nursing school shortly and plan to go into either L&D or pediatrics. My question about clinicals is this: i am not a huge fan of LTC and was wondering what would be expected of me during clinicals for LTC? What exactly will i be doing?
Thanks for any imput,
Cheryl
mommy to 3 almost 4

Hi Cheryl,

I just finished my clinicals for LPN school and we spent a few weeks in LTC before going to the hospital. In LTC we were each assigned 2 or 3 residents. We got them up, washed or gave them a "textbook" bedbath, no shower or tub bath, dressed them, did wound care if needed, fed and went with them to activities or PT. Some of my classmates gave meds. Everything worked out really well. I am not a CNA so I didn't know what to expect but I wasn't grossed out at all. The residents usually enjoy the extra attention of the students and they picked "easy" residents for our first few visits. It was great practice because it's slower paced and you can take your time doing assessments & treatments. It was also good practice for the hospital because besides OB most of my patients were elderly and frail.

Best of luck to you, you'll do fine! :icon_hug:

mom2michael, MSN, RN, NP · Jun 23, 2005

Oh, you have it in you - you just don't know it yet.....Doing the "undesirable" part of nursing is not always fun, but it's part of your job no matter what field you go into. You'll learn that wiping poo from the back of an elderly man's bottom is no worse than seeing a section for the 1st time. It comes with the territory of nursing. No matter what field you go into, you are going to see naked people and poo.

For my clinicals, no matter where we are, we are responsible for total care of our patient(s), which includes baths and helping them use the restroom. I like it though because you actually learn so much more about your patient when you have the total care of them for the day and it makes your assessment of the patient so much easier.

Just keep in mind that it's never as bad as you think it's going to be......

Good luck!!!

mommatrauma, RN · Jun 23, 2005

LTC was my first clinical in nursing school...that's where we got our time management skills down...we dressed, bathed, help feed, and pass P.O. meds to our patients.

suzy253, RN · Jun 23, 2005

LTC & geriatrics is what I'm interested in doing. It certainly doesn't put me off helping an elderly dear with ADL's. You can learn so much from this population and the sad thing is that when they age, get ill, they lose so much of their dignity. They may be lonely--may not have family or family doesn't visit them. A smile, holding their hand, comforting them means so very much to them. I had a lovely dear old lady one time in clinical -- not my assigned patient but shared a room with her. She was dying--no family there although she had family in the area. She was scared and every moment I had free I took time to hold her hand, comfort her, keep her comfortable as possible. I didn't want this lady to die alone and she did pass, holding on to my hand; she knew that I was there.

This might just turn out to be a very rewarding experience for you.

leopold · Jun 23, 2005

Really, you get used to it. I never thought I would ever in a million years want to work in LTC but I did for a long time and really, I never even thought twice about the icky stuff. Showers were hard because I am afraid of transfers in a wet, slick bathroom but really, it's in and out and the person is usually grateful (or in some cases really pissed off) and feels a lot better. Not to mention the fact that a lot of the residents I worked with, even if they weren't "all there" were actually really interesting and had interesting pasts (which you can find out about by talking to them or reading their chart if they can't talk). I never had experience with the elderly when I was growing up as my grandparents weren't really in my life so I was kind of freaked out about the thought of working with them. But they love the attention and they'll talk to you about all sorts of neat things, and ya know, it's only a short while and it can be a positive thing, so don't worry too much. :)

Emma123 · Jun 23, 2005

Hi, Suzy.

I am also going to be starting August 20th. I just wanted to tell you that you made it sound wonderful. I have worked as a physical therapy tech for a few years at a pain clinic. The elderly population, when asked their pain level from 0-10 would give the cutest answers, ie: "Oh it's terrible today. I'd say it's up to a 2 now." (of course I made sure they understood that "0" meant zero pain). But they are just the sweetest people. I think I will absolutely LOVE working geriatrics.

I actually wasn't supposed to start until next year; a girl didn't show for the mandatory orientation or turn in her paperwork, so the seat was offerred to me. So I have only had roughly 2 weeks to worry!! LOL

Thank you for your uplifting post!

Kim

amber1142 · Jun 23, 2005

I am going to be entering into nursing school shortly and plan to go into either L&D or pediatrics. My question about clinicals is this: i am not a huge fan of LTC and was wondering what would be expected of me during clinicals for LTC? What exactly will i be doing?
Thanks for any imput,
Cheryl
mommy to 3 almost 4

Feeding, bathing, changing linens, changing diapers and cleaning up poop.

Mandylpn · Jun 23, 2005

Thanks for responding. I just dont know if i can handle giving an old man a shower or bath or helping him go to the bathroom. I dont know if i have that in me. Honestly the thought of having to wipe an older persons behind is haunting to me. Should i consider a different career path because of something like this oe just deal with it and tell myself that this will pass shortly?
Cheryl

Cheryl: I have to jump in here, if you cannot "wipe an old person's butt", how are you going to wipe anybody's butt or for that matter be a nurse? It all goes with the job. You gotta start out somewhere like the rest of us. You can do it! Don't be scared! :w00t:

nurse051 · Jun 24, 2005

I will be starting my clinicals in the Spring 2006. I have some of the same fears about LTC's but, I am hoping that once I start my clinicals it will become second nature to be with patients and attend to them. Although I am hopping this I am still very nervous about LTC's and each new clinical experience.