question about clinicals in nursing schools...

kaseysmom, LPN · Jan 27, 2005

My CNA instructor told me that if I want to go to nursing school, I need to prepare to be a guinea pig. Meaning, students practice their skills (NG tubes, Foley cath, needle stuff...) on each other. Is she for real? I know we need to learn these things, and that we will eventually do them on real people, but frankly the thought of some student (who is probably a nervous wreck) putting an NG tube (which sounds just awful) in me is enough to make me reconsider going to nursing school. I'm not a squeamish person-I can handle blood, guts, puke, poop, etc... but this is really worrying me. I've had a bad experience, personally, with a catheter and really wonder if I want to subject my body to this stuff just to get a degree. Maybe I should consider going to PT school (or something non-invasive)? Can anyone give me the scoop on this? Thanks. If it makes any difference, I'm considering an accelerated BSN program.

Personally, and i don't know about the rest of you, but i've never heard of students being the guinea pigs for those sorts of skills. However, at the nursing school I went to - students did start IV's and draw blood on one another. We used manicans for NG tubes, foleys, and even injections. They make manicans for those sorts of things. I believe that it would be a breach of privacy for students to do those sorts of things on eachother - and aside from that, I don't think they'd have many students applying to that school if they knew they had to do foleys on eachother...yeesh.

sarahmarion123 · Jan 27, 2005

I'm in a general BSN program and the extent to which we have practiced on each other is to check each other's vitals and give a NS shot for our check off. We had dummies on which to practice foleys and wound care. I haven't done an ng tube yet, on a dummy or a real person. Anyway, I don't think you'll have to worry about doing anything liek that on each other...they wouldn't even let us do IV's.

-sarah

ERNurse752, RN · Jan 27, 2005

We didn't do any of that stuff on each other, not even drawing blood or IVs. We had dummies for everything. No way in hades I'd ever let someone do an NG or foley on me just for practice. That would make me a *real* dummy. hehe

rach_nc_03 · Jan 27, 2005

We didn't do any of that stuff on each other, not even drawing blood or IVs. We had dummies for everything. No way in hades I'd ever let someone do an NG or foley on me just for practice. That would make me a *real* dummy. hehe

we were initially told we'd be practicing those skills on each other. we did have to do a complete bedbath on each other, more to know how the patient feels during the experience than the way to give a bath appropriately. And, since you don't do a ton in your first semester of clinicals besides bedbaths and vitals, I understand the intent.

We drew blood and started IV's on one another, but participation was totally voluntary. I have a really high pain tolerance, so I'd be totally cool with letting people try stuff on me, as long as an instructor was nearby and keeping them from doing damage. But i know a lot of people don't feel that way, so I thought it was good that they made participation an individual choice (plenty of people abstained).

Good luck!

ERNurse752, RN · Jan 27, 2005

we were initially told we'd be practicing those skills on each other. we did have to do a complete bedbath on each other, more to know how the patient feels during the experience than the way to give a bath appropriately. And, since you don't do a ton in your first semester of clinicals besides bedbaths and vitals, I understand the intent.
We drew blood and started IV's on one another, but participation was totally voluntary. I have a really high pain tolerance, so I'd be totally cool with letting people try stuff on me, as long as an instructor was nearby and keeping them from doing damage. But i know a lot of people don't feel that way, so I thought it was good that they made participation an individual choice (plenty of people abstained).
Good luck!

What happened if you didn't let someone give you a bedbath? Did you have to be, like, totally exposed for that? 'Cause ain't no way I'd ever let someone do that either!

smkiya, BSN, RN · Jan 27, 2005

Yeah, I also can't believe the instructors allowed "complete" bed baths on each other. The pt in no way could feel as the student does... even if the pt is embarrassed and uncomfortable, they know this is a part of the job. The student on the other hand... lets just say, I would've abstained. We actually go to a nursing home to practice complete bed baths, next week actually. We did do vitals on each other though... but we have dummies for all of the other stuff.

lazydaze22 · Jan 27, 2005

We did bedbaths and head to toe exams on each other, but we wore shorts and sports bras or tank tops for both and did not have to do anything that would be overly uncomfortable or invasive. We did verbalize how to do care for the genital area but that was all. We did do SC injections, blood draws, and IV starts on each other, but that was it. Foleys and NGT's totally out of the question. They have plenty of models and dummies to practice those skills on. I like the idea of abstaining from being a guinea pig. Alot of us had bruises on our arms and hands for awhile there.:)

mishayla96 · Jan 27, 2005

wow...I could not imagine having to do that either. I am going to be going to nursing school soon and that would be hard for me to deal with... As silly as this sounds, when I went to school for medical assisting, we had to learn how to do ekg's and a bunch of the girls in the class were worried about taking off their shirts and unhooking their bra's for people in class. I really could have cared less but could see the point, esp. if the guys were present (which was not to be the case) anyway they argued enough with the instructor that she ended up letting us each do it on the 2 guys in the class (yeah--the guys had NO problems takin' off their shirts and showin' them muscles for all the chicks :rotfl: ) But OUCH to be a "guinea pig" for a new student *and I am going to be one soon enough too* just sounds "painful". I did however also take a phlebotomy class and we had to do the finger sticks and blood draws on eachother. The first time or two it was crazy but after that, old hat, ya know? I even had my hubby come in so I could STICK HIM for part of my final...ahhh the joy of THAT!

maxcat · Jan 27, 2005

Thanks for replies! Guess I can still consider going to nursing school after all! :)

I don't know where my instructor went to school.... but when she said NG tubes? I freaked and started thinking "ok... I can still get my $$ back if I drop this class" b/c the main reason I am in the CNA class is to eventually apply to nursing school. I am also thinking of taking a phlebotomy class next year-glad to know being the "patient" is optional! I'm not good with pain either, though I've gotten better after having 2 kids... I'm also a big baby about IV's b/c they hurt more than a blood draw type thing.

maxcat · Jan 27, 2005

as far as bed baths, we're doing those for the CNA class and we're just told to bring shorts and a t-shirt for that day. Manniquins are used for perineal care practice...

mariedoreen · Jan 27, 2005

I'd say check with your school since each seems to be a little different, but I think it is the general movement to get away from doing these things on each other.

I think forcing students to expose themselves in any way (for assessments or bed baths) is appalling. You only have to read some of the old threads on this topic to understand just how traumatizing that was for a lot of people. And I do not buy the argument that it helps you to understand how the patient feels. Baloney. Most of us have already been patients at some point in our life and we already know how it feels. Plus, when I'm in a medical situation and am exposed to a medical professional I feel quite differently than I would if I were a student being forced to expose myself to one of my peers. Please.

And ng tubes?! OMG, no, I cannot imagine putting myself through something like that when it's not necessary. We've had mannequins for everything so far, but we have been told that we're expected to offer up our arm for IV starts 4 times in lab next year. I personally don't have a problem with this, but check back with me then -- I may have changed my mind...