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Most of our clinical start anywhere between 6 AM to 6:30 AM; The exception was OB/GYN it started anywhere from 7 AM to 9 AM. Clinicals for the first three semesters have been anywhere from 6 to 8 hours per clinical day. Because of the locations, some clinicals require getting up between 3 AM to 4 AM in the morning.
In our program being on time means being 15 minutes early at the very least. Showing up seconds late results in an academic deficiency.
My clinicals varied. My med-surg and OB were 12 hours and started at 7am but we usually got there about 6:30am. My peds clinical was also 12 hours and started at 8am and we get there at 8. I've heard that some instructors make you go in earlier. I've been lucky that none of mine did that.
Clinical times can vary depending on the school. I went to an accelerated program and all but the specialties were 12 hour days. We started at 6:30am and I lived 50 miles away, some students lived double that. I would literally wake up at 4:45am and start driving by 5am to arrive at 6:15am (those that lived farther away were waking up at 3:30am). Schools can be super strict with their attendance policy and some instructors will send you home and count you absent if you are even one minute late so it was normal to plan to arrive early.
RNHS
25 Posts
I was talking to a fellow classmate today and she told me that a friend of hers in the nursing program gets up at 4:30 A.M in order to be early for clinicals.
My question is, what time do you all start your clinicals at? Does it start at 5:30 and you are there at 5 AM? She stated he was in an accelerated program, though.
I'm just curious how normal that is. I'm just wondering because that seemed rather odd to me to be there at 5 A.M and finish at 5 P.M or so.