Questions about clinicals LPN

ladymahoghany · Apr 27, 2009

I just wanted to know what school did this person attend.

Whispera, MSN, RN · Apr 27, 2009

No one can answer what your clinicals will be like. It depends on your school, the site of the clinicals, and your instructor...

justwannabanurse · Apr 27, 2009

I just graduated in December 08, I found the opposite to be true in our class. The people that did not make it in our class were because of not being able to pass the test, or make the grade in my school you needed 278 © points each semester to pass along to the next semester, and we had 3 tries on a dosage calculations test, if you did not pass by the 3rd time you did not move along to the next semester.

It's true no one can really tell you what your clinicals will be like because each school is different. But, I can tell you a little about mine so that you get a feel for it. Our clinical days were Monday, wednesday, friday 7-2:30, and classroom days tuesdays & thursdays 9-12. Clinical days you would get to your clinical site EARLY if you were 1 minute late you received a disciplinary which 3 and your out the program. The instructor would give you your assignment, and you would be told who your charge nurse is, and so forth then you would do total care CNA work/ nurse work. But we always had 1 patient at first then 2 then 3 we never had more than 3 patients. Our Instructor was available but they do expect for you to be able to figure things out, and not always come to them for minor things. The first semester of our class was all CNA type of stuff, and that is mainly what you would do in a nursing home, then you bein doing assessments, meds, and skills. It gets easier as you go along in the program, and once you learn what to expect from your Instructors. Good Luck!

dream a dream · Apr 27, 2009

Clinicals vary greatly depending on the school, the clinical site and the time of year. I have found that clinicals are what you make of them for the most part. I have heard of schools that the instructors are not available for the students but I have to believe that the instructors just need to know that you need assistance.

The staff is another resource for the student nurse and communication with both seems to be the key. Seek out new experiences and you will get the most from the clinical setting.

Good Luck and Have a Great time-- clinicals are just applying what you have learned and seeing things in real life.

4mykids · Apr 27, 2009

Clinicals can be challenging but also a great learning experience. This Friday is the last clinical for my first semester in clinicals. There will be ups and downs and all schools are a little different but my day goes as follows. Arrive at 0730 to get my patient assignment (1 pt) and nurse. Then run to check the cardex which quickly lists all meds, diet, activity, and doctor orders (write these down because the nurses want this sheet back asap). Go into pt room and introduce yourself, let them know what you will be doing. Do your general head to toe assessment, vitals, bath, linen change, and I&O. Tip: chart I&O on all pt's and do VS q4hr on all pt's. A lot of students in my program are getting written up for not charting I&O. Try to have some meaningful conversations with your pt's if they can communicate because you will eventually have to do an IPR and it helps to have something to start from, even though most of your IPR will be made up! If you have completed your duties and find yourself standing around grab the pt's chart and jot down his/her history, labs, and test results you might need to complete your care plan. Still bored? Ask fellow students if they need help with something or ask your nurse if he/she is going to do any foley's, dressing changes, IV's, blood sugars, etc. These experiences are great for learning how to do things without so much pressure directly on you. It is true that your instructor will not be very available to help you so don't be afraid to ask other nurses on the floor where things are and how to chart something. Any other questions about clinicals send me a message!

Sarah Hay · Apr 27, 2009

Here is a thread that has some of the activities that other students do during clinicals. I hope this helps.

https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-student/bedbaths-and-bedmaking-385769.html

:redpinkhe Sarah Hay, SN

chgoreid · Apr 28, 2009

My best advice is..... look busy, even if you aren't! LOL

Dalzac, LPN, LVN, RN · Apr 28, 2009

all clinicals are different from each school. Mine were kinda different than even my other classmates. I knew where I was going to work because I worked as a monitor tech and had worked in icu/ccu at a very large hospital. They even paid for a portion of my tuition. Your instructor choses the patients you get and mine felt I needed a lot of critical care type patients and that was what they gave me for the most part I did get med surg patient but when I did my clinicals at the local childrens hosp I did not get regular type tonsilectomies or appendectomies. I got kids in comas and even a newborn with vessel reversal that had to go to open heart surgery I got to watch that too.

do know my clinicals were every day except friday and that was spent in school. and I went to an 18 month -program. I started clinicals about 4 months in school until I graduated Just remember all school are differnt.

dancer_meggs · Apr 28, 2009

My best advice is..... look busy, even if you aren't! LOL

EXACTLY!

Same with CNA we were yelled at if we were sitting at the nurse's desk or roaming the halls looking for the CNA that was supposed to instruct us. So we usually just hid in a patient's room or waited for call lights...even then...it was the issue of waiting around (I was mostly on rehab, so people didn't really need more than for me to tell the LPN to give the patient meds)