"Skills"

[SrnD]

I am a second year nursing student (will graduate in May 2010 God willing). So far I've done fine in class and lab. My worry is mostly with Med/Surg clinical, since that's where we get a lot of our actual practice and is pretty much what we'll do when we graduate. I've never had complaints from any clinical instructors, but personally I feel like I need to step it up a bit more. There are so many skills I haven't even done yet in the clinical setting (Foleys, IV med hanging, enemas, etc.) I've given injections but that's about the only skill I feel comfortable with. It's not that I don't want to perform these skills, it's actually the opposite. I'm terrified to, but I WANT to. It just seems like the opportunity never arrises for me. I let me instructor know that I need to do these skills still but I never seem to get to do them.

Basically, I only have a semester and a half left and I'm scared I'm going to graduate with little clinical skills. Does anyone else feel like this? Is there any way I can try to get more clinical practice? I've already tried applying as an aide to gain some experience, but that didn't work out =/

[SolaireSolstice, BSN, RN]

I always tell the nurses on the floor I'm doing clinical on to come find me if they have any skills that I can do with my instructor, and have had great luck with that. But as my IV therapy instructor said, "You'll get plenty of chances to do this once you are a nurse."

[That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

yep ask your nurse in charge to get you whenever they have anything to do, and really anything. The more practice the better. I find it sad that people can get out of a program never doing a cath insert, star an IV out of lab or so many other things. Part of the reason why I am so glad that I have had so many chances to do IV's, Caths and dressing changes is that my confidence in these areas has grown dramatically because I have done it so many times in school. Yes you will get practice out of school, it is sure nice getting it before you are out there working for real

[rachelgeorgina]

Explain to your clinical instructor your dilemma. You need to practice these skills, haven't had the opportunity yet and you're VERY nervous about them. & same to the nurses of the floor. That way, if any of the nurses has a patient that needs X skills, they'll remember to ask you.

[melmarie23, MSN, RN]

in our program, before each clinical rotation, our clinical instructors have us fill out a skills check list. We check the skill's that we've done. It is for both assessing our competencies so that they know we can handle a patient requiring a certain amount of care, but it is also to know the areas in which we lack. That way if an opportunity arises for us to do a new skill, they'll pull us aside to do it.

[melmarie23, MSN, RN]

if you are allowed to do skills with another RN on the floor who is willing to show you the ropes, I'd jump on those opportunities as well.

[bluenyellow]

yeah i think the best way to learn is to follow a nurse around. they can sometimes be the most helpful people out there.