1st clinical day!

melmarie23, MSN, RN · Oct 17, 2009

we started passing meds in Fundamentals as well...I just thought that that was pretty typical. I guess it really does vary program to program.

Sounds like you had a great day! Honestly, we never knew who our patient(s) were going to be until we showed up for clinical in the morning of. Our first half hour on the floor was strictly for viewing their charts and organizing our day.

melmarie23, MSN, RN · Oct 17, 2009

We do have to pass meds. Right before we do them, we go in with our instructor. We then have to tell them each meds name, a side effect, what it's used for, if it's a safe dose (and I think that's all). That's the scariest part b/c we were told "I don't know" isn't an answer. When we go in the day before, we look up all the meds and then research them at home.

this was like us as well. except "I don't know" was an acceptable answer as we were then able to look it up in the drug guide or on our PDA's or our instructor would take the time to briefly review the med with us.

In fundamentals, we always passed meds with our instructor. She would pass meds with 2-3students/clinical day. The other 4 of us were the "runners/helpers" (like a CNA/LNA) to the student who was passing meds...so lots of am/pm care, lunch, transfering/ambulation, toileting etc etc. We also hung IVs...NS, D5W and piggy backs. We also did IV pushes and sub q's and IMs if there was any.

For Med/Surg we got to pass the po's on our own, but anything injection/IV had to be done in the presence of an RN or our clinical instructor.

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Oct 17, 2009

My program is like this

Pharm

Fundamentals and

Dosage Calc

for first semester. Our first semester clinicals are LTC facilities where we do a lot of CNA type stuff. Once we pass a skill in lab we can do it in our facility, so as of now if I get a chance to do a Foley I can because I passed it in skills. We don't pass out any meds this semester.

Second Semester we are doing Med Surge and I think OB and Peds if I remember right and will have clinicals 3x a week at a hospital setting. I think we can pass meds then.

We have another level of Pharm and advanced med surge 3rd and 4th semesters and Psych and I forget what else.

CrunchyMama, ASN, RN · Oct 17, 2009

My program is like this
Pharm
Fundamentals and
Dosage Calc
for first semester. Our first semester clinicals are LTC facilities where we do a lot of CNA type stuff. Once we pass a skill in lab we can do it in our facility, so as of now if I get a chance to do a Foley I can because I passed it in skills. We don't pass out any meds this semester.
Second Semester we are doing Med Surge and I think OB and Peds if I remember right and will have clinicals 3x a week at a hospital setting. I think we can pass meds then.
We have another level of Pharm and advanced med surge 3rd and 4th semesters and Psych and I forget what else.

Our pharm class had dosage calc mixed in it. It's weird because we learned how to do a foley and can do them in clinicals but we're not tested on it until next semester. Same with changing an IV bag....learned it and can do it in clinical but not tested on it until next semester. Doesn't make sense...I think we should be tested before being able to do it.

sneakymom2011 · Oct 17, 2009

Oh yeah, we've got math in our curriculum as well. That part's finished soon, then we've got 3 tries to pass the math test with 80% (I think it's that). The neat thing is- if we pass the math test on the first try- there's 2 weeks that the ONLY thing we have to do is clinical (and write a paper). So I have all intentions of passing that math test the FIRST time

Cheryl

Rednights · Oct 17, 2009

The first two years of my BSN programs is just taking pre-reqs (AP I+II, Microbio, Chem) and general courses (English, History, Math, etc)

The last two years are the real deal. This is why most people here are very surprised that you give out meds, hang IVPBs and whatever on your first day of clinical.

For most people at that point in time, they are taking Fundamentals, which by no means even covers the knowledge you need to know on the functions of medicine or what not. Pharm and Medsurge are either starting or coming up next Sem or even next year. Without those classes, no Prof/Instructor is going to allow a fresh off the boat in a sense Nursing Student touch a patient with a needle, their license is on the line if you *** up.

Well I hope that clears it up for you =)

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Oct 18, 2009

Oh yeah, we've got math in our curriculum as well. That part's finished soon, then we've got 3 tries to pass the math test with 80% (I think it's that). The neat thing is- if we pass the math test on the first try- there's 2 weeks that the ONLY thing we have to do is clinical (and write a paper). So I have all intentions of passing that math test the FIRST time
Cheryl

Wow I am surprised you only have to pass with an 80% we have 3 tries but must pass with a 100% since you can't get med calculations right in the real world 80% of the time. :stone

sneakymom2011 · Oct 18, 2009

Wow I am surprised you only have to pass with an 80% we have 3 tries but must pass with a 100% since you can't get med calculations right in the real world 80% of the time. :stone

I think it's 80%. But I'm not sure b/c it's not in the course outline that I've got in my notebook. The exact percentage is somewhere in the student handbook that's online.

And I do agree with your statement. You really can't get med calculations right in the real world 80% of the time. If you slow down and take your time, it's not really that hard.

Cheryl

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Oct 18, 2009

I think it's 80%. But I'm not sure b/c it's not in the course outline that I've got in my notebook. The exact percentage is somewhere in the student handbook that's online.
And I do agree with your statement. You really can't get med calculations right in the real world 80% of the time. If you slow down and take your time, it's not really that hard.
Cheryl

I totally agree, the great thing about math is once you get it, it doesn't change. Once you learn addition it will always be the same.

So if people know the material and understand how to work the problems their is no reason they can't get 100% but most of the times I think it's rushing and anxiety of knowing you have to pass it with the 100%. According to our teachers most students pass on their second attempt because they know what to expect, they take their time and stuff. 3rd time your back up on the stress level knowing if you don't make it your out of the program.

CuriousMe · Oct 18, 2009

How interesting that there are so many different approaches taken by school's.

I'm in a BS, major in nursing, program. It's a three year program (with a year of pre-requs done before you're accepted).

We start clinicals week 2 of our program, but we don't go to the hospital right away. We do all sorts of things in the community, including holding flu shot clinics, teaching asthma education in grade schools, and finally working in a LTC. I'm trying to remember if we passed any meds that first time in the LTC (we also go went back for the 2nd half of our Winter Term)....if we did, it was minimal....maybe giving insulin? Mostly we did assessments and helped with ADL's.

Our lecture class that Fall is Fundamentals: Health Promotion...Winter term, we're in Fundamentals Chronnic Care I, but we also have a 3 credit pharmacology and a 3 credit pathophysiology class. We definitely passed meds while we were in LTC that term. In Spring we had Fundamentals: Acute Care I and we spent the entire time doing our clinicals in the hospital and passing meds...we also have Pharm II and Patho II that term.

Oh and our dosage cal exams are part of our clinical class (there was an online curriculum that wasn't run by our school, it was run by a book company...anyway, we had assignments to complete online in that each term, and instructors could see if you hadn't done it). If you don't get a 90% I think, you can't pass meds.

So, looking back, the first meds we gave were IM flu shots :)

Peace,

CuriousMe

sneakymom2011 · Oct 18, 2009

Oh, forgot to add that I'm in a 22 month RN diploma class at a local hosptial.

Cheryl

Destination1 · Oct 18, 2009

I'm seeing that the nursing programs are much more varied than I first thought. Im in a BSN program and we take a full Year of pharmacology (two full semesters). On the bright side we know our meds inside and out!

We also take two pharm exams that must be passed at 100% by three tries each.