1st Clinicals on Monday

NycCutie · May 17, 2009

I have my first off site clinicals on Monday at a hospital and I'm freaking out. I have never worked in healthcare so I'm so nervous. I'm afraid that I might miss something important, forget to do something, etc.. Please tell me this is a normal feeling and what can I do to make it better?

To be honest the feeling is normal:redpinkhe I think if you weren't nervous then there is a problem:wtosts:. When we were entering our first clinical we we nervous and excited:yeah: at the same time but I think if you have good classmates it makes it a whole lot easier because you can stick together ask questions and help each other out:bowingpur

.I had one girl in my class that when we finally got to clinical she had no idea how to take a blood pressure and we just locked ourselves in the patients room and did it over and over again on us not the poor patient:lol_hitti. But I think the best thing you can do is get a clinical skills pocket book ours came with our textbooks a lil cute spiral call PDQ for LPN it has all the quick info you might need for clinical. Also it might help to keep your own nursing kit handy with the stetho and BP cuff because you might need to take your patients BP and all the students have it occupied or the nurses even and that could hold you up. Also it would help to memorize the patient positions like(supine,prone,fowlers etc...)and the various bed positions(45 degrees, etc..... because in long term care that might come in handy seeing that the old folk always has to be moved. Read your skills over and over like your bed baths and feeding those are very important and the clinical instructors pays special attention to those bed baths. Remember to ask the nurses questions even if you think it's stupid just ask because they want to see that whatever it is you noticed it and were concerned.The most important thing is to relax and breathe everything else will come.:[anb]:

ladynurse1 · May 17, 2009

Thank you so much. That is some great information that you gave me. I actually purchased LPN Notes Nurse's Clinical Pocket Guide. I hope it is as good as the one you used.

NycCutie · May 17, 2009

They usually all contain the same info like lab values, normal ranges for everything like BP, HR etc....,injection sites, helpful info on dosage calculations but I don't think you need that in the first clinical but all the info helps. Because I had bought one before we even got our textbooks called quicks facts for LPN made easy from amazon.com and all the info was the same as the one we got in school just a different format>so yeah i ended up with two lol.........

ZanatuBelmont · May 18, 2009

I have my first off site clinicals on Monday at a hospital and I'm freaking out. I have never worked in healthcare so I'm so nervous. I'm afraid that I might miss something important, forget to do something, etc.. Please tell me this is a normal feeling and what can I do to make it better?

Do not be afraid to ask questions and if you are uncomfortable with a situation, contact your clinical instructor. Don't hang over the nurses - stand reasonably far (about four feet) and passively observe the nurses and their routines. Do not challenge a nurse with your textbook knowledge. I have witnessed several classmates of mine "challenge" the nurse with what they know vs. the student. That is the QUICKEST way to learn nothing and burn bridges.

MOST IMPORTANT, HAVE FUN WITH YOUR ROTATION!

ladynurse1 · May 23, 2009

I finished my first week of clincials yesterday and to my surprise I survived!!! I really enjoyed the last week but boy was it hectic. I'm going to catch up on my rest during this holiday weekend. I am super tired.