Starting RN program this fall - what to expect?

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What are some of the general rules you have during school and clinicals? For example, were you allowed to wear nail polish? Did you have a no-jewelry at all rule? I guess I'm just asking for your experiences regarding the do's and dont's that nursing students typically get for nursing school (lab and lecture days) and on clinical days. I'm still a month away from orientation and would like some ideas on what to expect.

Thanks in advance!!

I have stick-straight, baby fine hair, so short hair on me is a lot of work in my case (unless I get a buzz cut, which isn't happening lol). Looks like I will be using lots of hairspray!!

I have one tattoo in honor of my dad, and am getting another one in honor of my mom. Neither will be visible in scrubs. One is on my rib, and the other will be on shoulder blade, although it is a rather large piece. I have no lower back tattoos.

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I have orientation at the end of this month as well and I was wondering the exact same things! You don't have to wear scrubs during lecture right? Just labs and clinicals?

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I have orientation at the end of this month as well and I was wondering the exact same things! You don't have to wear scrubs during lecture right? Just labs and clinicals?

That would be my guess. At my school, it's my understanding that we only wear scrubs to clinicals and labs. I also was wondering about getting somewhat "undressed" for practice assessments. The PTA program at my school does ask that you wear shorts and a tank top to some classes. The nursing program does not do that, unless they decide to change it this semester. :unsure:

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Specializes in Med-Surg.
I have orientation at the end of this month as well and I was wondering the exact same things! You don't have to wear scrubs during lecture right? Just labs and clinicals?

We were told just lab and clinicals.

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Specializes in Renal, Diabetic.

Ours are: no visible tattoos, earrings in one ear, no nail polish, undershirts can only be either solid black or solid white, no porus shoes and they have to be full black or white. No facial piercings, hair had to be tied back and solid black or white socks. Those are requirements during our sim lab, regular lab, and clinicals. Lecture days, we can wear jammies if we wanted (I don't think anyone has yet.) Wedding rings and the one stud in each ear are the only exceptions, I don't think we can wear necklaces as a patient can grab onto it fairly easily.

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We had one clinical instructor that started calling one of the students a pirate because she had tattoos on her arms.

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That's funny, I had the same thing in my orientation! One person came in with a sleeve full of tattoos and once we were mentioning rules and regulations for clinical sites, he was told to cover up the tattoos with wound dressing of some sort since sleeves aren't ideal to cover it unless it's cold...

I guess scrubs depend on each nursing school and whether the professor requires you to wear scrubs on lab days, but obviously needed for clinical days.

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What was the first semester schedule like? As in, how many times per week did you have to be at school for lecture, lab, etc? I won't know until orientation which is still a month away, and i have a fairly long commute so I'm trying to figure out how many days a week I'll have to make the drive.

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Specializes in Nephrology Home Therapies, Wound Care, Foot Care..

Every program is different, our first semester was usually 5 days a week, until we started clinicals, then 4-5 days aweek.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.
What was the first semester schedule like? As in, how many times per week did you have to be at school for lecture, lab, etc? I won't know until orientation which is still a month away, and i have a fairly long commute so I'm trying to figure out how many days a week I'll have to make the drive.

My first semester is four days a week. Lecture is 3 hrs for 2 days and lab/clinical is 6 hrs for 2 days

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I'm in my second year of school and we have basically the same policy. School uniform for lab, clinical, and SIM. NO nail polish. Only one pair of studs, no necklaces. We can have wedding right set but I found that mine were ripping my gloves so I went and bought a solid white gold band that I were for clinicals and leave my good set at home. We had to wear solid black or white shoes. I wear Danakos. A watch with a second hand, get yourself a few good pens. We weren't allowed to wear our stethoscope around our neck as it could be a choking hazard with a combative patient so I stuck it in my pocket. I had a small notebook I carried.

For lecture and tests we could wear anything. I gave up on nail polish because it was a pain to take it off every week.

Good luck!!

Oh and we are allowed to use our cell phones during clinical to look up meds and stuff but we also had computer access- I preferred using the computers because I didn't like taking my phone out and potentially getting who knows what germs on it

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Buy "fundamentals success", and medsurg success. Do a lot of questions online from quizlet it really helps. For example, if you are taking a certain topic like GI diseases, go to quizlet and search the exact disease+nursing, you will get lots of questions. Some of them might even show up on your test. Buy Saunders nursing book, it will help a lot for 2nd semester. Do you know what broad subject you will be covering?

Make sure you have a lot of time to study. The concepts you learn in nursing school are not very complicated, they're just very time consuming, and you need a lot of time to study. That was my experience.

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