Stressing out....about to start my first clinical rotation!

Nursing Students NP Students

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I am supposed to start clinicals in 2 weeks and am completely stressed out about what I DON't know. It is to the point where I am on the verge of dropping my classes and taking the summer off just to study.

I am worried that I don't know enough to go into clinicals. I will be in a family practice/community health setting and this is my adult health rotation. How much am expected to know in my first clinical rotation? Should I be so concerned? My background is NICU nursing so I am complete fish out of water.

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

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Specializes in allergy and asthma, urgent care.

Take a deep breath. You are not expected to be a fountain of knowledge at this stage of the game. The best thing you can do is practice your physical assessment skills before you start. You don't have to know every drug and dosage, or every lab test. I precept NP students, and I would much rather work with a student who knows that he or she doesn't know very much yet, and is eager to learn. The ones that think they know it all are in for a very rude awakening. You will be fine.

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Specializes in Inpatient Rehabilitation.

lemur87,

I am in the same boat as you. I am about to start clinical this summer and I feel like I am not prepared. Has anyone recommended any study guides or things that will help to be more successful in clinical?

NurseAllie

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I decided to take summer off and use the time for an intensive review. It was going to be a nightmare to get 240 hours done in 8 weeks anyway.

My plan is to review by body systems...starting with physiology, then patho, and then diseases specific to that body system with s/s, diagnostics, and treatments.

By the end of the summer I should have an excellent resource binder built up and hopefully feel a little more prepared for clinicals come fall.

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