Typical week?

My students have the following schedule:

Two days per week of lecture (6-8 hours a day, depending on semester).

Two days of clinical (8 hours per day).

One day "off"- no scheduled clinical or class, but lab is open for practice if needed, and this gives students time for paperwork. Ideal studying takes place on a regular basis vs cramming, which doesn't help retention. I ask my students to spend a small amount of time daily in reviewing their notes/readings, but I doubt this happens in all cases :)

Many schools also require pre-planning and care plan writing for clinicals, which can take hours, depending on how long you've been in school.

monday - medsurge 0800-1400 (always stay late like til 3 or so)

tuesday - medsurge LAB 0830-1500

wednesday - OB lecure 0830-1400

thursday - OB LAB 0900-1600

friday clinicals 1430 - 2300 MEDSURGE

saturday clinicals 1430 - 2300 OB

oh, and you have to go the day before to get your pt info and history/introduction - but i do that before clinicals so i get there at 1200 until 2300

i figured getting there on same day, gives me a chance to be more up to date, more aware, and ready for what is to come! so from noon till 2 I write my care plan, look up meds, pt history, etiology and patho... and set up 2 short term and 1 long term, and also get started on the diagnosis part of the care plan.

then we have pre-conference meeting, and tell our CI what we will be doing, what is going on...

and sunday you just study and sleep (while i work :-()

This is how my schedule will look like for fall.

Monday- 8:30-12:30; Lecture

Tuesday/Wednesday- 6:30-12:30; Clinical and work on Wednesday nights

Thursday-Free day to study, catch up, etc.

Friday- 8:30-12:30; Lecture and work every other Friday

Weekend- Either work or study

remember you asked:

monday/wednesday class from 9-12, 45 minute drive to hospital, preplanning 1-2 hours depending on patient. home, haven't eaten, start supper and begin to work on care plan, make sure uniform is clean, wrinkle free, and shoes are white and polished.

tuesday/thursday 4-4:30 am wakeup, at clinical by 6:45 until 4 sometimes later. home, maybe eat complete paperwork from info obtained at clinical to turn in next day. collapse into bed.

friday: class from 9-12, try to run some errands, buy some groceries, get laundry started.

saturday: fill automatic feeders and waterers for dogs and cats, change out automatic cartridge for litter pan. change sheets if not done on friday. more laundry. study, read for next weeks lectures.

sunday: finish laundry, put away unless test on monday. read and study for next weeks lectures/tests. do some cooking (usually two kinds of pasta salad, one pot roast, mac and cheese, and spaghetti/layered mexican casserole, throw a london broil or some cheap steaks in marinade to grill tuesday or wednesday night. put the cooked food in individual containers for lunches or meals. if lucky find 30 minutes to spend some "quality time" with the husband. if really lucky, find time to look at the sunday paper.

(admittedly this was the worse rotation, most in depth body systems to learn, and most of my patients had upwards of 20-30 drugs to look up for each clinical, and each had several comorbidities)

Thank you guys so much... I really appreciate you taking the time to answer!! From reading here I'm aware of how difficult it seems to be but it's really nice to get actual real time schedules to get a better idea of what to expect. I would much rather go in prepared as to how much time will be devoted to this.

Thanks again :bowingpur

Monday- Friday up at 6 am... Work from 8:40am-4:10pm

Mon and Wed- Lecture: 5:30-7:50

Tue and Thur- Study from 5-7 after work

Friday- Bible Class

Sat-Sun: up at 5am for clinicals.

I go to bed at least by 10-11pm everynight.

just something i want to say even though you didn't ask this:

i became so busy this last rotation between school and taking care of the family stuff, i forgot to eat some days. or i'd find myself eating junk. as a result, i did wear my body down, losing 25 pounds in 8 weeks unintentionally (i could afford the weight, but not the nutrients). my doctor informed me i malnourished last week.

take time to eat healthy meals. i don't necessarily mean diet foods, i mean proteins, complex carbs, salads, and dairy. take vitamins as well, find a good multi-vitamin with everything you think you need in it, so you don't have to take 3-4 diff things. i take one with green foods, essential fatty acids, mushroom extract (don't remember what that was good for, but it was good for something), and vitamins and minerals in about 75-100% of the rec allowance.

find a friend in nursing school, one you can totally melt down with at 2 am. be there for them as well, some days everything will go haywire and this person will be the one who will cheer you on, and she'll be your rock. i have one like that, and those last eight weeks i wouldn't have made it without her.

take time to eat healthy meals. i don't necessarily mean diet foods, i mean proteins, complex carbs, salads, and dairy. take vitamins as well, find a good multi-vitamin with everything you think you need in it, so you don't have to take 3-4 diff things. i take one with green foods, essential fatty acids, mushroom extract (don't remember what that was good for, but it was good for something), and vitamins and minerals in about 75-100% of the rec allowance.

find a friend in nursing school, one you can totally melt down with at 2 am. be there for them as well, some days everything will go haywire and this person will be the one who will cheer you on, and she'll be your rock. i have one like that, and those last eight weeks i wouldn't have made it without her.

i whole heartedly agree with this. friends in school will be one of your most valuable tools - they keep you sane in an insane place. and make sure that you take care of yourself.

Right now I am taking a summer class and we have 4 hours of lecture/week (split over 2 days), clinical prep work Monday nights with a 12 1/2-hour clinical day on Tuesday (7a-7:30p) and 2 hours of lab/week. We also have online seminars that we have to participate in as well as online quizzes and LSRNs which also take up time.