What the best advice you've received from clinical instructors in nursing school?

[willowRN]

feel free to share :)

[RNKel, ASN, RN]

Never be afraid to ask questions!

Always own up and take responsibility.

Always be honest and forthcoming.

[LouisVRN, RN]

Ask questions. Oh and not to be afraid to ask for help when you need it.

[Moogie]

Moving this to General Nursing Student Discussions to elicit more responses.

[symphie]

Best advice from nurse on the floor during clinicals:

"When you graduate, do a year in med-surg to use to your skills, then get the hell out of there..."

Best advice from clinical instructor:

"Show initiative, ask questions, learn everything you can in the small amount of time you have there. Make connections. They'll help you later."

[Tonya75]

"Always ask why-it's easier to remember what to do if you know why you're doing it"

[Sarah010101]

"Never be afraid to ask, even if the nurse you are asking is mean and doesnt want to help, if you make a mistake and she/he blames you, you can always say.. i did ask you" (now its THEIR fault :) ) lol

And another...

"99% of the time you will never do your skills the way you do them in nursing school.. dont get frustrated when each teacher/nurse does them differently"

oh and...

"I think i can... i think i can..i think i can i think i can i think i can wooooWOOOO!!" haha

[PinkNBlue, BSN, RN]

They're always right.

[tokyoROSE, BSN, RN]

In clinicals, you get out of it what you put in to it. My instructor was tough- she never let us have a moment of free time. If you are sitting down (and not charting), you need to find something to do. This is not hard to accomplish in the mornings when it seems as if all the care is given, but when it is 3-7pm, there is not much to do. She would make us go around and ask ANYONE if they needed help, if there were procedures we could do, etc. At that time, me and my clinical group was quite annoyed because our previous instructors would allow us to do homework if we were done with our patient care. But looking back, I understand her rationale. She was tough, but she was right. I will definitely take this with me into my preceptorship. After all, you are responsible for your learning.

[jennlaVICIOUS]

"Don't be afraid to say..'I don't know.'"

[okredrobot]

"Go with your gut"

[KristeyK]

Hop in and help a nurse with another patient if she is doing something you haven't seen yet. If we're signed off to do it, ask if you can do it for her. As someone before me has already mentioned, you facilitate your own learning.

This same instructor also said to NEVER be afraid to ask a question. We may not like the answer we get, but to keep on asking anyway, because most will be more than willing to explain the how's and the why's.