What are clinicals really like?

em3120 · Feb 27, 2017

I'm sure it will vary on your program but for mine:

1) Anywhere from 1-3 days per week, usually 2 for me. Each clinical lasts either 6, 8, or 12 hours. I truly depends on the location and how they schedule you. I might have 2 days in a week where I go to clinicals for 8 hours each and then the next week I might have just 1 day but for 12 hours. We also have simulation labs scattered throughout the semester where we are in the campus virtual hospital for 3-6 hours at a time. Your program could be completely different though.

2) Definitely no. You do what your instructor/assigned nurse tells you to do. And this includes cleaning up people and you're really not going to be able to avoid that one...

3) We get one 30 minute lunch break if we work 6 or more hours. Sometimes we can sit for 5 minutes with some water if there is a calm moment but I wouldn't expect it. We do some sitting when we are charting or looking at the computer medical records. Do you have some sort of doctor's note?

Scottishtape · Feb 27, 2017

Our cliniclas are between 8-12 hours, 1-3 days a week depending on which part of the program we're in.

We did get to choose which facility we would be at when we registered for each semester, but we couldn't pick our specific unit.

I sit minimally during my clinical day. I sit to chart and for lunch, and that's it. That is how your day as an RN will be too, if you're working in an acute care setting. Something to think about if you can't stand for long periods of time.

elkpark · Feb 27, 2017

All NPs are RNs. Your basic nursing education will include developing basic competence in every aspect of the RN's role in a variety of settings, including providing personal care and treatments of all kinds and dealing with every kind of bodily fluid. Students typically are on their feet for most of the clinical day (whether they are 6 hr, 8 hr, or 12 hr days varies among programs), but that doesn't mean there aren't opportunities to sit down during the day. There is usually little choice in your clinical sites. Programs are required (by the BON) to provide clinical in all the basic specialty areas, and there are usually limited opportunities in most communities for specialty clinical sites (peds, OB, psych, etc.) You go where the school tells you to go. There may be some flexibility for the general medical-surgical clinicals, for which there are often multiple sites a school uses.

WanderingWilder, ASN · Feb 27, 2017

1. We have clinical 2 days a week. They start at 6hrs and work up to 12hrs over the semesters.

2. No we don't get to pick anything, from what floor we work on to which patient we get is decided by the instructor. I wouldn't suggest requesting anything either or you may find yourself doing exactly what you asked not to do. Nursing programs aren't going to cater to what you want to do after you graduate. Everyone gets the same general nursing education.

3. We get to sit quite a bit but we are only in the second semester so we spend a lot of time looking through our patient's chart and mars and filling out clinical papers but I'm sure that as we go there will be less time sitting.

Meeshie · Feb 28, 2017

Embrace these facts... you will be cleaning up people. You will be dealing with bodily fluids. You will have to deal with gross, weird, and smelly things. The chances of getting work as a new NP with absolutely no nursing experience at all are pretty minimal unless you plan on moving to a setting where they are desperate for NPs (think rural areas with few nurses or practitioners) or unless you know someone personally that is going to give you a shot.

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Feb 28, 2017

OP - have you considered becoming a PA instead? That would allow you to escape all that messy hands-on nursing stuff. Bottom line, it's impossible to enter advanced nursing practice without first achieving competency in basic nursing practice. My organization employs a lot of NPs -but NEVER considers any candidates that don't have a solid clinical background.

meanmaryjean, DNP, RN · Feb 28, 2017

OP- you are in for a rude awakening.

Wow

beepbopcat, BSN · Feb 28, 2017

My clinicals are once a week for 8 hours with a 30 minute lunch break. We are mostly up but sit to complete clinical paperwork. Clinical settings/units are chosen for the nursing class it goes with. I know some schools allow students to choose the site/hospital but in my program they are strictly assigned.

At clinicals we arrive early to get our patient assignment and to explore their charts. Then we typically have a 10 minute pre-conference to touch base with everyone and explore any questions before being released onto the floor to find our nurse and listen to report. The rest of the day either goes really fast or really slow.

We definitely do not get to pick and choose what we do, it would probably offend the clinical instructors, and some of them are very particular.

de05432 · Feb 28, 2017

My first three semesters I had clinical once a week for about 8 hours. We got a 30 minute lunch, and only sat when we were looking at charts or working on our assessments. I'm in my last semester and I have at least one 12 hour shift a week, one on one with an RN. I also work as an extern which has helped me tremendously in terms of skills and confidence.

I did not get to pick my clinical sites. They were chosen for me.

We would arrive at 6:30 sharp (if we were late without notifying someone, it was grounds for a clinical failure, which equals class failure), get report, and find our nurse. Usually we would take vitals, assist with ADL's, etc. I began with 1-2 patient's my first semester and last semester I had about 4-5. We were only allowed to pass meds, insert foley's, start/remove IV's, etc. in the presence of our instructor. They usually wouldn't let us do it with just the RN until we got a little bit more experienced. We were required to notify our nurse before leaving the floor for any reason, and would come back and resume care for several hours after lunch. Then we would have post-conference and leave.

In order to become an NP, you have to be an RN. You'll have to deal with poop, pee, blood, vomit, mucus, C-diff, HIV, TB, meningitis, etc. during clinicals. And likely with your first position as an RN. That's just the way it is, so you might as well accept it now. Most NP programs require a minimum amount of nursing experience in a certain area for acceptance.

Wuzzie · Mar 1, 2017

Wow! Two posts and you've already stepped in it. Overachiever! :whistling:

HermioneG, BSN, RN · Mar 5, 2017

Just from my experience:

The hours of clinicals have varied. My first quarter I would have clinicals for about 8 hours a week. Now, in my last quarter, I'm in clinicals between 12-36 hours a week depending on my preceptor's schedule.

I think that how much time you get to sit down depends on the unit. For the most part I didn't have much of a chance to sit down. I would highly suggest medical grade compression tights and socks. I'm currently in ER and many days it really does feel like we don't have a single moment to sit. If I'm wearing my compression tights and socks, my feet and legs with barely be tired at the end of the day. The one thing that's not fun about them though is that they make me overheat very easily!

As others have said, you get assigned hospitals and units, and you're going to have to be okay with all the tasks that come with bedside nursing. My first quarter I was always really uncomfortable with the idea of cleaning up a BM or doing peri-care. My clinical instructor helped put it into perspective by saying "Think of it this way. This person is sick and feels horrible right now. This is obvious because otherwise they wouldn't be here. Think of how much better they're going to feel when you clean them up. No one wants to have to lay in a mess. Think of how you'd feel if you were them, and how thankful you'd be for someone to clean you up when you can't"

Yes, there's certain parts of bedside nursing that definitely aren't glamorous. If you think it's something that you can get over, then great! Keep an open mind and work hard. If not, though, either you're going to be miserable, your patient is going to not be cleaned as much as they should and will be miserable, or your coworkers and the CNAs who already run their tails off are going to be miserable if you refuse to do your part and help. None of those situations are okay. Just keep an open mind, work hard, be willing to do any task no matter how awful, and you will desensitize soon enough. Good luck!