What semester did you learn each skill?

That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Mar 15, 2011

1st semester - Every skill

shortnorthstudent · Mar 15, 2011

Just curious.
Our school has gone like this:
1st semester: transfers, bed making, bed bath, V/S, Physical Assessment, enemas, Medication administration: PO, IM, SQ, opthalmic, otic. wound care- dry to dry, wet to dry w & w/out irrigation.
2nd semseter: foleys, NG tubes, IV tube priming, pump programming, IVPB, flushes, colostomy care, gavage feeding of infants, trach care & suctioning,
3rd: TPN administration, Blood transfusion, Meds IV Push, CVC dressing changes.
4th: I am just in the middle of third. But I think the only add IV insertions.
How does your school do it???

Interesting.

prior to applying for nursing school we have to take 2 CNA type classes:

transfers, bed making, baths, v/s, foleys, tube feeding, wound care, stoma care, cvc dressing changes, several others, but I cannot recall at the moment. The first class is clean technique skills and the second is sterile technique.

Then for nursing school itself (7 quarters)

1st quarter - assessment

2nd quarter - PO, IM, ID, mixing meds, insulin, SubQ, trach care, suctioning, NG tubes

3rd quarter - I start this quarter in 2 weeks - this is our last specific skills class, I believe we focus on IVs for the 1st half of the quarter and whatever else they have on the plate for us.

ImThatGuy, BSN, RN · Mar 15, 2011

First semester: Everything but IVs and stuff you'd squirt into an IV.

Second semester, first day of class: IVs and accessories as well as ports, PICCs, etc.

Dazglue, ADN, BSN, MSN, RN · Mar 15, 2011

We learned every skill 1st semester except inserting IV's which was the first week of 2nd semester and giving meds through triple lumens (3rd semester) but we learned how to change dressing in 1st semester and we were required to know how to do so in clinical.

chinacatSN · Mar 15, 2011

Every student in our program is required to take the 75 hr CNA course to get into the program. They don't have to get certified, but they have to successfully complete the course. That way, we don't have to focus on ANY CNA skills in the nursing program itself. If you don't know what you're doing, you better go find someone that does because, according to my instructor, "You should know that already!". Which is why I'm glad I've been a CNA for so long!

We learned ALL skills within the LPN scope of practice in the 1st quarter, completed a skills test, and were allowed to perform any of them in clinicals 2nd quarter - under our instructor's supervision.

We learn the RN skills - IVs - 5th quarter, during the summer semester. We do not space out the skills learning like your school does...kinda odd, but it would be nice to have a "refresher", I guess, since there are certain skills I have yet to perform and barely remember what we learned during skills lab.

Emilynn09 · Mar 16, 2011

1st semester in Fundamentals we learned all the CNA type duties and assessments.

2nd semester everything else, how to assess and IV site, but nothing else about them.

3rd semester we learned IVs and everything r/t them; pushing meds, hanging meds, blood, etc...

turnforthenurse, MSN, NP · Mar 16, 2011

1st: patient transfers, ambulation, range of motion exercises, vital signs, how to give IM/SQ injections, sterile dressing changes, wound care.

2nd: we actually didn't have a lab component when I went through for our second semester, but I heard now they changed it. For us, we just continued to work on what we learned in our 1st semester. Many students were learning how to do assessments in their 2nd semester.

3rd/4th: foleys, NG tube insertion, ostomies, central lines, blood draws, IVs/insertion, pushing meds, hanging blood, TPN. In addition, we also had mental health but that class didn't have a lab component.

5th/6th: EKG interpretation, mock code blue (that day was so much fun!)...in peds we didn't really learn any skills. Lab for peds was actually a waste of time for me :/ In addition to critical care & peds, we also had communities and our preceptorship but those classes didn't have lab components to them.

crazytonurse · Mar 16, 2011

1st: patient transfers, ambulation, range of motion exercises, vital signs, how to give IM/SQ injections, sterile dressing changes, wound care.
2nd: we actually didn't have a lab component when I went through for our second semester, but I heard now they changed it. For us, we just continued to work on what we learned in our 1st semester. Many students were learning how to do assessments in their 2nd semester.
3rd/4th: foleys, NG tube insertion, ostomies, central lines, blood draws, IVs/insertion, pushing meds, hanging blood, TPN. In addition, we also had mental health but that class didn't have a lab component.
5th/6th: EKG interpretation, mock code blue (that day was so much fun!)...in peds we didn't really learn any skills. Lab for peds was actually a waste of time for me :/ In addition to critical care & peds, we also had communities and our preceptorship but those classes didn't have lab components to them.

yes they have changed it.. we have a lab currently and I am 2nd semester. We are learning IVs/insertion, foleys, trach care/suctioning.

CrazierThanYou · Mar 19, 2011

We learned all skills the first semester.

Nepenthe Sea · Mar 19, 2011

My computer had a brain fart!!!!!

Nepenthe Sea · Mar 19, 2011

I'm in a five-semester program. In the first semester, we learn the fundamentals: PPE, VS, foley/NG insertion, central line dressing change, TED/ACE bandage application, baths, ambulation, positioning, ROM. In the second, we learn how to give meds, including shots, and learn assessments. Third we learn how to insert an I.V. and draw blood and in the fourth we learned I.V. push. This is my last semester, and we don't really learn new skills in the lab, but will have to check off on trach care, suctioning, and know basics about the ventilators, pulmonary artery catheters, etc.