What skills are you taught/get to practice in school/clinicals?

louloubell1 · Feb 7, 2003

When I was still in school, one of the nursing instructors I had said that her NP students had to do pelvic exams on one another. I told her I would refuse to participate in something like that....I mean who wants a classmate to see them like that?!? There's a reason that people don't party with their proctologist or gynecologist, ya know?

Lou

k123456 · Feb 7, 2003

Message deleted. No response necessary.

tatianamik · Feb 8, 2003

Originally posted by memphispanda
We asked our instructor, and it has something to do with the state board. I don't understand it either, because, like you said, people do this at home all the time, even kids. *shrug*

I'm in the same city as MemphisPanda, but a diffrent program.

Accu check thing: Bedside glucose testing is a laboratory test according to our state. Licensed nurses (RNs, LPNs) have to be certified by the laboratory to perform bedside glucose testing. Basically you've got a limited laboratory technician certification.

My school has had us doing accuchecks since clinical day one though. One of the instructors believes that the students on the floor should be doing all the accuchecks on the floor not just those of the patients they have.

We're not allowed to start anticoagulants, vasopressors, chemotherapy or blood. We're not allowed to change PCA cartriages, but we do handle all the documentation relating to it. No Narc IV push. After the first 15 minutes of blood administration we can continue to monitor the patient on our own, but the nurse assigned to that patient usually checks in on you regularly.

tatianamik · Feb 8, 2003

Originally posted by k123456
Oooh - I could handle having an IV practiced on me, but NO WAY a complete bed bath. The thought of having someone do a physical exam on me (and my not so in shape body to put it nicely) makes me CRINGE!!!!

We did bed baths without real water plus the "patient" kept thier clothes on.

In health assessment my partner was a male. When we got to the breast exams, he was more embarressed than I was.

EmeraldNYL, BSN, RN · Feb 8, 2003

We had to practice doing physical exams on each other (not breasts or genitals). My professors who went to NP programs all had to do pelvics on each other, or they could hire a model. At my fiance's med school they hire a prostitute for the students to practice pelvic exams on!

TaraLynn · May 2, 2003

We get to do everything, its great I love it. The more the merrier. We do have to get checked off in lacb before we are allowed in the hospital. Our instructor stays with you in the hospital for the first few times you do a skill, than they leave you alone. i find it easier to do these things without my teacher leaning over my shoulder it makes me nervous

szccdw · May 3, 2003

Well in the ADN program I'm in we're in our 2nd semester and have only given bed baths, changed linen, taken VS, and given PO meds with an instructors supervision. I want to give a shot so bad and they are saying we can't until our senior year. I'm very disappointed.

giggles66 · May 3, 2003

Hello, Members:

I would like to know is every skill that a nursing student is allowed to perform are those techniques regulated by each state and/or between the facility and the school where a student has their clinicals? Are there a certain amount of clinical hours that student must have in order to sit for the state licensing exam to become an RN? Is this decided state by state or across the board? I know that a student gets to do more clinicals in a Diploma Program because usually all the non-nursing courses are taken before the nursing courses. Am I correct in saying this? What about the clinicals for the ADN & BSN Programs? IS there any clinicals that I would get from one program and not the other? I live in the State of Connecticut and I am a Pre-Nursing Major hoping to get my BSN. I was wondering has or is any of the memers to this website gone to nursing school CT? If so, would you be willling to tell me what school you went to? How the clinicals were set up? I am anxious to get a sence of what I will be encountering. If this helps the schools that I am interested in are: Capital Community College (ASN), University Of Connecticut, Saint Joseph College and Southern Connectiut State University (BSN). Thanks for your patience to my long post.

Carmen

kimtab · May 4, 2003

We can "do" anything we have been checked off on in lab (VS, hygiene, assessment, Foley, NG, sterile dressing, CVL dressing, trach care and suction, injections,IV start, IV Push, whatever else I am leaving out) but the reality is that depending on what clinical setting we find ourselves in the opportunity may not exist. Both clinical faciltites I had so far had IV teams, so no starts but they let us push meds--with instructor always present. Done one Foley, no NG's,but there hasn't been an opportunity. I'm a second semester ADN.

Maybe you can get the school to send copies of the clinical objectives. That should tell you what skills are supposed to get practiced

stillsmilin · May 12, 2003

I will be beginning my 4th year of a BSN program in the Fall. We are expected to learn and perform all skills that an RN does. We didn't start IV's until our second semester of upper division, though. I will also be doing a summer externship that will give me the chance to really practice these skills that are sometimes hard to get the chance to do during the school year.