Whats your clinical instructor/student ratio? Should I change a program..

[miniangel729]

I go to CSULB and our ratio is 1:10/11, which i think is too much!

I finished the first semester and barely got see my instructor.

she was only with me 3 times.

first time for passing the med.

second time to go over my careplan with me.

third time because i have a patient almost coded.

other than that, i only see her in the morning for 5 min, and next sec shes gone, either with other student or just can't find her!

I got an A in clinical and her final evaluation comment was pretty much based on that third time she was with me,

because there aren't other things she can say, she wasn't even there with me!

According to other two clinical group, their clinical wasn't much either, its hard to see their instructor too.

first semester was easy but i hated the clinical because I feel insecure.

they expected the nurses to teach you, but its not always the case!!

the RN are usually busy over their own patient! and they sometimes make us feel stupid for not knowing the basic thing. I didn't get to do complete bed bath at all (I did ask, and offer my help many times to the CNA), made bed once, mostly just did V/S and pass. I didn't watch any procedures, not even see a foley or NG tube. They showed us once in the sim. lab and gave us half hour for practice. and expect us to know it. While many of us never got to practice again after that sim.lab day or even seen one.

I feel embarassed when the CNA/RN on the floor ask "you don't know?" or "they didn't teach you this??"

I don't know if I should change a program, I am sorry to say, since many people think CSULB is a very good school.

but I think they are disorganized, and way overrated. Student doesn't get to pick their own class schedule and clinical site. which would be inconvenient if you need a job since you don't get to arrange your time.

I think they have a good reputation because u need a high GPA/TEAS test to get in. and i'm NOT the only student who feels this way.

how is your clinical like for you? what is the instructor/student ratio?

and actually, how is the clinical suppose to be like?

is it suppose to be like this? hard to reach ur instructor and rely on the RN on the floor?

I want to switch to Mt. Sac's nursing program.. but they only offer ADN not BSN.

my friends and family tell me its not a good idea, since BSN is still better.

but I am scared I'll graduate knowing nothing and lack of clinical skills because of the program.

: ( any advices? opinions?

[ChristineN, BSN, RN]

Wow, those ratios are insane! When I was in nursing school, we typically had a 1:6 ratio for our med-surg clinicals. We had as low as 1:4 for critical care and peds. The only time I ever had ratios of 1:10 was in OB and psych. OB was different because we had two clinical instructors on the floor, and psych, we weren't passing meds, so it didn't seem as dangerous. For med-surg, when you're just starting out, I don't know how you get to learn much with ratios that high.

[llg, PhD, RN]

1:8-10 is typical where I live -- though when an instructor has 10 students, she usually places 1 or 2 of them in "observation experiences" so that she can focus on the 8 that are doing direct patient care.

[smartin13]

Ours is 1:8-10 depending on how many drop, last quarter my instructor always came to check on us atleast once a clinical. This quarter well different instructor and she is very hands off which is hard to get use to. Some of my friends go to different schools and the ratio is similar there as well.

[BBFRN, BSN, PhD]

1:8-10 is typical where I live -- though when an instructor has 10 students, she usually places 1 or 2 of them in "observation experiences" so that she can focus on the 8 that are doing direct patient care.

That's what I typically did. I had 10 students, and farmed 2 out to observe in the cath lab, and 2 out to observe in the OR.

[coolpeach]

We have 40 students total in our RN program, and its 10 per hosptial with one clinical instructor. In first semester we usually picked two patients to do care plans on, and assume care for under the shadow of their licensed RN of course. I would go to the RN in charge of the patient and she would observe me giving meds, and performing the skills I needed to practice. In addition, she would allow me to do the same with the other patients in her care. My clinical instructor would check with me every morning to see what patients I had picked, what nurse I would be shadowing, and then check on me a couple of times throughout the day to see If I was ok. Other than that she would watch me do something on her list now and then so she could check me off.

I thought that was normal. I felt like she more than likely also checked in with the nurse I shadowed and got her opinion on how I was doing.

[fiveofpeep]

Im from CSULB too. The primary learning comes from the nurses and I find it better when my instructors arent around to give me a hard time hehe. The ratio doesnt bother me or any of my peers, like I said, you learn most from your nurses..but you have to keep a strong filter going to make sure you know when a nurse is doing something the way we arent allowed to. You'll get to do much more second semester. It depends on the hospital and wing for first semester. For ex I was on acute rehab and got so many cool experiences and the patients were super complex 1st sem, but my boyfriend was on post op and didnt do much except one f/c. In second semester for MS you rotate around and will get to do much more. Hope next semester is better for you. I dont feel too overly confident in my skills, but I know I have the rest of school and the rest of my career to get more experience.

I dont think you should go for a new school because that will put you behind timewise and money wise.

[miniangel729]

thanks for the quick reply!

May I ask what school did you guys go to?

was it Private/University/Community college etc? :)

[ChristineN, BSN, RN]

thanks for the quick reply!

May I ask what school did you guys go to?

was it Private/University/Community college etc? :)

I went to a private diploma RN program. It was affliated with a local hospital. :)

[coolpeach]

community college accelerated RN program (16 months)

[Multicollinearity, BSN, RN]

It's been 1:9-10 in my program. I really don't see my clinical instructors much. They are so busy and seem to hone their attention in on the students that (I think) worry them.

That's OK though, because you can learn TONS from the the nurse(s) of your assigned patients. I've had really good experiences with this. I'm actually quite impressed and appreciative about how much the staff nurses have taught me. They seem to really go out of their way and teach when they don't have to. I hope I'm that helpful to students someday, like I've received.

My point is this: be eager to learn, appreciative, helpful, and seek out new opportunities with the RNs on your clinical floor. You can learn just as much or more, without your clinical instructor.

[misswhitney]

Our ratio is 10-12 in clinical and I feel like I have had a good experience. I am in a CC-16 month program. I see my instructor every clinical. I think it just depends on how long you are there, and your instructor.