Published Dec 11, 2012
LoneCowboy
14 Posts
Lol hey I'm a PRE nursing student. Tell me, what is a clinical, what goes on, what should I expect, and are they graded? How are they graded? Is homework issued at clinicals? ThAnks!!!
KelRN215, BSN, RN
1 Article; 7,349 Posts
A clinical is a rotation at a hospital, nursing home, school, VNA, clinic, etc. where you take care of patients. Nursing programs require clinical rotations in Med-Surg, Maternity, Pedi, Psych and (for BSN programs) Community Health.
Yes, they are graded and they are a full separate class. At my school, clinicals were 3 credits each. They are graded based on your performance as well as on your clinical write ups/care plans. And yes, there is homework. Clinical homework will be a good portion of your work.
NICUmiiki, DNP, NP
1,775 Posts
A clinical is hands-on experience in the nursing role. It's normal in the school's lab, a nursing home, and most often, a hospital. You will practice nursing skills during clinicals throughout nursing school.
At my school, clinicals are a component to a class and are graded on a pass/fail basis. The lecture is the other component.
You should expect to gather information the day before, waking up early, following the school's uniform strictly, and following directions from your clinical instructor. The school will let you know the specifics.