When do clinicals normally start?

alex1987 · Jul 5, 2012

In my program we start clinicals the 2nd semester and have them every semester until graduation. I'm currently taking Med/Surg I and we have clinicals once a week from 6:30 to 3:30, but days and hours change every semester depending on the class, hospitals, and the shift we are assigned to.

RLtinker, LPN · Jul 5, 2012

We started on week 4 the 1st semester

afterseason, ASN, RN · Jul 5, 2012

ok so i start ns-adn this upcoming fall with clinicals (wed) @ 730am, lecture (thurs) & lab (fridays)..."if" clinicals begin half way through the 1st semester...what do students normally do on their clinical days..?? do students still work on their skills checklist(s) in a lab setting or is that just a free day to work on studies until clinicals actually begin...what did your institute do?

my school sounds like it is much more full time. we have lecture three days a week (tues, weds, thurs) and labs are scheduled accordingly (some weeks we have additional lab days, although usually the day is split -- half the class does lab the first half of the day while the rest does lecture, and then we switch after lunch). clinicals are usually scheduled for our "off" days (mon & fri), although they are sometimes also scheduled for evenings or weekends (depending on when the clinical setting can get us in).

until clincals begin, we can use this extra time for studying, adjusting to the course, and refreshing on any subjects we may notice we need to brush up on.

afterseason, ASN, RN · Jul 5, 2012

ok so i start ns-adn this upcoming fall with clinicals (wed) @ 730am, lecture (thurs) & lab (fridays)..."if" clinicals begin half way through the 1st semester...what do students normally do on their clinical days..?? do students still work on their skills checklist(s) in a lab setting or is that just a free day to work on studies until clinicals actually begin...what did your institute do?

also, i forgot to take into account that the semester starts in the middle of the month... so really we just have a 6 week wait until we start clinicals. in the semesters following, we'll start clinicals sooner.

Stephalump · Jul 5, 2012

Ok so I start NS-ADN this upcoming fall with Clinicals (Wed) @ 730am, Lecture (Thurs) & Lab (Fridays)...”If” clinicals begin half way through the 1st semester...What do students normally do on their clinical days..?? do students still work on their skills checklist(s) in a lab setting or is that just a free day to work on studies until clinicals actually begin...What did your institute do?

We start clinicals about 4 weeks into the semester, but our entire schedule is wonky until then. We basically just go to lecture and lab M-F from 8 to 5 and don't start following the schedule we signed up for until the week we start clinicals.

RNnme3j · Jul 5, 2012

wow everyday has to be very challenging for you guys...i guess i’m fortunate to have a 3 day a week schedule. i have a simple computer class on mondays for a 1hr50 & then an online sociology that doesn’t start until october! we also start in med-surg which is good but bad @ the same time (compared to the stories i’ve heard) but i guess it’s good to start within a broad area. hang in there everyday a week students, i got faith in you!! i will be praying for you guys...thanks for answering

aachavez · Jul 5, 2012

My program is quarterly, 4 q a year. Last q I finnished all my general pre-req stuff, and Pharm. This quarter (which started Monday) is Nursing Fundamentals, our first real nursey-nurse course I guess you could say. For 2 weeks we have quite a few days of long lecture, and plenty of time in the lab getting skills checked off. We've already been checked off on bed baths, bed making, hand washing. Tomorrow, we will do vital signs, and next week we will start assesments. Week 3, we start clinicals at a nursing home, 1 day a week, for 12 hour shifts.

Starting next Q, clinicals will start either week 1 or 2, and are 2 days (12 hours each) a week. (we have 11 weeks per quarter)

Im nervous, and so excited. Don't really know what to expect for first round of clinicals! We have orientation tmr for our clinical site, which should be interesting. Good luck everyone!

Katie71275 · Jul 6, 2012

On scheduled clinical days when clinicals haven't started yet, we have extra class days.