When did you start clinicals?

At my school for your first semester doing clinicals, I think we started about week 3. They took a lot of time making sure your basic skills were up to par and teaching basics like BP and assessments. Lots of orientation.

I have heard of some schools who don't even do clinicals the first half of the semester so I guess it varies widely.

It does vary a lot. My school says we are supposed to start clinicals 3 weeks after school starts. I have had friends have to wait until 6 weeks into their semester before they started. I've started to begin to gather things for clinicals, like uniforms and stuff, most of the stuff I ordered from my school and we pick it up on one of our two orientation days next month.

Clinicals started for us 8weeks after class began. We had to purchase our uniforms from the school and that could only be done @ orientation....everything else I needed I didn't buy until the week before clinicals began.

we started ours 8 weeks in bc we were doing stuff like vitals, bed baths, linen changes etc proficiencies.

maybe you could ask ur instructor, upper classmen or check your syllabus..

I'm a newbie starting out and we start clinicals three weeks in I was told. I'd be glad to buddy up with you. :)

sandan rnstudent

I am just starting out as well and they told us it would be 6-8 weeks before we started clinicals. They had us purchase our uniforms and other supplies at our orientation.

Are you BSN or ADN ? That will help us give you a better idea. If ADN, we started ours after week 3. If BSN I believe they start clinicals around the 4 semester, because the first two are non-nursing.

We do lab work first term( basics taught on each other) then the second term we are out in homes and hospitals.

Sounds like your program is not typical. Around here you do all your prerequisites THEN apply to the nursing program. If you get in you then do the core nursing courses. You might be better off talking to someone in/ with your program. Our clinicals start right away 1st semester but we're in the classroom/sim lab until the 8th week I believe.

What type of program are you in? I'm in a 4 year bsn and we start clinicals in our second semester (third for some just because of the way they have to fit all the non-nursing classes around our nursing ones- we all end up with the same amount of clinical hours though). I'd try to make friends with the students a year above you as they'll be your best source of what to expect in your particular program.