Which do your prefer, Class or Clinicals?

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.

Just finished my clinical rotation for this class (med/surge). Had evals yesterday because we had a sub instructor tonight. Which, my usual CI was actually working at the hospital on the unit I was on!! Anyway, what has been your favorite part of nursing school?

First semester I loved class far more then I loved Clinical. I flew through with minimal effort, but I absolutely loathed clinicals where I was at. It was our nursing home rotation, I felt like I learned nothing, the staff was rude the aides were rude, it tore me up to see the condition our elderly are treated in. It was just miserable.

This semester I might not even pass my class and it's not even because I get knowledge questions wrong, I lost my focus very early on and got worst test grade of my life and I was never a 4.0 student to begin with. Anyway, that REALLY through me off my game. My husband is out of town so it's just my 4 kids and I and I have no family or friends locally so it was rough but more so, I have hardly got the sleep I used to get first semester. Not because of school but I always have a harder time sleeping when my husband is gone.(he works in Cali from after Thanksgiving until May with only a few visits, we try once per month) So I went from forcing myself to get 8-9 hours of sleep a night last semester, to maybe 3-4 a night this semester. I have pulled two all nighters the night before my exams, the others I got maybe 2 hours. So anyway I know that was 90% of my problem with my class because my exams were dumb mistakes, ones that sleep deprivation could certainly cause. Now I am paying for it and have my final monday with a very narrow margin to pass, but not throwing in the towel yet.

Anyway, the only part that I don't mind if I have to retake the class is clinicals. I have LOVED clinicals this semester, I have learned SOO MUCH. Tonight besides pulling meds from Pyxsis and pushing meds, (we aren't allowed to do that yet or central lines, we won't even have our own Pyxsis ID because of some incident a few years back and we always have to have a nurse or instructor present to give meds as long as we are students) anyway, so besides those things, I took care of all my pt needs all night, I planned out my care for them, did everything, did the meds to but had to find someone to assist, my co nurse was a float nurse that got a really difficult post op, so I barely saw her the whole night, but I knew the patients couldn't go uncared for and although I spent most of the clnical weeks always WITH a co nurse, I just took charge and took care of my patients. Anyway, I get awesome reviews from the nurses and my CI for clinicals, the nurses would be a better judge, with us all so spread out on the different floors we rarely see our CI unless we page her. She is usually trying to get to see us all briefly in the night so not anything bad on her. She was so awesome we all got her gift and are sad to not have any more. (well I will get her again if I have to retake the class LOL )

Anyway, I am trying to wind down for the night so hopefully this made sense, I didn't get home until almost midnight. But what do you like most,

Do you feel at the top of your game in class but not clinicals, is it pretty even, or do you feel right at home in clinicals and try to get through class?

I would love to see how others view it.

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comparing the two, i much prefer clinical.. im moving, shaking, and learning and love the patient contact..class is well..dry and boring..(it might be more interesting if my professors would stop reading powerpoints to us and really try to engage us!, i could sit home and read my own powerpoints! lol

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Specializes in Home Health, Education.

I had a lot of trouble with clinicals during LPN school, perhaps because I had been a CNA only a year before starting the program. Many students in my class were older and had been CNAs for almost twenty years and absolutely rocked through clinicals with no problem. However, some of these same students struggled in the classroom. I, on the other hand, absolutely loved being in class and it reflected in my grades and at the end of the year when I received my valedictorian award.:) I just hope that when I get into the RN program, clinicals won't be the absolute nightmare it was in LPN school!

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Specializes in L&D/Maternity nursing.

Clinical, hands down. You just learn so much more there, doing actual "nursing" than you every can from any lecture or textbook.

This semester is is mostly clinical for me. I have a 400 hour immersion/preceptorship in OB/L&D (the specality that I'd love to get into after this-although I know its one of the hardest). I have been enjoying the one on one that I have there with my preceptor(s). And when students from other schools come in for their rotation, I love that I am given preference.

Class this semester is mostly theory and leadership and is project/paper based in terms of work. I only have 3 exams-two of which are in clinical epidemiology (stats, ugh) but thankfully are take home.

I am in the home stretch before NCLEX, so my focus needs to shift more towards that.

But generally speaking, between class and clinical throughout my program, I always enjoyed clinical more. However, I did well in my classes-I never was on the edge of passing/failing. It wasn't an option for me, so I never allowed it to get to that point.

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Its a 50/50 for me. Depending on what the topic was for lecture and who was the one doing the lecture..and what facility we were at and what we were "allowed" to do.

I'm an LPN. My clinical rotations were mostly rehab and LTC facilities. We did do a semester in a local hospital but the nurses weren't taking too kindly to any students (RN or LPN) so my experience wasn't what it could have been during that time. I loved going to one particular clinical site and loathed another. Loved one particular teacher and despised another..so you see it was a mixed bag for me

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Clinical over classes Clinical is ALWAYS productive Some classes on the other hand ... complete waste of time and money

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Right now I'm finishing up maternity and I hate this rotation so I don't like class or clinicals. But normally I like clinicals better. I like actually seeing and doing things rather then sitting in class learning about everything. I understand things better when I'm seeing it or performing the task.

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As much as it pains me to say this, I absolutely HATE clinicals. Well, clinicals this semester, anyway. I had a horrible, drill sergeant CI who made me feel like an idiot for asking questions (wasnt even allowed to ask her about abbreviations used on the floor specific to that hospital, ugh!) and on top of that, I felt like a glorified CNA. I only performed two skills the entire rotation that wasnt something Im allowed to do at my current job as a Med Aid... Gave one subq injection and removed some staples. I have been a CMA for 7 years, I think I got it down by now!!! I had really hoped clinicals in the hospital would be challenging, exciting and NEW..

As far as class goes, I really do enjoy most of them. Sometimes I cant keep my eyes open, they are so boring, but thats usually not the case. I really enjoy the skills lab, too. I like to be able to practice my skills before the clinical setting.

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This is my first semester of nursing classes but I really can't decide which one I like better. I love the prof that teaches most of our lecture classes. I have never been one to enjoy sitting though hours of class but I really love going to school on lecture days.

I enjoy clinicals also because it is hands on and I am more of a hands on type of learner. Right now though, we are only doing in lab clinicals and don't start actually working with patients for another 3 or so weeks so I guess I will see how much I like clinicals still then.

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I prefer clinical way over class. It's not that I dont enjoy the material, it's the fact that I'm not the best test taker. I learn way better by seeing/doing things. Books are not 100% my thing.

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Clinical, unless I'm dealing with kids. I'd rather chew broken glass than work with kids.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.
Clinical, unless I'm dealing with kids. I'd rather chew broken glass than work with kids.

:lol2::lol2::lol2:

This made me laugh so hard! I have kids, and I don't think I would want to be a peds or neonate nurse!

I like both...class is necessary to get the concepts, lab is necessary to practice without killing someone, and clinical is where the rubber meets the road. I try to put it all together with all three course components, so I can't really say which I "like" better.

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