Which semester or class did you start clinicals?

garnetbeauty82 · Jul 29, 2007

I will be starting my frist semester for an ADN program this fall and I can hardly wait. I was just wondering when I could expect to start clinicals. In which semester or class did you start clinicals? Thanks in advance!!!
Amy

Hi Amy~

It really depends on the program at your school. I know at mine I started my pre-req's and it took exactly two years to start the actual nursing program and clinical's. At our school the waiting list is so long you pretty much have to be done with pre-req's before you get into the program or even on the waiting list! But once I got into the Nursing program we started clinical's the first semester. I had one clinical my first semester, two theory classes and two labs. This semester the first five weeks I had a clinical and a theory class and the second five weeks I had a clinical and a theory class. In the fall I have two theory classes, two labs and two clinical's. Every program varies on what they do though. If I were you I'd ask around my school to find out the "scoop" so to speak. Good luck!

Hugs

Tisha

MB37 · Jul 29, 2007

We start our second semester of the actual nursing program - mine's an ABSN, and it will be in August.

Stacy2009 · Jul 29, 2007

At my school we start the first semester of the nursing program. We start school on Aug. 20 and clinicals will start the week of Sept. 24, we will have theory 2 days a week and one day of lab which is only 4 hours and 4 hour clinical one day a week. On Aug 15 we have an orientation. I am so excited and also so nervous. Good luck to everyone.

Bonny619 · Jul 29, 2007

First semester of an ADN program. We started clinicals after 5 weeks of lecture.

barbaratruth, RN · Jul 29, 2007

We started in the first semester, but it was only once weekly for six weeks and we were very limited in what we could do. The second semester was twice weekly for eight weeks.

amwhit · Jul 29, 2007

Thanks to everyone who answered so far! I will be taking Pharmacology, Health Assessment and Fundamentals in my first semester. I also have 2 days of lab with Fundamentals. I wasn't sure if the labs would be all that is required or if we would have some sort of clinical as well. I start on Aug 15th and have orientation at the end of next week so I will find out for sure very soon. I just was trying to plan ahead for adjusting my work schedule. Thanks.

BSUCraig · Jul 29, 2007

At my school you would start clinicals in the 3rd semester or when you start 200 level nursing classes.

suzy253, RN · Jul 29, 2007

In my nursing school, we started clinicals in the 1st semester. I think it was about 5-6 weeks into the program.

BoonersmomRN · Jul 29, 2007

We started 1rst semester in the 4th week. We started in LTC for 3 weeks and then we moved to a Med/Surg floor

capribry · Jul 29, 2007

I'm in a RN in program and we started our 1st semester about 4 weeks into it. We had skill lab clinicals since the 1st day which taught us basic things and gives us practice before we actually go to the hospital. My school has the most clinical hours in my area. Our 1st semester we had to 125 hours. I'm in my 3rd semester now and we have 225 hours of clinical time. We can only miss 10% of the hours or we will fail the course. We have clinical 2x a week for 7.5 hours each. It's great because I'm a hands on person so all that clinical time to practice on real patients is wonderful.

supermo · Jul 29, 2007

It seems that the standard practice is to have clinicals about a month or so into Fundy for ADN/ASN. Like others, our program had 2 days of lab to begin with and a day off (woo-hoo), about 6 weeks in we had 1 lab and 2 days clinical. We also began in LTC and then went to different units in the hospital.

Does your school have a Student Nursing Assoc chapter? They provided us with loads of advice and info on the classes, clinicals, and instructors. Unfortunately our school has decided that we no longer need SNA..... grrr.

I know that you are super eager to know everything and trust me, we have all been there :)

GOOD LUCK!!!!!