I have been in the nursing program for 8 weeks so far and I start clinicals on April 1st in a nursing home. Our teachers love to keep us in the dark about what we are doing and what they expect. I know that we have to make a nursing plan for our patient each week, but I was wondering what are some of the things that you during your 12 hours per week in the nursing home?

Well, I am officially finished with them for this semester! They went pretty good. My insructor was a little too easy and didn't provide any constructive criticism, which could hurt me in my next set. We got assigned a different patient every week and had to make a care plan for them and revise it as necessary. The first week I got a resident on hospice with a stage 4 pressure ulcer with MRSA (and had her the second week as well), the third week I got the resident on the floor with really bad dementia and behavior problems (she has sent several people to the hospital for biting), and the third week I had a resident who had really bad OCD. Even though I was assigned the most challenging patients in my group (there were seven of us students), I really enjoyed it. I actually got through to the woman with the behaviors and she ended up really liking me. Starting May 23rd we go to the hospital (I think the orthopedic floor or cardiac floor). I am really nervous for that!

It starts with bedmaking, bathing, vital signs, and getting patient info from charts to use on your profiles.  You might help them with their meals and do some housekeeping.  It's tough because you're always clueless wondering what you should be doing, then it's kind of boring.  You're supposed to do physical assessments on each patient.  Eventually, you give meds with the teacher.

Along the way, you're expected to use what you've been taught in class.  Hanging an IV bag, using the IV pump, inserting a Foley, dressing change...etc.  It seems like a blessing to have the easy patients, the ones without IVs that only need some PO meds.  It turns out to be a curse when you're 3 semesters into class and never touched an IV.

I have finished my second clinical rotation and I thought I would share my experience with those who are just starting out. For my second semester in the program I was at the hospital on the medical surgical unit. I really liked this rotation, but it was a LOT different than the nursing home. We were assigned our patients after class on Wednesday nights and had to go home and write up pathos, look up meds, and make a care plan, which ended up being about 20 pages and 6-12 hours of work! Needless to say when I got there at seven thirty everyone was exhausted. I was assigned a vast variety of patients- meningitis, encephalitis, drug ODs, liver failure, renal insufficiency, dehydration, and chronic epistaxis to name a few. I got to watch a lot of procedures, and even ride in an ambulance for the first time. A lot of times my patient on Thursday would end up being discharged so I had to redo my paperwork Thursday nights. Charting is still a little difficult for me just because the program the hospital used is pretty difficult to navigate.

The hardest part about this semester, which was surprising, was class, not clinicals. I passed every week of clinicals (we are allowed to fail one). There were times when when I felt like giving up, couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel, and times when I didn't think I was going to pass the class, and unfortunately a lot of my friends didn't :( You just have to push through and think positive...and study every minute of every day!! Now I have one class left before I am considered second year!

clinicals are doing what you've learned in class.

Can't wait i think we start clinicals like two weeks into the program

Don't PANIC- I guess fear of the unknown is what gets you @ first!!!!! But clinicals gives you a chance to experience what you have only talked and learned about in textbooks!!!!!! I actually enjoyed my time @ clinicals-learning to work with other members of the healthcare team, putting your knowledge and skills to the test, and practicing patience when you have don't think you have any left to give!!!!!!