Tips for Nursing Clinicals and What to Expect
Your first clinical is tomorrow. You’re so excited to finally get some hands-on experience after all your pre-requisites and reading about nursing theory for the past year and a half.
But why are you so nervous?
*Read and Listen: Stray Kids "Boxer"
It’s completely normal. I remember the day before my first clinical for Fundamentals of Nursing (Funds) I couldn’t sleep a wink. My mind was racing with all the possibilities that could happen the following day.
What if I’m asked a question I can’t answer? What if I’m asked to do something I have no idea how to do? What do I do if a patient stops breathing? I hope my clinical instructor doesn’t leave my side.
Here are some tips to get over those nerves and feel 500% ready for clinicals:
Take a deep breath when you feel overwhelmed.
This goes for both during clinicals and the night before. It’s important to get a good night’s sleep the night before your clinicals, because chances are, it’s a 7:00 AM clinical in some faraway place that will take at least a 90-minute train ride.
You’re probably going to need to wake up at some ungodly hour before the sun comes out to work, the streets are deserted, and you feel the need to carry pepper spray in case you get mugged. That may be a good idea.
We can’t buy pepper spray without licensing in New York, so I just carried a spray bottle of alcohol. Safety first.
You don’t need to know everything.
Remember that this is just your first clinical. No one expects you to know the signs and symptoms of chronic heart failure. You are here to learn, and that entails asking questions.
If you ever find yourself not understanding something, ask questions. If the nurse you’re shadowing asks you to help them do something that you have no clue how to do, ask questions.
Don’t worry about worrying whether your question sounds dumb, because we’ve all been there. The nurses I’ve shadowed were all incredibly kind and caring, but it’s possible you’ll get a nurse who’s snappy and rude. And that brings me to my next point.
Angry or Rude Staff Nurse?
If you’re feeling a bad vibe or staff are angry and rude to you, it’s not your fault. I know it’s easier said than done, but just pick yourself up, brush it off, and keep going.
It’s not that they hate you or that you’re doing something wrong, but that they are probably tired and overworked. Most nurses work 12 hour shifts and some even do overtime, and anyone would be cranky after that long of time. As of yet, I have not shadowed a nurse like this, and pray I never will.
Pack everything you need the night before
Do this to avoid needing to run around in the morning. You’ll be late! Put out your scrubs, take out your shoes, have your packed bag by the door, and be ready to go go go! Tips on what to bring below.
My first clinical experience
As your first clinical experience in Funds, you’re probably going to be going to a nursing home. Most patients there are too elderly to live on their own and require constant care from nurses and staff.
This means you’ll mostly be helping with feeding, changing sheets, taking vitals, and doing bed baths.
Bed baths, bed baths, bed baths.
This is an extremely important skill to learn in Funds and you will definitely be doing it often. Don’t underestimate it. Personally speaking, learning how to give a bed bath efficiently without straining my back was harder than I imagined it to be.
My first clinical was in the spring semester of 2020 (Jan 2020), which was right when COVID-19 arrived in America and everything was shut down, including clinicals.
I was only able to attend two days (about 10 hours’ worth) of clinicals in a nursing home before we were forced to leave. But in one shift, I gave three bed baths, and I would be lying if I said my muscles weren’t killing me by the end of it.
One of the most important things we as future nurses need to do is protect our backs, as I’m sure your professors have told you countless times. We’re young now and think we can turn that patient ourselves, but from personal experience, it is always better to ask for help.
No one will think you’re a weakling. Don’t forget you still have decades left on the job.
I was with a classmate when I gave my first bed bath. The nurse had left us to our own devices and was missing the whole time. It was the most confusing, frantic experience I had ever had.
You can laugh now, but at the time, I was going insane. The patient was heavy, neither of us knew what we were doing, and we forgot to bring in important materials like butt ointment and sheets before we started. I had to run in and out of the room countless times, and each time had to take off our gloves and do hand hygiene. We both felt so sorry to that patient afterwards.
But honestly, the worst part of that experience is that there was absolutely no communication between us two student nurses and the patient.
The room was silent except for the two of us trying to wipe down this patient. The patient’s eyes were glued to the TV. As nurses, it’s important to keep a dialogue with the patient to help them stay comfortable.
Some patients in nursing homes may be lonely and bored because the facility is understaffed, and family may not always have time to visit.
I would recommend conversing with patients every now and then if they are willing to. Some patients may even draw you into conversation. Embrace this and be genuine about it. Nothing is more awkward than an ingenuine conversation. Of course, some patients may want you to leave them alone. Thank them for their time and quietly leave their room.
We should respect everyone’s privacy.
What should I study?
I know a lot of you are probably worrying about whether you need to prepare, how you can prepare, and whether you need to read your Fundamentals textbook or not.
Like I said earlier, no one will expect you to know everything. That being said, and though this is obvious, know material relevant to your class.
Though not all programs are the same, if you’re only a few weeks into the semester, you’ve probably learned things like infection control, anatomy of the heart & lungs, and doing a head-to-toe assessment.
We had just learned how to take vitals and to auscultate the heart and lungs. If you’re not too sure on those skills, I’d recommend brushing up on them, especially key things like the landmarks for auscultating the heart.
Other than those things, I would not stress over re-reading your textbook. I have never felt that that would help me prepare for clinicals and retain more information than I had the first time.
It’s dry and it’s repetitive. You’ve already done that work for the lecture and lab portion of your class and what you’ve learned will help you with clinicals. The rest of the clinical experience are things you simply can’t learn from a textbook.
What should I bring?
I would recommend packing light.
The nurses’ lounge is usually quite small and won’t have a lot of space to place your belongings. Bring a small bag with essentials like water, some snacks (like granola bars) and a few bills in case you need to buy something.
Do not bring valuables unless they’re necessary, like your phone, which you should put in your scrubs pocket while working. No one will be watching your things and they can get stolen.
I usually bring a small notebook for writing things down. And always bring a pen. My professor once said that a good nurse always carries a pen. Most importantly, bring your stethoscope, a penlight, and if your school requires, a watch with a second hand and your nametag.
After reading all this, you may still be as nervous as ever for your first clinicals. But just remember: you’ve worked hard and have made it this far. You are fully capable of handling anything clinicals throws at you!
If you have any questions, feel free to comment below or email!
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