I had my last adult clinical today. Although I don't graduate until next semester, we won't have any more adult clinicals for the remainder of school. Psych doesn't really count, since we won't do a lot of true patient care in terms of meds or skills. It's a little scary, considering I've now "learned" everything I need to know about adult med-surg nursing.
While I know clinicals can't ever truly prepare you for what the real nursing world is like, it's strange that we get two semesters of one-day-a-week adult med-surg, and when it's over...it's over. We're now expected to have a firm grasp on what med-surg is like, even though we never had more than 2 patients, always had preclinical and time to research the patients, never got to do anything without supervision, and rarely had the opportunity to practice clinical skills.
All I can say is...if I were to be turned loose tomorrow, I might accidentally kill someone.
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Yikes. We've had three semesters that included adult clinicals, and this semester has been 2 days a week with up to three patients. It has really increased my confidence while at the same time also showing me that there is a lot I don't know. It's nice to remember that we'll be precepted as RNs until we're likely to not kill somebody!
I'm SO glad we'll be precepted! Also, I have an externship this summer in the ED, shadowing a nurse...so I'm sure I'll feel much more confident when that's over!
My sentiment exactly. HOLY COW, I can't believe I am done. Good thing I will be in the ED getting experience cause I am totally not prepared. Although, i think we know more then we think we do, I think, maybe, ya know.
All this stuff about externships, precepterships, etc. Why don't we just go back to a 3 year degree? The 3 year degree people would run the hospital; with older supervisors; on the third shift. Thats how they got experience. They were working on the shift that ran a little slower or quieter. Then they could practice what they were taught.
Steve
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