How to Make the Most Out of Your Clinical Rotations

An important aspect of your nursing education is your clinical rotations. Your clinicals involve direct patient care and allow you to use the skills you've learned in the classroom and simulation labs. You may be excited to get started working with patients. However, you may also feel a little intimidated and unsure of yourself. Keep in mind, every new nurse stood exactly where you do when they were starting out.

Understanding what to expect from your clinical rotations and how to make the most of them is helpful for having the best experience possible. The article below provides some tips and suggestions for excelling during your clinical.

What to Expect from Your Rotations

Classroom learning teaches anatomy, pharmacology, and helps you develop the fundamentals of nursing. It is an essential part of your nursing program. Your simulation lab allows you to practice some of the skills you learned in the classroom.

However, your clinical rotations provide a chance to work in a medical setting and see firsthand what goes into patient care and treatment. You also have the opportunity to work with other healthcare professionals, including doctors, therapists, and technicians.

Individual clinical rotation experiences may vary depending on your state requirements and school. For example, the number of hours needed may vary according to your state's nursing licensing board. Some schools only place students on the day shift. While others require a night shift rotation.

The length of time you spend at each clinical site may also vary. For instance, you may have clinical rotations one or more days a week for several weeks or the entire semester.

Depending on your specific program, your clinical rotations may include sites such as the following:

• Acute care hospitals and medical centers

• Sub-acute care facilities and rehabilitation hospitals

• Skilled nursing homes

• Home health agency

• Community health centers and clinics

During your rotation, you'll work under the direction of a licensed nurse who will act as your preceptor for your shift. You will likely have different preceptors on different shifts due to scheduling.

The specific tasks you perform during your clinical rotations may vary by site and what semester you are in. Examples of tasks you may perform during your rotations include:

• Taking vital signs

• Obtaining a medical history

• Performing a patient assessment

• Assisting with procedures such as wound care

• IV insertion

• Blood draws

• Emergency procedures such as CPR

One or more of your nursing instructors from your school will also attend your clinical rotation. Specific policies vary. Your nursing instructor may be present at every shift or may show up from time to time. Your school nursing instructor is available for feedback, support, and overall guidance during your rotation.

You'll receive a grade for your clinical rotation, which may include input from one or more of your preceptors. You're likely graded on your skills and attendance, performance, homework assignments, and overall professionalism.  Some schools grade clinical assignments on a pass-fail basis, while others assign a letter grade.

Preparing for Your Rotations

It's normal to feel a little apprehensive or nervous before your clinical rotations. You may have had little or no patient interaction up to this point. Keep in mind that you're still learning, and your instructors and preceptors are there to provide support.

Your school will provide you with instructions and information before going to each clinical rotation. The guidelines may include information such as:

• The type of scrubs to wear, such as a specific color

• Any information you need to provide to the specific location, such as vaccination records

• A name badge from your nursing program

• Information on parking and any security requirements, such as a specific badge to enter the facility

Making the Most of Your Rotations

Your clinical assignments are one of the most important aspects of your nursing program. Each clinical rotation is an opportunity to learn, improve your skills, and network with other nurses. Your clinical rotations allow you to sharpen your knowledge and determine which facility you are interested in applying for a job.

You can do several things to get the most from your clinicals, including the suggestions listed below.

Be prepared: Make sure to show up on time and be prepared with any homework assignments or research you need to do. If there was a concept you were not familiar with during your shift, such as a treatment or medication, research it before your next shift.

Ask questions: Your nursing preceptor and instructors are there to help teach you. Part of the learning experience involves asking questions. Nursing care is sometimes complex, and medicine is constantly evolving. Don't worry about asking what you think is a silly question. Every nurse was once in your shoes as a student and will likely welcome questions.

Focus on patient interaction as much as possible: In some cases, nursing students may focus on specific skills such as IV insertion, medication management, or emergency procedures. However, your patient interaction is also a vital part of your rotations. Your clinical rotations are a great opportunity for you to practice your patient interaction skills. The more patients you talk to, the more comfortable you'll become talking to them about personal details such as their health issues. Good communication skills are essential for nurses. Take advantage of your clinical rotations to improve these skills.

Don't take a backseat: Your rotations are not the time to be shy and just sit back. If you get an opportunity to practice a nursing skill, take it. This even includes tasks you have done multiple times. One way to learn is through repetition. Practicing your skills in different situations with different patients will only enhance your nursing ability.

Have a good attitude: Every task you're asked to complete will not be exciting. For example, you may help a patient with dressing or bathing. Even though you might want to do something more interesting, it's important to have a good attitude in everything that you do. Each patient deserves you to be your best, and it's also important to make a good impression on your preceptors.

Ask for feedback: Whether it's your nursing instructor or your preceptor, ask for feedback. This will help you gauge what you're doing well and what you need to work on. Accept constructive criticism and think of it as a learning experience.

Work hard: Try to be an asset to your preceptor. This may mean asking what you can do to help and not shying away from performing less desirable tasks. Working hard shows your preceptor that you can be a valuable part of the nursing unit. You never know who will be doing the hiring in the future, and it's helpful to make a good impression with everyone.

A Final Thought

Try to use your clinical rotations as an opportunity to learn and develop your nursing skills. Seek out opportunities to grow, improve your skills, and gain knowledge. You may not click with every nurse who acts as your preceptor, so try not to take anything personally.

Work hard, study, and take it all in. Soon, you'll take your boards and apply for your first nursing position. Before you know it, you'll be the preceptor to a new bright-eyed nursing student!

Get more tips, tools, and savings! Subscribe to the Scrub Pro Blog to get monthly updates straight to your inbox, or follow us on Facebook and Instagram!

MaryAnn DePietro CRT is a licensed respiratory therapist at a Northern California trauma center. She received a B.S. degree in Rehabilitation from Penn State University and a degree in respiratory therapy from American River College in Sacramento.

MaryAnn has 18 years of clinical experience as an RT in critical care, labor and delivery, and pulmonary rehabilitation specialties.

In addition, MaryAnn has experience as a medical writer for various newspapers, magazines, and health websites. She has written extensively about sleep disorders, asthma, and pulmonary fibrosis.