By Jessica McCleary
What you need to take with you to clinicals: nursing uniform; ID badge for the hospital you are at; clinical syllabus (if there is one); a notebook, notebook paper and a clipboard, or something else to take notes on; a black pen (pencils and colored pens cannot be used for charting)
What you might want to take with you to clinicals: drug book (once you have one), medical dictionary (very useful for looking up patients’ medical conditions), nursing diagnosis handbook, class notes, care plan or care map paperwork (depending on what your course requires), assessment paperwork, and extra copies of any paperwork.
Tips for Clinicals:
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Keep busy during the entire clinical. Not only does this make the time go faster, it also makes a good impression on the staff and your clinical instructor. If you finish all you patient care, look up your patient’s medical diagnoses and medications. Finish any paperwork that you need to complete for clinicals. Read through your patient’s chart (The more you do this, the easier it is to find the information you need). Ask the nurses and patient care assistants if any of them need help. You are the person who controls how much you learn and experience at clinicals, not your instructor. |
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Take responsibility for your actions. If you make a mistake, either by doing something wrong or by forgetting to do something, don’t ignore it or try to hide it. Tell your instructor, and be honest about what happened. It is always better to acknowledge errors so that they can be corrected. |
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If you don’t understand something, ask about it. Take the opportunity during your years as a student to ask questions of the nurses, doctors, and other staff on the floor. They’re generally more understanding of students asking questions than they would be of an RN asking the same questions. |
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Work as a team. Your classmates can be excellent resources if you need help turning or bathing the patient, can’t read the doctor’s handwriting in the chart, or need someone to cover your patient. Also, people are generally more willing to help you if you have been willing to help them in the past, so remember that teamwork goes both ways. |
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Communicate with your instructor. Depending on the type of instructor, this can either mean discussing your patient and your experiences with your instructor or talking about problems that may have come up. Part of communicating is listening. No matter whether you agree with it or not, pay attention to what your instructor says. |
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Clinical Sites
MetroHealth
Address: 2500 MetroHealth Dr., Cleveland, OH 44109
Web site: http://www.metrohealth.org/
Transportation: It is best to drive there, or if you don’t have a car, find someone to carpool with. While it is possible to get there via the RTA system, there is no direct route.
Driving Directions: Online map sites have decent directions to Metro. Basically, if you’re coming from campus, get on I-71 South. At the I-90/I-71 split, stay on I-71 South. Get off at the 25th Street/Pearl Rd. exit. Follow the ramp to W 25th St. and turn left onto W 25th. MetroHealth will be on your right. Turn right onto MetroHealth Drive. For directions coming from other locations, MetroHealth’s web site provides basic directions from just about every direction you could be coming from.
Parking: The cheapest place to park is the outdoor employee parking lot on the left-hand side of MetroHealth Drive if you’re coming from W 25th St. There are also two parking garages available, though it costs about twice as much to park in them.
Commute Time: It takes about half an hour to get to MetroHealth from the Case campus, but it’s a good idea to allow for at least 45 minutes, in case of heavy traffic or, on the first day, to find where you need to be.
What to take with you: regular clinical materials, ID (if you have been issued one; if not, you will get one on the first day), lunch or money to buy lunch in the cafeteria, money for parking (it’s good to have at least $10 on the first day, until you know exactly how much it will cost per day)
Available in the hospital: cafeteria, ATM (by the cafeteria), coffee shop (though it’s kind of expensive), gift shop
University Hospitals
Address: 11100 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44106
Web site: http://www.uhhs.com/
Transportation: Since University Hospitals is located on the Case campus, it’s easy to get to. You can either walk there or take the Commuter Shuttle, which stops outside the main entrance of Lerner Tower. It is possible to get a parking pass for the parking garage, but it costs extra. Your clinical instructor should be able to help you get one if you are interested.
Commute Time: UH is fifteen minutes from the north or the south side of campus
What to take with you: regular clinical materials, ID badge, lunch or money for lunch
Available in the hospital: Cafeteria, Einstein’s Bagels, Java Jive Coffee, ATMs (in the cafeteria or near Java Jive), gift shop, pharmacy
Cleveland Clinic
Address: 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44195
Web site: http://cms.clevelandclinic.org/
Transportation/Directions: Cleveland Clinic can be reached either by driving or taking the bus. If you are taking the bus, you will want to get on the 9/9X or the 6, headed west toward downtown. Both of them make several stops along Euclid on campus, with the easiest place to catch one being the stop near Severance, in front of the KSL Oval. If you are driving, take Euclid west to the Cleveland Clinic campus (starts at 101st St.), then proceed to whichever of the parking lots you have been assigned to.
Parking: Due to the ongoing construction project, there is less parking now than in the past. To obtain a parking permit, students should go to the Chester Conference Center, located on E 97th St. between Chester Ave. and Euclid Ave.
Commute Time: It takes about ten minutes to get to Cleveland Clinic from the Case campus by car, or fifteen minutes by bus.
What to take with you: regular clinical materials, ID badge (if you have yet to be issued an ID badge, you will need $10 to get one), lunch or money for lunch
Available in the hospital: cafeteria, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, ATM (near cafeteria entrance), bank, gift shop
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