For medical interns, their first clinical rotation can be unnerving. Understandably, every nurse who is about to take her first career steps wishes for a great experience on the initial clinical rotations. After all, the practice they’ll develop on these rotations will stay with them for the rest of their professional lives.
But anxiety can grip you if you are properly prepared for the huge responsibility that is about to be placed on your shoulders.
This article will help you find the answers to the countless number of questions you have in mind about clinical rotations.
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How to make it through your first clinical rotation?
Whether you are nurse in training or physiotherapy intern, the following tips will help you cope with the pressure of your first rotational.
Befriend your seniors
Seniors were at some point in their professional lives in the same place you are. They can provide you with firsthand experiential knowledge of how to make it through. Broach the subject in their presence, and you will be surprised how forthcoming with information your seniors can be.
Hit the books
Make sure you’re clear on the concepts before you begin your rotation. Reference handbooks can be useful in such situations. Revising previous lectures and course content will help jog your memory.
Pressure has a way of confusing people, so you need to be hitting your study material hard at least a week before the rotation.
Practice clinical skills in advance
Being a student or an intern, it is likely that you do not have any past experience in the field. However, you must familiarize yourself with the nature of the job in advance.
This is where programs like AGACNP master’s degree can help you get a taste of the clinical life in advance. Getting to know the practice inside and out without having to worry about the consequences is excellent training for the young aspiring nurses.
You can also get this much-needed knowledge by attending seminars, workshops, and by practicing with your peers in a play-pretend or make-believe setup.
Stay open to learning
Open-mindedness is a key trait that young, up-and-coming nurses have to develop. It enables them to absorb as much clinical-care-related knowledge as possible.
Open-mindedness also entails being open to varying viewpoints and knowledge areas, learning and absorbing insights from everyone as you go. Every insight is invaluable as it will help you make a good diagnosis or prescription plan in the future.
Pay a great deal of attention to your initial experiences in health care as these have the potential learning opportunities that will pay you dividends well into the future.
Keep a journal
Keeping a journal can serve you well when you are about to embark on your first rotation. It can become a place you jot down your thoughts, ideas, and insights from the doctors on duty.
Register patient history in the journal, which will help you honing your differential diagnosis skills. Your first rotation will be overwhelming. Your journal will make sure you don’t miss anything important.
Pack your bag the night before
Make sure you have packed your bag overnight. Pack scrubs, lab coat, journal, a pen, watch, penlight, reference handbooks, and any other supplies that might be useful.
Prepare yourself for your big day psychologically. It will calm your nerves and help you in overcoming anxiety.
Ask probing questions but avoid asking too many
Ask the right questions that will help you get to the answers. While, a comprehensive account of the condition is critical for reaching better diagnosis, too many questions can be irritating and off-putting.
Being empathetic with the patients can be a great way of helping them open up to you and relax in your presence.
Offer help and ask for it
Don’t be too hard on yourself. Asking for help does not mean that you are weak or ignorant. It only means that you are open to suggestions and recommendations, and that everyone needs a helping hand, a listening ear, or a shoulder to cry on from time to time.
Assist those who can use your help with the workload – be they your instructors or colleagues. In this way, you can also build rapport and connections with your colleagues.
Familiarize yourself with the surroundings
Many clinical interns are required to point patients in the right direction, which requires them to be familiar with the layout of the premises. It can be quite embarrassing for a nurse, donning the medical overalls, to not be able to point patients to where a specific doctor sits.
Familiarizing yourself with your facility’s surroundings will help you make the right turns onto the quickest routes in the hospital. The last thing you would want to find yourself in is a situation where you are asking for directions from other people.
Ideally, you should visit the hospital a day before the rotation. On the rotation day, stick with your group and don’t lose sight of your team until you are done with the assignment.
Communicate
Communicate is key when it comes to learning as much as you can on your first clinical rotation. Adjust yourself quickly to the learning style of the instructor.
Communication is also extremely critical when it comes to treating patients. Misunderstandings can lead to tragic results, which might put your career in jeopardy before it has the time even to take off. Maintain clear communication with the patients and the other medical staff at the hospital to soak up as much learning as you can on your rotations.
Keep your expectations real
Know that every newbie is prone to making mistakes. It is normal, and a critical part of the learning process. Don’t fret about making mistakes.
It is better to accept where you are wrong than to resist and embarrass yourself in the end.
Stay positive and confident
Trust your instincts. You have to believe in your abilities. If you doubt yourself every now and then, you will not be able to make good decisions.
It is the reason why staying confident is so much important for giving a good clinical performance.
Accept Feedback
As a trainee, you should accept constructive criticism. It will only help you refine your skills further. Showing rigidity in the face of suggestion will only harm your future conduct. But don’t let the criticism faze you.
It is okay to feel upset when you fail to meet expectations. Just remember that you are going through the learning phase of your life. You are entitled to make mistakes.
Treat Yourself
Don’t forget to take some time out for yourself. Keeping up with the requirements of the new role can be stressful. Therefore, do not forget to enjoy life.
You can hang out with friends or work colleagues. These are the people who will surround you for the next three to four years. Try to build trust and compassion in the workplace.
Final Thoughts
Clinical rotations can be one of the most exciting yet intimidating periods of a nurse’s life. They enable a medical student to learn and act professionally. There are numerous challenges that could come your way. The best strategy is to develop familiarity with the nature of work, develop fair and balanced expectations, and an understanding of the job requirements.
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