Clinicals are one of the most important parts of your nursing education. With everything that may be on your mind at the time, it’s important to remember proper communication and etiquette during each one. To practice good etiquette and common courtesy during each of your clinical rotations: Introduce yourself to the nurses on duty Ask if you can help out in any way Respect their territory and time Always be polite At the end, thank...  Read More »

Sarah Whitlock has three words to describe her reaction to seeing a hand in a ditch while driving late one August night: “I was petrified.” The 21-year-old nursing student who attends Presentation College in Aberdeen, S.D., was driving along South Fork Road in Cody, WY—her hometown—around 11:30 p.m. on August 12. Despite the darkness, she saw a hand sticking out of a roadside ditch. “It scared me half to death,”...  Read More »

After performing pop rock country tunes on a bright stage surrounded by tens of thousands of screaming fans, Jason Marks should be able to perform clinical rotations with a steady hand. “It was very exciting and more fun than I’ve had in a long time,” says Marks with a slight Southern drawl. Marks, who attends Cape Fear Community College (CFCC) in Wilmington, N.C., has been a practicing musician for several years and has...  Read More »

Forty days and counting! Graduation is sneaking right up on me! I can’t believe how fast this semester has gone by, and I am starting to feel a little sad about the end of nursing school (never thought that day would come). Nursing school has been a place where I have found who I am, and who I want to become. It has forced me to make hard decisions and instilled in me the ability to think critically in a variety of instances. I will...  Read More »

For many nursing students, the last semester of college is a wonderful, memorable time. Classes are winding down, people start treating you like the adult you are, and free time and good friends are easy to find. Then a funny thing happens. Reality sets in. And you can spell reality with three letters: J-O-B. Our Last Semester columnist, Chelsea, gives us a glimpse into the anxiety. In the past few weeks of her clinical experience, Chelsea...  Read More »