Clinical Reflection

As semester two of nursing school came around, I had a variety of mixed feelings. I was unsure of what type of differences are going to arise. Things that are out of my comfort zone tend to send me into an anxious disposition. As always, this was the case in the beginning of clinical. The new clinical site, new instructors, new students, it all sent me into that mode of momentary nerviness. As time has passed, I have learned to have confidence and believe in myself, as well as my skills. I believe that the first seven weeks of clinical have been rewarding in many ways. Some of the rewards from clinical have been the patients, the instructors, and the team work. Each of these aspects have aided in my personal and professional growth.
In the

Whenever one of us is having a bad day, or just simply needs help, there is always someone willing to give a few minutes of their time to help out. This teamwork is refreshing because unfortunately, it’s not something that is experienced all the time throughout life. One great piece of clinical is that many of the patients I have had, have an illness related to what we are learning in class. For example, during the respiratory unit I had a patient with a pleural effusion. This was a perfect time for me to test my new knowledge and actually visualize the signs and symptoms that I had recently learned. As far as the environment of clinical goes, 2 West is a generally well organized floor to be working on. The staff on the floor that I have had the opportunity to work with have been respectful and sympathetic towards not only the patients, but us students as well because most of them have been in our shoes. I also enjoy that the patient demographics consist of all ages, not just elderly. I have had the opportunity to care for a younger man, and I have had opportunities to care for the older population. Experiencing different age groups, and different health issues leads me to think about where I would like to continue my education. Clinical has also allowed me to

Another thing that I have enjoyed in the first seven weeks of clinical is the adult and pediatric out rotations. For me, these rotations gave me exactly what I wanted, which was to experience the office setting. I have always had interest in the office setting, and these out rotations allowed for me to experience it and think about if it is something that I would want to pursue in the future. Overall I believe that I am doing great. Everything new takes some adjusting, but I have done well for something that is new to me. I am always right on track with my morning vitals and physical assessment. The computer system does take time to memorize and learn but it has been getting better. As for personal growth, as mentioned, I have gained more self-assurance. Some days, walking in and seeing my patient, especially if they are extremely sick, I feel overwhelmed and taken back. I have learned to tell myself that I can do anything if I put my mind to it, and stop thinking negatively. Of course, getting help from instructors or classmates allows for me to gain a positive attitude. As far as professional growth goes, I believe that I have gained more sureness and swiftness in my skills. I can easily go