Here at the Concord campus our vocational nursing students are entering the halfway mark of their module and oh boy, are they happy!  For group 13, this module was their first time in a clinical situation.  Many of the students had never performed real life hands-on care for a patient before.  Over the last five weeks I have seen these students grow with confidence and ability.  Many of the students are finding out that the clinical rotation just doesn’t teach patient care, it also incorporates a good work ethic.  They are learning the value of good communication skills, working with multiple disciplinary teams (physical therapy, dietary, social service, etc) and how to prioritize their assignment.

The first thing I instruct my students on when they report to clinical is “you will only get out of clinical what you put in.”  They are learning the true meaning behind that saying.  Not only are the students learning their practical skills, the nursing staff is also watching them.  The LVN nursing staff is looking for potential new hires.  The nursing staff has the opportunity to see how the students interact with patients and other staff before they hire them. So remember students, you are not only being watch by your instructor, the staff is evaluating you, too.