I SURVIVED and NO ONE DIED! (Student Post-First Day of Clinical!)

First Clinical Experience:


On my first day of clinical I was pretty scared. Not sure how it was going to be. I went in with the thought that I would not be doing much for a couple of weeks and on the first day I was already gowning and gloving and passing instruments! I was not nervous and I was so excited. I enjoyed my first day of clinical but perhaps it was ‘beginner’s luck’ because then on the second day I was dropping things and touching things that were not sterile. But when I saw that others that have been there for awhile still made mistakes too, I knew I couldn’t beat myself up about it. I have gotten to see D&C’s, Tonsillectomies, and Breast Biopsies. I feel that I am learning so much at clinical and I know that I am going to learn so much more. The staff people at my clinical site have been so helpful, and the doctors have been helpful also; teaching me the procedures and the scrub tech’s have been teaching me names of the instruments. I learned quickly that I didn’t have to go in to clinical knowing everything and I was relieved by that. I will learn as I go. By the end of my first clinical experience, I hope to expand my knowledge and I only plan to get better as I go.

Michelle Riskedahl