How to Survive, Succeed, and Thrive in Your Clinical Rotations

Connie Lawson, RN, BSN, MSN, FNP(c)
University of Missouri-Kansas City

People (other students and coworkers in general) are always asking me, "How do you do it? How do you get it all done?," and I typically always say the same thing. When it comes to fitting in all of the activities of a busy mom, student, and employee, having a good support system always makes the difference between success and failure. I can't even begin to imagine how or why some students try to do it alone. A basic fundamental part of obtaining higher education is learning to construct and format support systems, and this is especially true of nursing students.

Yes, although it's true that some are martyrs who want to beleaguer and muttle the education process, we as students need to make sure that we are adequately prepared to give 100% of our effort to acquire our educational goals. This means that we need to, first and foremost, make a commitment to our own educational goals. We need to visualize ourselves in the final accomplished stage of whatever our educational endeavor is and then make a commitment to do whatever necessary to reach those goals. So, if your primary goal was like mine, to complete a master's degree, then you would simply picture yourself standing up at the podium accepting your diploma. But don't stop there: Picture yourself with cap and gown, and look at yourself with your honors regalia. Now you're getting the picture. Visualize yourself where you want to be in the future, and imagine what you will experience with your newfound success.

Next, you need to take inventory of what's going on in your life. If you're like most students, you're probably already overextended in your daily life and commitments. Therefore, you have to be honest. Formulate a plan of action. What will it take to get you from point A to point B? One thing necessary to all is a properly laid support foundation. Start this process by telling everyone you know that you are going back to school. Don't be afraid of failure. In fact, never let that become part of your vernacular. When you announce that you'll be focusing on higher education, ask your friends, family, and coworkers for their support in this process. If you think that you'll need help (and you know you will), start asking for future help and support. This could be anything from carpooling the kids to their activities to trading shifts if you get into scheduling nightmares with all of your upcoming examinations and clinical requirements. The amount of support you'll get from family, neighbors, coworkers, and other members of your community will surprise you.

Once that's complete, you can begin to organize and strategize a plan for study commitments and clinical requirements. Invest in quality supplies. Take my word, you will need them and will get a huge return on your investment. You need to be organized, so, when you are purchasing things, always try to get multi-function products. For example, get a calendar that has enough space to write in all of your personal family commitments as well as your educational commitments. When purchasing educational resources, make sure that you can use that information in your future career. These small organizational tasks can make the difference in being a well-prepared student versus a disorganized, confused, barely-hanging-in-there student. Believe it or not, these disorganized and barely-hanging-in-there students are the ones that go on to fail or regret not quite learning all they needed to succeed.

Finally, once you have your support network built up, you need to begin anticipating what is required of you in the clinical setting. Look at your individual program requirements. Really concentrate on what your core competencies are for each class and think of ways to address each individual competency. Periodically make personal assessments of where you are and where you need to be. Identify your strengths and weakness, and focus the bulk of your time on activities to improve your weaknesses. Always think in measurable terms so you can mark your progress. Put things in writing, and review them often. Ask preceptors, mentors, and facility for their input. But be cautious if you ask for feedback. You must be willing, open, and receptive to criticism. Then you must be willing to consider incorporating their feedback into your plans. After all, obtaining higher education means that you're willing to begin a commitment to opening your ways of thinking and that you're ready for change.

To conclude, I will leave you with words of encouragement. Go forth with your dreams and aspirations. Make commitments for obtaining your educational goals, and set down rigid, formidable plans that will allow you to become a successful student. Plan your time accordingly; if you know that you need to study 30 hours per week for clinical success, then make sure you have the resources to help you achieve that goal. Place your study information at strategic locations. I have books everywhere in my car (in case I'm stuck waiting for someone or something), in my locker at work (in case I get a break or unusually quick shift), and next to my bed (in case I don't pass out from exhaustion-reading text books usually is a quick cure for insomnia). Also, keep things in perspective. If all else fails and your master plans get off track, start the next week over by setting new goals and new plans for achieving success.