Clinical assignments will be the source of frustration throughout a student’s nursing education. Clinical hours will extend into breaks, conflict with work and family matters, and are always subject to change due to factors beyond the control of yourself or CCD.
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| In order to graduate with an Extended Practical Nurse Certificate and take the NCLEX exam for licensure a student must complete 405 hours of clinical assignments for the EPN. |
In order to graduate with an Associates degree and take the NCLEX exam for licensure a student must complete 750 hours of clinical assignments for the RN program (420 hours for bridge students). |
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Clinical requirements per course/semester
NUR 131 Fundamentals—135 hours
NUR 132 Adult Health I—90 hours
NUR 133 OB/Peds—45 hours
NUR 134 Adult Health II—135 hours
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Clinical requirements per course/semester
NUR 109 Fundamentals—90 hours
NUR 150 OB/Peds—90 hours
NUR 106 Med. Surg. I—150 hours
NUR 206 Med. Surg. II—135 hours
NUR 211 Psy. Nursing—60 hours
NUR 216 Adv. Med. Surg.—120 hours
NUR 230 Preceptorship—105 hours
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| Most typically you will be assigned to a clinical for two days during the week. The shifts vary and can be 8, 10, or 12 hours each day. Most of our clinical rotations are 12 hour shifts. |
Frequently Asked Questions Concerning Clinical Assignments:
Q: Can I choose the location, days of the week, or time of day for my clinical assignment?
A: No. Clinicals are assigned with a minimum of 48 hours of advanced notice. We contract out for placements and we can not accommodate personal schedules.
Q: Can I refuse a clinical assignment?
A: No.
Q: What if my clinical assignment conflicts with my work schedule?
A: We recommend that you not work during nursing school. However, we understand that most of you do need to work. Because of the limited number of placements we cannot excuse you from clinicals because of work. You must arrange your work schedule around your clinicals.
Q: When and how will I be notified of my clinical assignments?
A: We e-mail assignments to your school assigned e-mail account and physically hand out the rosters to in the next class.
Q: What do I do if I miss a clinical day?
A: You must call the clinical instructor or the CCD clinical cell phone. A no call/no show will result in a grade of F. To makeup the clinical you will have to register and pay for any independent study credit, depending on the number of hours required, and then you will be scheduled for a makeup.
Q: What happens if I do not complete my clinical rotation before the end of the semester?
A: You will receive an “I” (incomplete) until the clinical is complete. Once the clinical is complete, the didactic instructor will enter the grade for the course.
Q: Will I have to take clinicals during the breaks?
A: Yes. We must utilize all possible days.
Q: What should I wear to my clinical assignment?
A: Scrubs and ID badge. In addition, CCD has a dress code and you must comply with it. If a clinical site requires you to not to wear scrubs, we will notify you.
Q: Are clinicals done during the night shift?
A: While most of our clinicals are during the day shift, we occasionally do get some evening and night shifts.
Q: Can I trade or exchange clinical days with another student?
A: Absolutely not. There are a number of reasons for this. First, most of our facilities require the names of the students 14 or more days in advance of the clinical rotation and do not accept changes after the roster has been submitted to them. Second, it causes confusion at the clinical site, among the students, and with the clinical instructor. Finally, it is not fair if we allow some students to trade of exchange rotations but not others.
Q: How are clinicals graded?
A: Each week you will fill out self evaluations and the clinical instructor will grade you on performance. The grading is S for satisfactory and U for unsatisfactory. If there are repeated performance issues a student will be directed to undergo remediation in the simulation lab.
Q: What if I do not like the clinical instructor?
A: Clinical Instructors take on a great responsibility in teaching the next generation of nurses. They manage as many as 8 students and 16 patients. The key with any clinical instructor is to be prepared for your clinical assignment. Always communicate with your didactic instructor, Program Director, or Clinical Coordinator about how your clinical is progressing.
Q: How are names assigned to clinical rosters?
A: We use random selection to ensure fairness.
Q: Why are clinical sites so difficult to obtain?
A: There are many reasons. The foremost is that there is a lot of competition among the nursing schools in the Denver Metro area. In addition, a high rate of turnover in the nursing profession and frequent remodeling limit placements. Finally, students are a liability to a clinical site.
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