Tips for Clinical Placements!

Clinical placements can be a nerve wracking experience, especially when it’s your first time going to one!

At first it can be really hard; whether it be adjusting to the schedule or adjusting to the workflow at the location, I say it’s crucial to take it one day at a time and not to be too hard on yourself during this transition period (especially when you still have school work to do!).

I found it difficult at first, but very exciting when I was completing my hours at the clinic. Before I did my placement, I kept looking towards those influencers online for tips to help me since this was my first ever placement. There were quite a lot of them!

Here are some tips I found very helpful when preparing and doing my clinical placement:

Show up early!

Arriving to your placement a good 10 to 15 minutes early is a good buffer to make sure that you are at the appropriate location, ease any anxiety, and prepare yourself to start the day.

Try to go in prepared and ready to learn

Come in each day with enthusiasm and be ready to learn! What I found helpful was reviewing a couple of things that you feel may come up during your time there! I found that reviewing the basics for phlebotomy, ECGs, and vital signs very helpful during my time at the clinic. Reviewing helped ease my nerves when faced with tasks relating to those topics since those were the main aspects that lab technicians performed at the location. If you’re able to, bring a small notebook or even a piece of paper to write down some notes to remember and even use it as a way to write down any questions you come up with before, during, or after your shift. That way you can look back at them and review them or ask questions to your colleagues.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions!!

This can be tough but it’s super important to ask questions, especially when you don’t know what you are doing. You may be shy or timid (like me) or don’t want to seem dumb by asking what you think is a basic question, but it’s okay!! You’re learning!! You are literally a student!! It’s best to ask questions and know/understand what you are doing, than to not ask questions at all, just remember to do so at appropriate times. It’s okay to reach out for help ❤

A little note: Chatting with other students and members of the health care team (when appropriate) can also be really beneficial! You’ll be surprised at how much you can learn from others and their experiences.

Try not to stress out about being perfect

I was so scared at times of messing up or seeming unable to do things. You are still a student, so it’s okay to make mistakes and actually appreciate them. There was a point where I almost broke down since I felt that I needed to be the perfect student and help the nurse when the clinic was super busy, but then ended up missing two patients veins which meant the nurse had to come in, and overall I just felt bad. I got really frustrated with myself to the point I was close to breaking down, but then I remembered that I was still a student, and that it was okay to miss the vein and not be perfect. IT’s OKAY. There will be both good days and bad days; remember that every experience is an opportunity to learn and improve!

If you feel comfortable enough (& when it’s appropriate), try to take initiative!

There’s always something to do, so always ask if there’s anything you can do to help or if there are any small tasks you can do. Personally, I love it when someone new takes initiative and asks if there’s anything they can do to help or do during slow times at the clinic. Small tasks like filling the cotton ball jars or even taking the initiative to do a bigger task, like performing phlebotomy!

Just a reminder, these are just my opinion, these are a cumulation of tips that I found useful during my clinical experience!

Comment down below what are your tips for clinical placements!

Thanks for reading!!! Have a nice day 🙂