When Do Nursing Students Start Clinicals?

The hands-on experience portion of nursing degree programs is called nursing clinical. Nursing clinicals are a series of shifts in a clinical setting, usually a hospital.

Although clinicals are a large part of nursing programs, they don't start in the first year of most nursing programs. Most clinical shifts begin in a student's third year after a nursing student has completed their general education requirements through their first two years of college.

At What Point in Nursing School Do Students Start Clinicals?

Nursing school includes specialized courses around nursing, but most programs also include general education requirements. These requirements are completed within the first two years of a four-year program. These courses often cover coursework that promotes the soft skills associated with nursing, such as critical thinking.

Once these courses are completed, the coursework shifts to classes focused on the specialty skills related to nursing. This is usually in the third year of college. Once nursing education begins in earnest, students will begin their clinical experiences. This includes working with patients and administering direct care for the first time.

Type of Nursing Program

Although students looking to become registered nurses complete four-year programs, two-year programs can allow students to enter nursing. Because these programs are half the time, there is an expedited timeline to complete clinicals. Some two-year programs begin clinical plans in the first semester of the first year.

There are many specialties in nursing, but clinicals are more focused on providing general nursing skills than those needed for a specialty. Regardless of which specialty you will pursue after graduation, you will work with multiple specialty nurses in your clinical shifts, such as pediatrics, mental health, and more.

Clinical Placement

Clinical placement is figuring out where you will earn your clinical hours. This is usually done through a hospital near the college you are attending. Because there are often limited clinical shifts, you might start your clinicals on a different timeline. Most clinicals happen in hospital settings, but there are other healthcare facilities where clinicals can be completed. Sometimes hours can be earned in a simulation lab or other online course, but this is far less common and isn't approved by all state licensure boards.

What Do Nursing Students Do in Clinicals?

Clinicals use shadowing and real-world learning opportunities to make the lessons taught in their nursing courses real. Nursing students learn the fundamentals of acute care and work with real patients. There are several main tasks that nursing students can expect to encounter during their clinical hours.

Reviewing Patient Medical Records

Learning how to read and interpret medical records is one of the biggest daily responsibilities of a nurse, and that's why it is such a big part of clinicals. Proper patient care is based on a patient's medical history. Nursing students will shadow nurses and get hands-on experience reviewing patient records to help provide care and help craft nursing care plans.

Providing Bed Baths

Patient care isn't always just about medication. Some patients are rendered immobile due to conditions or other reasons. Nurses are responsible for providing bed baths to patients who can't bathe themselves. This requires safely moving patients around to clean them without disrupting any IV lines or other medical equipment they are connected to while ensuring the process is as painless as possible.

Changing Bed Linens

Much like a bed bath, changing hospital bed linens often involves working around equipment and sometimes patients to make sure that patients are comfortable in clean sheets. Although just about everyone knows how to change bed sheets, the variables that come with hospital equipment make this a skill that nursing students need to learn in a healthcare setting.

Administering Medication With Supervision

Nurses are the frontline of medical care in hospitals and doctor's offices. One of these front-line tasks is the proper administration of medications. Not all medications can be taken as pills, and nurses need to know how to calculate dosages and administer various medications through methods like IVs, eye drops, and topical treatments.

Documenting Patient Interactions

Learning how to work with actual patients is one of the most important skills of a nurse. Nursing students working clinical shifts will document the interactions they have with patients. This is beneficial for developing communication skills related to patient interactions. It is also necessary to provide information for nurses on other shifts about how patients handle certain medications, how they act, and more.

FAQs About Nursing School Clinicals

Because nursing school clinicals are a major part of nursing degree programs, many students question how they are completed and what is involved in the process.

Are Nursing Students Paid During Clinicals?

No, nursing students aren't paid during clinicals. Although they work shifts in real healthcare settings with real patients, clinicals are treated as a learning experience. Nursing students aren't paid because the primary focus is learning and not working in the field. Nursing clinicals are like internships in other industries, where students earn college credit without officially working a paid position.

What Are Clinical Hours for Nursing Students?

Clinical hours are the requirement that nursing students need to complete to graduate and pursue licensure. Most states require around 500 clinical hours. Individual state boards set the clinical hour requirement, therefore each state may have a different requirement. Because clinicals usually start in the third year of a nursing program, most students earn around 125 hours per semester over their last two years.

How Long Is a Clinical Rotation for Nursing Students?

Clinical rotations take on different lengths. Some clinical rotations will be 4-hour shifts, while others will be the equivalent of a full-time nursing shift, roughly 8-12 hours. The time will vary with how many shifts you'll need to complete. State boards set a minimum requirement for the total clinical hours required. If you take longer shifts, you can complete your total hours quicker than if you only take shorter shifts.

Are Clinicals Required for All Nursing Students?

Yes, clinicals are required for all nursing students, whether you're in an associate or BSN program. The only exception to hands-on clinical rotations is hours earned in a simulation lab or similar online program. Especially during the recent pandemic, online options were given more credence regarding completing clinical hours. Although this is still an option, completing your clinicals in person is generally preferred. The true hands-on experience that comes from clinicals can't be replicated online.