First Clinical Rotation

[TxDPT14]

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Hi,

My first clinical rotation (4 weeks) will be at a skilled nursing facility in Corpus Christi! 😀 Any advice on preparing or what to expect? We have a couple of forms to fill out and one of the questions asks whether we want to start out with "a lot of supervision" or "a moderate amount." I'm not sure what to choose. I'm really nervous!

Thanks!

 

[Shanna3206]

In my experience as a student those forms never really made much of a difference. It's more just a matter of how you and your CI communicate and work together.

Go in with confidence and take everything as a learning opportunity. Don't be afraid to use what you have learned in school, even if it is something new that they aren't doing in the clinic. Try something new every day! Be open with your CI about your experience and what you need, and ask what they expect of you from the beginning. You aren't expected to know everything, so experiment with what you know and ask questions when you aren't sure!

 

[riseboi]

I agree with the above. When you meet with your CI, you should have a opportunity to go over your goals and the goals he/she has for you.

As far as the level of supervision I wanted when I first started a clinical, I always preferred to have a lot of supervision at first. My reasoning was that it allowed me to get familiar with the approach my particular CI took with treatment and for him/her to get a better understanding of my clinical strengths/weaknesses. Once this was established, the level of supervision could be modified to both of our comfort levels.

As far as prep for your first clinical in this environment, I would imagine that be pt safety, bed mobility, transfers, gait/stairs w/ & w/o AD, and bed side therex would be good areas to brush up on. I did a clinical in an acute rehab environment so I had to be very familiar with the FIM, but I'm not sure if that applies to SNF's. It might be the MDS.

 

[TxDPT14]

All great information. Thank you both so much and thanks for the encouragement!! 🙂