Questions to help you prepare for clinicals

Hey friends,

This is just a list of some basic questions to help you prepare for clinical. 

• Who am I taking care of? What type of code do they have? Any allergies?
• What is their current chief complaint?
• How long has their current hospital stay been?
• What are their vital sign trends? Are they stable or unstable?
• Did they recently have a procedure or surgery? What are complications that can arise?
• Are there any pending orders that need to be reviewed or take action on? (Are they going to surgery on the day of care?)
• What are their current medications? What are the side effects of these medications? Are they safe and appropriate for my patient to receive? 
• What three main body systems are going to be my focus with this patient?
• What teaching points can I address with them?
• What is my role as a student nurse?

Hope this helps you prepare.