Your guide to clinical placement

Clinical placement can be an exciting time in your degree – it is a chance to experience a variety of healthcare settings and to practice what you’ve learnt in your studies.

However, it can also be nerve-wracking! Here, two nursing students share their experiences.

How do you prepare for clinical placement?

Katherine, Bachelor of Nursing: To prepare for clinical placement, I always read over all the notes that I’ve written during my practical labs. It’s the things that you learn in those practical labs that you’re able to do in placement, so most of the time, I just read over all my notes.

 I also read up about the ward that I’m going to, so that I have an idea about what patients I’m going to be looking after and what kind of skills I’ll need.

Madison, Bachelor of Nursing: Once we’ve been given the email about where we’ll be going, I’ll also look up the ward and see what I’m about to get myself into, so I can prepare by revising. It helps me understand what I should be expecting. 

On the day, I’ll arrive to the hospital early enough so that I can get a park and have a coffee. It helps to wake me up and also to calm me down because I know that I’m not late.

What is the one thing you must have when you’re on placement?

Katherine: When I’m on placement, the most important thing is all the paperwork you need to have – your name badge, your papers, all the documents that UTS requires. If you don’t have these things, then you can’t go on placement.

Madison: Make sure you have a little notebook for your pocket. That way, you can write down anything you don’t understand, so you can look it up later.

Also, make sure to have a bigger notebook in your backpack so that you can write down any information that is really interesting or unique, such as diagnoses, medication or complications. That way, you’re constantly learning from the placement. I have one from all my placements and it’s become like a bible to me – I call it my medication bible. It really does help!

How do you think going on placement has helped you professionally and personally?

Katherine: Professionally, going on placement has helped me experience a massive increase in my knowledge base and skills and overall, nursing ability.

I definitely think it’s helped build my confidence and my ability to communicate with people of different ages and that do different jobs. Before I went on placement, I was like ‘How am I going to be able to talk to a doctor?’ but I’m now so much better at being able to talk to everyone and be part of a team.

Madison: Placements have helped me realise my ambition. I know now that I want to do this – before, I was questioning if I truly wanted to be a nurse. It has also helped me figure out what area of nursing I want to go into, which is very important, because nursing can open up so many doors to different areas. 

They’ve also have helped me be a better communicator, because you have to talk to multiple people from different teams. I’ve also learned how to be more empathetic because you’re looking after people who are so sick, it’s hard to not feel for them when they are so unwell.