How to Impress your Clinical Instructor A perfect nurse is one who steps out of his or her comfort zone to serve patients to the best of his or her ability. It is easy to understand that you do a good job and aspire to be the most perfect nurse you can be, but it is somewhat difficult to ensure that your Clinical Instructor feels the same way. Follow these tips to be a great nurse, and in turn, impress your Clinical Instructor. 1. Focus on what you are doing, not where you are doing Often, people focus more on convenience and efficiency rather than the quality of work. Your job as a clinical student is based on learning the most from your instructor, and fully being able to grasp your experience of treating patients in whichever particular setting you’re assigned to. Focus not on how quickly you can get the job done, but rather how well you can get the job done. Related: Top 10 Tips to Start Your Semester off Right 2. Look for the settings that challenge you the most It is suggested to tackle at least one task per day that you have never done before. This provides you with a rich learning experience that wouldn’t be taught in the classroom. The more daring you are, the more your clinical instructor will be impressed! Try asking your clinical instructor that you wish to shadow a surgery, wound care, and hand care therapy. Your eager nature will definitely impress your clinical instructor, as they expect extra efforts and initiation. A clinical setting is a place for you to develop and refine certain skills, while also being exposed to a new environment. Your instructor may assign you something unique yet challenging. That is the right time to give it a try and achieve your goal. 3. Be prepared Stay active and aware of what's going around you. Take note of the vision and mission on what your clinical environment strives to be. Learn what they specialize in, and any common situations your department faces. 4. Always strive to improve yourself, not to prove yourself Relax! Start every day with a good attitude, ask questions whenever doubt arises, and make your concepts crystal clear. As soon as you have time free for yourself, try looking for the answers to your questions.
Related: Make Your Resume Stand Out! It is always better to ask questions, and as many as you want. If you constantly focus on improving yourself, this will become apparent to others that you work with. 5. Take responsibility for both the positive and the negative Whenever you might be facing any hard challenges and are having a hard time, seek help from your clinical instructor. You might feel embarrassed, but being able to approach your instructors for help is a great trait to have, and shows that you are welcome to others’ opinions. If you are feeling overwhelmed, and feel that you should relax and study some more, then have a conversation with your clinical instructor. In this way, if your clinical instructor finds you trying hard and fighting all the challenges assigned to you, he or she will definitely be impressed. 6. Be open-minded If you find difficulties while working with your clinical instructor, adapt to the way your instructor works. Your instructor is a seasoned professional at this point, and everyone’s way of working is different from one another. You may find something awkward or unacceptable but there you need to carry a broader mind and focus on the way he or she carries out their work-you just might learn something new. 7. Do not stop learning Dedicating any amount of time to soaking up knowledge is profitable for you in the long run. So, to get the best out of you, do not ever stop learning! If you follow these simple but helpful steps, you could achieve the attention of your clinical instructor. Moreover, you can further perfect your skills and, ultimately, serve patients in a much better and more knowledgeable way. What advice would you offer clinical students?
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