N219 Clinical I
Fall 2008
Paula Jarzemsky
Course Professor
(These documents are in PDF format- This link requires
Adobe Acrobat to open.
You can get Acrobat for free by going to www.adobe.com)
Welcome to your first clinical course in nursing! Beginning the clinical sequence of courses is an exciting time, but it can also be confusing because clinical courses are different than others you have taken. The N219 faculty understands this and will try to help ease the transition once classes begin. As N219 course professor, I’m also available to assist with questions and can best be reached via
e-mail: pajarzem@wisc.edu, after June 25. In addition, please plan to attend the Nursing Orientation Day on Friday, Aug 29 from 9:00-11:30 am at the Health Sciences Learning Center. Many important activities are planned for this day: informational sessions; locker assignments; photo IDs.
Clinical courses require 3 contact hours for each credit. As N219 is a 4-credit course, you can expect to spend an average of 12 hours per week in some type of clinical/lab activity. In N219, the hours are scheduled in a variety of settings: skills lab, acute care, and community/service learning settings. Please note that there is no formal lecture period associated with N219. During the first week of classes, you will receive a detailed schedule from your instructor. Although some sections list more than 12 hours/week, please understand that your time will be scheduled flexibly within those time frames and will average no more than 12 hours per week over the entire semester. In August, all students will receive an email from their N219 Clinical Instructor regarding information about the first day of class.
For this semester only, you have been pre-assigned to a clinical section for N219 and a lab section for N301 Health History and Physical Assessment. Please know that you will have the ability to indicate a preference for future clinical placements. Be aware that additional time (beyond scheduled hours) will be necessary to prepare on your own during the evening before clinical. This is necessary in order to deliver safe patient care the next morning. It’s important to keep this in mind when arranging other classes or work commitments this fall. It is generally recommended to avoid taking more than 15 credits during your first semester in the nursing program, while adapting to the demands of clinical coursework.
Entering the clinical sequence of courses is expensive because you need to purchase a number of books/supplies and appropriate clothing. The good news is that some of the same resources are used in other nursing courses and all will be useful in future clinical courses. At first, you’ll rely most on the nursing fundamentals textbook (also required for N212); while others become important as you begin to provide patient care. For your convenience, the University Bookstore (located in the Health Sciences Learning Center) has created a custom book package that carries a 10% discount over individually priced items. If you choose to purchase the “book box” on Orientation Day, you’ll want to leave it in your locker or have a plan for transportation, as it’s quite heavy! To access key clinical resources, N219 students will be required to purchase a portable digital assistant (PDA), along with a software package entitled Nursing Central. Additional details about textbooks and PDAs are attached. N219 students are also required to purchase the uniform and lab coat that have been approved by the UW-Madison School of Nursing. Information regarding uniform requirements and how to order them through the University Bookstore is available online at http://www.uwbookstore.com. You’ll also need a wristwatch with a second hand and a stethoscope. It may be helpful to hold off on your purchase of a stethoscope, as there will be an opportunity to try a variety of these in the skills lab.
Again, welcome to the School of Nursing and hope to see you at the Orientation on Aug 29!
|
