Tell me about clinicals

[LaLa]

I am debating on taking a PA course. Ive been tossing up between BSN and PA. What do PA's actually "DO" in clinicals? Is it mostly observation/shadowing, is it aspects of nursing (hands on patient bedside care), to what degree do you interact with a patient during clinicals? Also, how many hours do you spend per rotation subject? Are you always placed in hospital settings or do you work with private practice physicians as well? Ultimately I want to work in private practice Pediatrics. Thanks :)

[Guest hubbardtim48]

My school does 32 hours a week for 36 weeks of rotations. These include clinics, hospitals and nursing homes. We do the same rotations as most of the medical students from primary care to O.R. We get VERY hands on with our patients and can do anything we are comfortable with and what our preceptor will allow us to do. My wife and some of her other class mates do not like their nursing classes (1 year BSN program) and does not think it is "up her alley." Just shadow RNs, PAs, NPs, MDs, DOs, etc.... get a feel of what everyone does and what will fit better in your life and what you truly would love to do! Good luck!:)

[Doc Savage]

If you are dead set on private practice Pediatrics (P cubed), then I would go the nursing route. PA's do work in Peds but you may be happier going the nursing route. As far as clinicals go... I have been very hands on in my experience and very little observing. Sometimes it depends on gaining the trust of your preceptor and sometimes it can be a legal/liability thing. Clinicals are not all inpatient or hospital setting. Some can be either (ie. Inpatient Psych Vs. Outpatient Psych)

 

I am not sure about the nursing side of things... I know Nursing school is a lot of bedside care and observation with some hands on. NP school may be different.

 

PNP's may practice independently in 16 states and If you have your DNP you can introduce yourself as "Doctor" in a clinical realm provided they specify their credentials. Hope that helps some.

[amdst6]

My school did 9 rotations with each one being 5 weeks. Our hours were set by the preceptor so whatever they required (usually 40 hrs a week). When I first started a new rotation, I usually went in with the preceptor the first couple of patients just to get the feel of how he/she worked. It's nice because most of the time you are going to be nervous anyway, so it let's you get some of the jitters out. After that I would see patients on my own and then present the patients, told them what I thought and the preceptor would then see the patient after me. I got to do anything I wanted on my rotations. If I felt comfortable doing injections, I did (I may not have been but I wasn't going to say no). Clinical rotations are what YOU make of them. Yes, there will be some limitations because not everyone is comfortable letting a student do things but ultimately if you want to learn, you'll take the initiative to get involved as much as you can. The rotations we were required to have were 2 consecutive family practice rotations, internal medicine, pediatrics, women's health, surgery, psych, emergency medicine, and an elective so there was a broad spectrum.

[lov2xlr8]

Depends on the school. My school had us do 47 weeks of rotations, 10 rotations in all (7-5 week and 3-4 week). You will rotate with med students and PA students and in my experience, are treated no differently in terms of hours, call, responsibilities. Second year is what you make of it, you can probably get away some places shadowing if you'd like and probably your grade will likely reflect this. Most rotations though, you will work your butt off, I have been able to do stuff I might never get to do as a PA, very intense year but one I would love to do again (OK, minus the whole not being paid thing). Hours vary, the lightest rotation being about 32 hrs/week (OutPt IM) to Surgery which on a light week was 60 hours/week, we took 30 hour call every fourth night, so some weeks would fall twice and be there over 80 hours for the week. So in answer to your question, second year can be more hours than first year even, but so much better in every respect (finally doing what you signed up to do). Good luck in whatever you decide.