ABSTRACT
The first day of clinical is the time to provide the students with your expectations and how you plan for the clinical days to be structured. If an instructor appears organized, the students will generally follow their lead. Providing an orientation that includes a tour of the nursing unit, location of the conference room or meeting place, medication room, clean and dirty utility room, location of supplies and linen will help students to move around more efficiently in their environment and decrease the amount of time you spend redirecting them in the future. We also recommend that you provide a packet of informational items about the clinical unit, your “rules”, information about assignments and the agency’s patient care and medication administration and policies.
