Maximizing Your NP Clinical Rotations: 5 Tips and Tricks for Success!

What if you knew before going into your NP clinical rotations how to get the most out of them? Instead of blindly working your way through, you head into rotations with confidence, knowing what you need to do to succeed. You’d be jumpstarting your career, doing what you need to do, when you need to do it. You could take advantage of every opportunity, instead of looking back years later and regretting the ones you missed!

Sounds great, but how can you do it? Hindsight is always 20/20, right? Well, one of our experts, Brittney Olson, MSN, APRN, FNP-C made a video in which she shares some tips designed to help you get everything you can out of your NP clinical rotations:

In her video, she recommends the following:

1. Use your resources and network.

This will help you find a good clinical site! Brittney has some great suggestions on how to check with your school to see what sites they have. And how you can use networking to find a site that works for you. She also explains why your NP clinical rotations can be a great time to explore specialties. 

2. Treat your clinical like a job interview.

If you impress the team you’re working with, your rotation may end with a job offer. Brittney offers some insights on the ways embracing your role as a provider at this point in your career can benefit you and the people under your care. 

3. Get to know the team. 

Getting to know the other team members will let you see how the clinic runs, who does what, and how everyone works together. Reaching out to the other providers can open up all sorts of opportunities to you and help you grow into your role.  

4. Participate!

Brittney talks about how NP clinical rotations are a great chance to take part in procedures and therapies. It’s important to take advantage of every opportunity you’re offered. You never know what doors they’ll open for you! 

5. End each day with a review.

Once you get home, it’s important to review what you learned from the patients you saw that day. Brittney talks about what you’ll want to include as part of your review each day so you can learn all you can during NP clinical rotations.

Further Reading

We’ve just scratched the surface here. If you’re heading into rotations and are wondering how to get the most out of them, be sure to watch the video and subscribe to the SMNP Reviews YouTube channel, where you’ll find lots of great tips on how to get through NP school, crush your boards, and kickstart your NP career!

You can also explore more helpful NP school tips on the blog:

• Transitioning from Classroom Learning to NP Clinicals
• How to Create Your NP Boards Study Schedule
• Test Your Knowledge with These FREE FNP Practice Questions

Gearing up for NP board prep soon? We’ve got you covered! Check out our Live Study Group built to manage your test anxiety and help you ace your exam (with a 99+% pass rate)! 💜