Transitioning from Classroom Learning to NP Clinicals

When it comes to balancing classroom learning and clinical hours, NP programs can be structured in many different ways! Maybe your program frontloads all of the didactic (classroom) courses for the first few semesters, leaving the remaining credit load for clinical hours. Or, maybe your program requires that you take classroom courses and clinical courses simultaneously. Either way, there’s definitely a transition that happens when you move from the classroom to NP clinicals!

In this post, we’ll explore the similarities between classroom and clinical courses and then how to best prepare yourself to start your NP clinical hours. Let’s get started!

Similarities Between Classroom Learning vs NP Clinicals

You still need to study

You might think that once you start a clinical rotation, you can take a break from studying. It may be true that your clinical course likely won’t have the content-heavy exams like your classroom courses, but you’ll still need to study! 

No matter which specialty or clinical practice area your rotation is in, you’ll want to be reviewing guidelines and common medications. Your preceptor may even ask you to look up research articles or other information to prepare.

Work on your time management

Just like how your classroom courses require you to make time to attend classes, take notes, write assignments, and study, clinical courses also require a lot of time management. No matter your NP program specialization, you’ll be completing a minimum of 500 clinical hours, but likely more!

Many times, that means you’ll have 8-, 10-, or even 12-hour clinical days once or twice a week. You’ll be fitting that time into your schedule between clinical preparation and other schoolwork, your job, family, friends, and other responsibilities.

Take a listen to our SMNP podcast (the Real Deal Nurse Practitioner Club) episode on time management during NP school for more tips!

Transitioning to Clinical Hours as an NP Student

Preparation

While preparing for NP clinicals will look different than the prep work you were used to doing for RN clinicals, you’ll still need to prepare. Here’s some tips:

Introduce yourself to your preceptor before your first day.

Reach out through phone or email and try to set up a time to stop by the office before your first day. This will give you a chance to determine a good route, how long it takes to get there, where to park, and start off on a good foot with your preceptor and office staff.

Ask about what you need to bring (and what you’ll be allowed to bring).

For example, some sites may allow you to bring a laptop to chart, while other sites may supply that. 

Be prepared with resources.

Your school may have clinical resources they want you to use (i.e. UpToDate, Medscape, Epocrates, etc.), so make sure you have them downloaded and ready to use. 

Don’t forget to pack study materials.

You may have some downtime during your clinical rotations. So, you can bring along your notes and flashcards to study when you can, or you can get ahead on course assignments. Of course, during downtime, always ask your preceptor and the office staff if there is anything you can help with first!

Working with your preceptor (podcast)

Once you get started with your NP clinicals, you’ll want to create as positive a relationship with your preceptor as possible. Take a listen to this full podcast episode about making your clinical experience exciting!

Here are some big takeaways:

– Show up ready to work. Come prepared, dressed professionally, and with confidence. 

– Have open conversations with your preceptor about your clinical experiences and skill set as well as your objectives for the current rotation.

– Don’t be afraid to negotiate your clinical experience. Once you’ve developed a good rapport with your preceptor, you can ask for more responsibilities and opportunities. For example, you can ask to observe and assist with simple procedures, or have the opportunity to be more involved in administrative tasks like insurance prior authorizations or follow-up test results. Make sure you’re always under the supervision of your preceptor and following your program’s guidelines. 

– Ask for feedback. That’s how we learn and become better! There will be evaluations needed for your program, but make sure you’re consistently asking for feedback from your preceptor. 

How to optimize your clinical time

This is the culmination of what we’ve already mentioned. Optimizing your clinical time will allow you to have the best experience while also keeping up with the rest of your school work.

Some clinical days will have more downtime than others, so use that to your advantage. Be helpful to your preceptor and the office staff and ask if you can help with anything. Then, you can use some free time to study, get a head start on any required documentation, and work on other class assignments.

Another idea, depending on your commute to clinical, is to use your driving time as an opportunity to listen to class recordings or your favorite NP podcast, the Real Deal Nurse Practitioner Club!

Stay on top of clinical documentation

Lastly, we cannot stress enough the importance of staying on top of your clinical documentation. Every NP program’s requirements are going to be a little different, but there will be clinical encounters and SOAP notes you’ll have to write on the patients you see during your clinical day. This may feel like the last thing you want to do after a day at the office, but you’ll be so much less stressed if you keep up with your work.

If your clinical site allows you to bring a laptop, this can certainly be something to do during downtime, but don’t complete your program documentation during clinical encounters with patients. That time with patients is for you to learn!

Final Thoughts

While it might feel intimidating to prepare for your clinical rotations, it can also be very exciting! NP clinicals are where you get to put all of that classroom knowledge into real-world scenarios and care for patients in a new role. I always tell my students that clinical rotations are where you remember why you wanted to become an NP.

While NP clinicals still require a lot of time and effort, they’re also very rewarding. Be prepared to work, create a good relationship with your preceptor, and keep up with your documentation and assignments, and your clinical rotations will be a great success!

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)! 💜