Training for nurses

There is a thread here about volunteers patients for doctors, but what I have always wondered is who do nurses get to train on. Do they have to give each other injections, put drips in and how do they learn about personal care, do they give each other a bed bath?.

In the US, undergraduate nurses practice on medical simulators before doing an internship in the real world. Some postgraduate nurses (Nurse Practitioner and Advanced Practice Nurses) hire Standardized Patient programs for real life skills practice. They don't need to learn nursing skills, they learn physical diagnostic and examination skills.

I know this because I am a standardized patient.

Pammy32 when I did my training in the UK in the early 90's we did not practice on each other for any activity that involved the removal of clothing. We did use oral thermometers and did manual Blood pressure using the old styled mercury sphygmomanometers for a couple of hrs before we were allowed to perform them on an actual patient.

With regards to IM injection we practiced on an orange ( my first placement was on a surgical ward, so I got lots of practice giving IM or subcut injections, student nurses are not allowed to give IV injections or connect IV fluids).With regards to cannulation again as student nurses you are not allowed, once qualified I attended a cannulation course and utilized a simulated arm.

Bed baths were practiced on medical manikin and then assisted our link nurse on the wards with an actual patient. We very soon were left to perform these independently on our patients.Well learned about manual handing a did practice using hoist, slings and lifts.

One of the first things we did on my surgical ward was to learn how to make a bed with hospital corners and how to prepared a surgical bed ( my first clinical placement was on a surgical ward). We also did practice performing dressing using an aseptic technique and had a formal assessment on the wards ( something which is no longer done).

Hope this answers a few of your questions.

RN, I had forgotten all about the oranges. We did that in paramedic school, too. For at home practice, we filled the syringes with vodka. The oranges never went to waste.

We did practice on each other and also did "extracurricular" practice on each other at our apartments for physical diagnosis and exams that was very valuable in gaining experience.

We did . . . "extracurricular" practice on each other at our apartments . . . .

I do remember extracurricular practice. I met my wife when she was a nursing student. I would let her practice on me, as their were no male nursing students in her class. Occasionally, when I went to pick her up for a date, her roommates were engaged in a session practicing on one another. She told her roommates to find their own male practice patient.

RN, I had forgotten all about the oranges. We did that in paramedic school, too. For at home practice, we filled the syringes with vodka. The oranges never went to waste.

Back when both my wife and I trained, oranges had not been employed for practice. She practiced on her classmates. I had other practice partners. @Jds4med, If you liked to drink screwdrivers, you could really perfect your technique.

It answers all the questions, thanks Nurse.

I will confess I was hoping to hear that they had to go through the same humiliating experiences as the rest of us, where they all assume that we are harden nudist, that when they stick a needle the size of a javelin in your but, always say "this will not hurt"or as a kid I was asked if I had shaved?

Well sorry to disappoint you Pammy32 we never had to undergo any humiliating experiences. I am sure at times it feels that the medical profession are a bit blase about nudity in a clinical setting and I expect there are a few that cause unnecessary exposure. I am always concerned and ensure that modesty is maintained as much as possible regardless of the sex of my patient.

Well as for IM injections in the but I expect we tend to be economical with the truth at times, i expect if we say its going to hurt like hell you won't be happy as well so its a catch 22 situation.

You sound like you have some experience with medical eutherisms. Mine was with a dr as a kid and he asked me to loosen my trousers. I undid my belt and popped the top button of my jeans and left it at that. Boy did he have a fit, how was I know that it meant lowering them down.

Mine was when I was due to have an exploratory op when I was 12.

I was laying in my bed when a matron came up, pulled the curtains around the bed and announced in her loudest voice that she had come to see if I had shaved. I was confused, but she just pulled back the bed sheets, pulled up my nightie to my belly button then proceeded to yank my knickers down to my knees. I nearly burst in to tears I was that embarrassed, she was looking directly at my pussy.

I had no idea that you had to shave your pubes, and she rushed out and returned with a bowl of water, towel, foam and razer. She pulled my knickers off me spread my legs and shaved me. Not a pleasant experience.

The orange story reminds of one I heard in school.. Mothers of diabetic kids were taught to give insulin injections in an orange. One well controlled kid was sent home from the hospital only to return in diabetic ketoacidosis four days later. His mom had been giving his insulin to an orange!