Preparing for Prac (Video 13)

Presenter:

How can you prepare yourself for a great Prac experience? These students did many things to plan ahead of time.

Nursing Student (Hong Kong):

I prepare my Prac by studying all the materials I study in the Uni, all the materials that they give me so I make myself more comfortable and confident for the Prac.

Nursing Student (China):

I usually study one month before my clinical Prac. You need to review a lot of knowledge, for example the pharmacology and the medical research coordinating everything. There are some important rules you need to learn and to know that, that’s very helpful.

Nursing Student (India):

I prepare my Prac by attending all the nursing “lab” sessions and complete my workbooks and also I read my textbook, nursing textbook.

Lecturer (School of Nursing and Midwifery, QUT):

OK so for the students before they are going onto their work placement, as far as preparation goes, I’ll encourage them to find out as much as they can about the workplace that they’re going to, so - for example - if they are going to a surgical unit and they’re aware they are going to a surgical unit, they’re encouraged to find out as much information as they can about the sort of procedures and the sort of things that will occur there. I’ll encourage them to also go to their textbooks, so from the original information that we’ve given them from the Uni and that will in particular help for say the physiology or in-depth information. But then I’ll also encourage them to also Google it and literally go onto the internet and to find just a general read. So read as much as they can to prepare as much as they can for the placements that they’re going.

Manager, Gradplus Queensland (Ramsay Health Care):

It’s always a great idea for students to prepare before they go to the clinical Prac placement and I would suggest that one of the things they could do is speak to other students who have already been on a Prac just to find out how it was, what the routines were. It’s also a great idea to review any information that the University might provide to the students, oftentimes that is very comprehensive. Often the healthcare facility will also provide some information about the services that they provide or they could go onto the internet and have a bit of a look at that particular healthcare service and what services they provide. They’re all great ways of doing a little bit of research before you go on Prac.