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Author	Clinical Praxis?
lys.is (offline) Joined: Sep 2007 Location: Armidale Posts: 9	Sun Sep 09, 2007 10:09 am I was just wondering about the type of clinical praxis everyone does for their nursing degree... At UNE, I know, we do heaps. Compared to a few other NSW Nursing programs anyway. Im going into second year next year and will be doing 8 weeks over the year. Im pretty sure the type of pracs we can do are med/surg, mat and paeds. Do you think its a good thing or a bad thing to have too much or too little clinical praxis? Or should nursing be mainly based around theory? And does anyone have any interesting clinical praxis stories? Just wanted to get everyones opinions on the matter! =]

lokisare (offline) Joined: Sep 2007 Location: Posts: 37	Sep 09, 2007, 02:30 pm At Melbourne Uni (grad entry) we do18 weeks three days a week in 2nd year and 22 weeks 3 days a week in 3rd - the more the better I think.

Liz (offline) Joined: Sep 2007 Location: Brisbane Posts: 79	Sep 30, 2007, 02:01 pm In 2nd year, a lot of us were complaining about lack of prac, but the lecturer was saying that the reason we dont have more prac is that if we did, it would be more of a diploma degree...which is warped and really weird! There have been numerous articles about the need for more prac and stuff like that. I think what would be good is to get paid say $5 a day to make up for the block pracs we do which make it difficult to work to pay for our degrees and expensive textbooks and general living expenses. They expect us to stay there a full shift and yet we are not being paid at all. I'd also love for the hospitals to introduce student nurse programs for at least halfway students where you can do all the obs and stuff like that, rather than doing specials where you are just sitting on your arse doing nothing but supervising dementia pateints....I gave up on that and just went to the nursing home up the road. Sure the workload is heavier etc but its better than sitting there bored!

lys.is (offline) Joined: Sep 2007 Location: Armidale Posts: 9	Oct 01, 2007, 10:28 am Wow that sounds REALLY different to our course. Im going into second year next year and we do 8 weeks of clinical praxis out of the whole year... & we do stuff like injections, obs, giving out medication, wounds etc etc And then in third year we are only on campus for about 10 weeks of the whole year! I really like the way UNE sets out the Nursing program and I guess thats why its such a recognised course in NSW. I think it's important to have the clinical praxis to reinforce the stuff you learnt in lectures... and i always find that Im learning more on prac. Where did you do your course Liz?

Liz (offline) Joined: Sep 2007 Location: Brisbane Posts: 79	Oct 04, 2007, 07:56 pm I'm doing my course at QUT, kelvin grove campus. I had wanted to do it through ACU or UQ, but coz of where I was living at the time, I just stuck with QUT since I was already doing education there. ACU wouldve been a lot of time spent on teh train getting there. UQ does it out at Ipswich which would mean at least 2hrs on the train ONE WAY and then waiting for a connecting bus etc to the uni. Nice campus and good reputation..but the degree was only new. ACU I think has more focus on developing clincial skills, eg practicing things on more real dummies than cheaper ones. I want to do definately do my midi through ACU. They are really good for midi

anga23 (offline) Joined: Jun 2007 Location: Posts: 41	Oct 14, 2007, 11:57 am Liz - I'm in Brisbane applying to Uni for next year. How do you like your QUT program ? I've heard from a recent UQ grad that they do a lot more prac than some other Uni's.. she would've liked more theory whilst others would've preferred more prac. I'm thinking of Griffith Logan (they got cows !!).. but I'm really not sure which Uni has the 'better' course.. would love your feedback as I've only recently moved to QLD.

Liz (offline) Joined: Sep 2007 Location: Brisbane Posts: 79	Oct 16, 2007, 08:41 pm UQ do more 'prac' coz they go like 1 day a wk for a certain amount of time, and then im not sure how they do the block pracs. Griffith...I havent really seen any of their students or heard about their degree. I think most of their students do prac in the hospitals over that side of town, ie not the main big teaching hospitals. I could be wrong though. ACU is really good apparently, iespecially if you want to do midwifery. Their mid is the best apparently. ACU have a lot of hands on practical classes apparently. They are a smaller uni and therefore you get more attention and stuff from the staff which can be really beneficial. The prob with UQ is that its out at Ipswich, which is a city known as a shit hole, and you dont really want to be getting the bus alone. In fact the buses are pretty bad out there apparently. My brother did a year out there of something, and thankfully stayed in the student accomodation nearby, but was alwasy complaining about the buses either being late or never showing up...and if that happens, its a long walk to the train. And it really dry and humid out there too lol. QUT...its a big intake, since its the 'main' uni , and original uni that did university teaching nursing as compared to hospital based training. We get a fair amoutn of prac, but most students, no matter what uni will tell you they want more prac earlier on and more support etc ie hands on stuff rather than crap subjects like research approaches and reflective learning....However we were told that if we got more clinical prac, we'd be doing a EEN course rather than RN which is crap as! OH well Well good luck for all that. if you want to chat more, feel free to msn me, rozymisty@yahoo.com.au

Ronnie (offline) Joined: Oct 2006 Location: XXXXville Posts: 34	Oct 18, 2007, 11:28 pm Last edited Oct 18, 2007, 11:28 pm update #1 Hi all I thought I would share our prac time with you. I'm doing my degree through CQU and the prac on offer is great. We are rotated through med, surg, I have done paeds also, A&E, aged care and get to choose a field for 3rd year. For full time students there are 2x12wk terms/year with optional third term subjects over spring/summer. First year second term 192hrs (2 days/week) Second year both terms 192hrs (2 days/week) Third year both terms 288hrs (3days/week) Approx 29wks all up over three years of study. The great thing about our uni is that the numbers are much smaller than the larger uni's which means the lecturers know us by name and are there to help us when we need it. It is alot more personable and enjoyable, kind of like a big happy family. The other good thing is our prac is done at facilities within the town which means that come grad time we are known to them which helps with job prospects when the study is over. Cheers, R modified: Thursday 18 October 2007 11:30:44 pm - Ronnie

anga23 (offline) Joined: Jun 2007 Location: Posts: 41	Oct 20, 2007, 11:14 pm Hi Ronnie.. thanks for the post. I'm finding it important to look into what's offered by the different Unis.. and it's interesting to know how yours operates. I also like the idea of a more personal campus/lectures, where people know who each other are instead of just being a bum on a seat. I think it's also great that you're doing prac during the week, instead of in short blocks... more research needed on my part !!

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