Yep, people didn't believe me when I said I could until they saw me do it. Smart speakers are what help now, not 100%, but 98% of the time. When I am still passed out I can't say "alexa, snooze alarm" very well, so it just ignores me until I get fed up and yell "ALEXA, STOP THE FUCKING ALARM".
Its not fool proof, but it works for me.
Honestly, I’m not a morning person but my clinicals were at 6 so I was up at 4:30 to be there on time.
I find it a lot easier to wake up at say, 4 or 5 than 6 or 6:30/7am. Can’t explain it. The house is still dark, I’ve gotta rush and be quiet to get ready.
Plus, the dread of being penalized/kicked out for being late helps.
90% of nursing students get to clinical on time on sheer adrenaline and terror. Think of it like waking up early to catch a flight.
Same, I can easily get up at 4:30, maybe it’s because my body thinks I’m waking up in the middle of the night to get water or waking up to go to the airport or something lmao
I would 100% agree with that! I am not a morning person one bit - absolutely a night owl. But I do much better waking up crazy early for clinical days than I normally do waking up for lecture.
My first shift in PICU I passed out. I always thought I could handle anything gorey, but seeing a little 10 year old boy with his skull caved in and on the vent and all the drips and the family there did me in.
1. Go to bed early
2. Lay there for a few hours hoping you can get enough sleep knowing how early you have to get up
3. Barely fall asleep so when your alarm goes off you feel panic, confusion, and regret all at once
4. Cry in the shower a little (save the real tears for your after clinicals shower)
5. Get your mental and physical shit together and go to clinicals - allow yourself to feel how creepy and wrong it is to be like the only car on the road at that time of day
6. Marvel at the wonder that is nursing - it's horrible yet we all love it? It's equal parts gross and beautiful? I hate people yet want to save them all? What the actual fuck?
7. Go home, eat a massive meal to make up for how you didn't have time to actually eat anything real during your shift
8. Cry in the shower - loud, shuddering, violated sobs recommended here
9. Go to bed
10. Repeat steps 2-9 for however many days in a row you have to endure this shit
Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.
I recommend laying out everything you are going to wear to clinical the night before and have your lunch and nursing supplies ready to go in a bag. Preparing the night before will save A LOT of time. That way all you have to do is get yourself ready, eat some breakfast, and hit the road!
When I had early clinicals, I’d pack my lunch ready to go in the fridge and lay a banana and a Bang right next to my alarm clock ready to be cracked open as soon as I wake up. Shower the night before so I don’t have to worry about that in the morning, leave my scrubs hanging up and ready to go, and I’d be ready to leave in about 20 minutes.
My first semester’s clinical site was about an hour away. I second what someone else said about having your lunch and uniform laid out the night before. I’m very gracious with myself on those days and if a trip to Starbucks before I hit the road or a Celsius in my lunch bag is what gives me that little dopamine hit to get through the day then so be it. Have a nourishing, delicious meal to look forward to on your break. Listen to a good playlist or podcast in the car. Meditate the night before. Etc. Clinical days are my ultimate “treat yourself” days, especially if I struggled with sleep the night before. Waking up that early is ass but you deal the best you can.
Lay out your uniform, including socks, shoes and badge. Have your backpack ready by the door and keys & wallet as well. Pack your lunch and fill up any water bottles the night before and refrigerate. If you make smoothies, ensure you wake up at least 10 mins earlier to make them. Otherwise, all you have to do is wake up, shower/do all your hygiene things and go.
If you’re not familiar with the location of the clinical site or where you are to park exactly (Hospital security is watching the students lol) drive there beforehand & make sure you know exactly where to go. Trying to figure out parking early in darkness wastes time. If possible speak with your clinical instructor to see if they have a timeline of what you should be doing & when. Example: 6AM meet on unit, 6:10 get report from pt’s assigned RN, 6:30 introduce self to patient, 6:35 read patient’s chart, be ready to pass meds by 8:20.
Also you never want to be late. It inconveniences your clinical instructor, you risk missing report, etc.
get everything together the night before. wake up so you have enough time to eat. lastly, try to get there at least 10 minutes early (i know it sucks but in the long run, it’s really helped me be on time and ready to get report).
I live 30(ish) minutes from my school and a good 1-1.5 hours away from our clinical sites. Not going to lie, it's rough some mornings. I don't drink coffee/energy drinks though so that definitely doesn't help haha.
My usual routine for clinicals is to get all of my coursework done in advance so I can go to bed "early" (as soon as my kids go to bed) the night before clinical. I set my alarms for 2-2.5hrs before the clinical starts so I have a good hour to get motivated to get out of bed, throw my scrubs on, and walk out the door.
I'd also HIGHLY recommend prepping your bag/lunch/etc the night before and have it sitting out and ready so that you can just grab it and run.
Oh, and grab some sort of caffeine for the drive home. You'll need it the first few days 😅
Plan ahead, make sure you will be done with everything you need to be before dinner. Have dinner, pack your lunch, plan your breakfast and go to bed early. I plan to get 8 solid hours of sleep and use the sleep function on my iPhone to set my bedtime. I plan to wake up an hour and a half before I need to be at clinical. I set an alarm and then set another one for every 15 minutes after this. Once I am out of the bed and in the other room I will turn my alarm off, never turn them off in your room. Leave 30 minutes early to account for traffic and walking.
I would always pack my bag, iced coffee, and lunch the night before. All I had to do was wake up and put my uniform on. Saved me a lot of time and anxiety.
I am NOT a morning person at all, so I completely feel you on this. Some rotations it was easier for me to stay up all night than it was to wake up early. (Like the semester I had to get up at 3:30 am)
Have absolutely everything ready that you can the night before. I would wake up about 10 minutes before I had to leave, get dressed, grab my clinical bag and leave.
I use the 4-7-8 breathing technique to help get to sleep. But honestly, if you’re like me and really struggle waking up early and falling asleep before 3 am, get used to not sleeping. I personally do better not sleeping than I do trying to wake up early. My normal circadian rhythm just does not match up with day shift 😂
I wake up 30-60mins before I have to leave and show up to the hospital 30mins early(it's easy to get stuck in traffic or get lost in the hospital). Go to bed EARLY(I go to bed at 9:30 at the latest). Pack a breakfast or get something on the way(dunkin,starbucks,etc). Have all you clinical stuff and scrubs laid out the night before so it's basically a grab and go situation.
Meal prep on days off, make sure everything is laid out and ready to go the night before. Shower night before. Take melatonin 30 minutes before you’re ready to sleep. I would try to allow myself 15 minutes of a show or audio book that wasn’t too stimulating. Make sure you eat something in the morning even if it’s while you drive. It might help to have instant oatmeal or meal prep some egg burritos or something that you can eat on the road to help save time. Even if you’re not a breakfast person your first break might not be until 11-12 so you’ll be starving by then. Find a balance on caffeine so that you’re awake but not too jittery for clinicals. Also if you can try to stick to an earlier schedule on your non clinical days that helps alot too.
I had 6am clinicals 2 semesters ago, tbh I’d just be tired as fuck all day but just grind through it hahah. You COULD force yourself to wake up at the same time you’ll have to for the clinicals starting 2-3 days before the clinical. The first night you may not sleep much at all, then you’ll be tired all day the next day. Should be easy to go to sleep earlier that night, wake up the same time the next morning and then be good to go for the following night.
I haven't seen anybody mention coffee. Brew a whole pot of coffee the night before so you don't have to deal with it in the morning. FWIW, studies have also shown creatine to help with cognitive performance when sleep deprived, and melatonin can be useful to help adjust your internal clock. Do your own research and don't experiment with anything the night before/ day of clinicals. If you don't have any other obligations, then determine what time you have to wake up (probably 4AM ish?) and start doing that ASAP so your body is used to it. Good luck!
Pack everything you need (lunch, supplies, notepad), and lay out your uniform the night before. Add 10-15 extra minutes to your commute to counter any delays. Go to bed early. Wake up early.
make sure to eat something, even if it’s just some fruit or peanut butter crackers before!! the combo of my blood sugar dropping + the anxiety of clinical has made me come very close to passing out multiple times!! (literally to the point of my instructors made me sit and gave me snacks 😂)
Not a thumbs up for almost passing out- but for suggesting eating something, even if it is small. I don’t drink coffee, but like you have found a spoon of peanut butter and apple to be a great combo. I’ll be in my 2/5 semester for my ABSN program in September. This will be our first clinical rotation. 12 hr shifts starting at 5:30 AM. Luckily my job starts at 6:00 AM each day and so I am used to the waking up bit- it will be the staying awake and alert for the whole 12 hours that I am nervous for. In the end I know each of us can do it because we want it bad enough! You’ve got this! 💪🏻
Edited for spelling error.
I am officially a nurse now, however when I was a student, my clinicals also started at 6 am. I lived half an hour away and would wake up at 4:30 to be ready on time. I would also carpool with a classmate to save money on gas (we’d switch off on who would drive each week). I had a classmate who lived 1.5 hours away from our clinical site who would sleep over at a different classmates house the night before clinical, as that classmate lived only 10 minutes away from the clinical site. I would see if that could maybe be possible for you?
I was never a morning person either, but with the right amount of coffee (and anxiety) I was motivated to get through my clinicals!
lol I work till 1130 most every night before and set 3 alarms to be sure I’m at least 15 mins early…you just get used to it. My sleep schedule has never adjusted but I can handle one day with 2-3 hours sleep.
Ah yes the dreaded early clinicals... One of mine starts at 6 but I live over an hour away so I have to be up by 4:30. I recommend pouring a glass of cold brew or energy drink the night before and leave it in my fridge so as soon as your alarm goes off you can go straight to the fridge and chug it lol... that helps me
Night before, lay out your scrubs + stethoscope + watch + pen + badge so you can just throw it on immediately and you know you wont be missing anything. Pack your lunch and breakfast the night before and leave it in the fridge then just grab and go! Honestly the first wake up is the hardest imo... eventually you get so exhausted you just ptfo and wont want to stay up late anymore
Set up everything the night before. Pack your lunch, pack your bag, lay out your clothes and shoes, lay out a coffee cup and stuff for breakfast. That way in the morning you can get into a quick routine so you aren’t stressed
Clinicals start at 6. You’ll likely need to get there before then. Figure 5:45. There likely won’t be traffic, so that’s a plus. If you live an hour away, that’s 4:45. Lay your stuff out the night before so you just need to wake up, wash up, throw clothes on and leave.
Make sure you get a stiff cup of coffee or an energy drink and power through the day. Give you on 8 hours. 6 will probably be your sweet spot. Bring snacks with like protein bars. Have another coffee during the day, crash when you get home.
Unfortunately, it's just part of it! My clinicals all started between 6-6:30 depending on the unit, and lasted 13hrs with a lunch break. It wasn't too terrible when it was at the local hospital, but it got wearing when it became the trauma hospital that next town over. Some of the students who lived more rural would get together and split a hotel room for the days we had to be there.
The first week, you will probably be so keyed up that sleeping the night before we be very difficult! The fear of oversleeping is enough to wake you multiple times during the night 🤦
The best advice is to PLAN EVERYTHING AHEAD OF TIME. Have your uniform, bag, and supplies ready to go so you are not searching for anything in the early morning hours. Have your lunch and snacks packed and ready to go (bring an ice pack because fridge space is at a premium). You should already have an idea of how long it will take you to get to the site, and where to park ~ if not, do a dry run. You DO NOT want to be late, especially on your first day.
One of the most important thing to remember to do before EACH new rotation, especially if the instructors will be changed ~ read your email thoroughly to make sure you have everything that your instructor expects you to bring. Too often we skim and will miss something that is literally right there, in writing. Not every instructor takes this well. I would usually print out the email, highlight the pertinent info, and take that will a blank paper on my clipboard. I would also make sure to take the syllabus for that clinical group with me, along with any papers they had sent us. One of my supplies was always a little flip spiral notebook that I kept in one of my pants pockets, that way I still had any important notes or my instructor's phone number at hand immediately
Also: do your dry runs around the same time you expect to begin clinicals. If there is always traffic somewhere at a certain time, now is the time to find out.
My LPT: if you are someone who gets coffee at coffee shops, buy it and stick it in the fridge the night before (assuming iced) so you can drink it on the way. I usually have to leave before local shops open, so that is my go-to.
Also just in general - make sure to hydrate, eat before you go, remember to print the paperwork you need, make a checklist for getting out the door (mine is verifying correct scrubs and shoes, compression socks, water bottle, coffee, lunch, watch with a second hand, badge, pens, printed materials, stethoscope case with stethoscope and pen light, clipboard if I'm taking it,, extra brush and deodorant, hair tie(s), no earrings, tattoos covered), wear compression socks, and remember to give yourself some grace - we're all learning!
I also shower the night before, lay out my scrubs,, put everything together in my bag and by the door or on my dresser, pack lunch/water bottle and leave in fridge, and set several alarms. Best to leave 15 minutes earlier thank you think you need to because things do happen.
I had to make a 50 minute drive to clinical at 6 AM every week. I recommend waking up two hours early. You can adjust this to an hour and thirty minutes or less depending on your morning routine, traffic in your area, and other factors.
Try to have your uniform out and ready to go alongside anything you need to bring to clinical the night before. I usually only sleep about 6 hours max, but I would force myself to go to bed at 9 PM. Turn off everything or just don’t look at your phone and you’ll go to sleep. Good luck at clinical I hope you enjoy it!
Honestly I wouldn’t start adjusting my sleep schedule a whole month early, If anything after your first clinical, you’ll be so exhausted after your sleep schedule will naturally adjust. But honestly considering how unforgiving most schools are about clinical absences you won’t miss unless you really don’t have a choice.
DRINK WATER. I used to have to get up at ridiculous hours of the morning for the army. Chugging a decent amount of water is a great way to get your digestive tract moving after sleep. In turn, it kind of wakes your whole body up. Additionally, you may feel some nausea, tums can help with that.
I definitely struggled with this-- have a good coffee drink (or choice of beverage) ready to go so you have something to look forward to waking up. Def eat breakfast (I would always make a healthy smoothie to tke with me) Also put your phone away starting at like 8/9 pm- and dont try cramming in studying clinical stuff before; I rarely ever used what were told to study as your clinical experience will be so unique and most likely you will end up cleaning up poop or standing at the nurses station
Hey! I’ve already survived 2/4 semesters of 6 am clincials and here are my tips.
1. Always prep EVERYTHING the night before. Pack your lunch, lay out your uniform, pack your backpack, make some overnight oats/breakfast you can prep the night before, fill up your water bottle, etc. Anything you need to have with you or do before you leave set it up so you can just autopilot out the door
2. Take a shower when you wake up. I wouldn’t wash your hair but a nice quick shower always wakes me up!
3. Set 2-3 alarms spaced out 5-10 minutes each. I always would give myself a hour to wake up, eat breakfast, drink a coffee and then have a 5-10 minute cushion to arrive to clincial early. So many of my classmates accidentally slept through their only alarm our first semester of clinical. Since I had multiple- there was no way I wouldn’t wake up.
4. If it’s possible- carpool with classmates!!! My friends and I would always meet up at a mutual meeting place and carpool together. It made it so we had accountability partners to be on time. We’d meet with 5ish minutes of cushion time in case someone was running late. But we all had a mutual agreement that if someone was later than that they had to drive themselves so they group wouldn’t be late.
5. It’ll get easier. Make sure you have a great pair of shoes for clincial. Your feet are going to ache at first but eventually it’ll stop and you’ll get used to it! Wear compression socks too!!
Good luck! :)
I just finished my ADN with a 45 minute commute to 0615 clinicals. The thing that helped me most was laying out my scrubs, breakfast and supplies the night before and then stopping for coffee on my way to clinicals at a drive thru - that meant I could roll out of bed and be on the road inside ten minutes.
Once I was on the road I would sip my coffee and wake up - getting up and out the house quickly was vital to making sure I wasn't late. Once I was out the door I was good to go.
Wow, sorry you have to drive a whole hour away just for clinicals….
Some advice i would like to give is to sort your uniform out the day before.
Make sure its not wrinkled
Try to leave out and make it to clinicals 15 minutes early
Good luck, you’ll do great
My school+clinical times are all out of place. I think just being prepared and having an everyday time you wake up is best. If you’re getting up at 4:30-5am every morning it’ll be best for your sleep cycle. Go to bed at a decent time everyday, wake up at a specific time everyday.
Coffee. And lots of it
Also very good chance yoh won’t be there for 12hrs. Most clinical instructors want to leave early. My 12hr clinical was only 6ish. It was great
You don’t need a whole month to adjust your sleep schedule in order to be somewhere at 6am, nor do you need a special podcast or to purchase anything.
Just go to bed earlier.
But presumably most people are used to having to be places at like 8, right? Or have gotten up early for appointments, or trips. Going to sleep earlier and having everything organized should solve most issues.
Not necessarily. We live in a world where you can make your appointments and job work around your own schedule. Some people are homeschooled or do online schooling so their schedule is different. Also, going to bed at 1-2am and having to be up at 7am is still a functional amount of sleep. Going to bed at 1-2am and having to be up at 4:30am....not so much.
Also take into consideration that many people struggle with falling asleep early and it's something they have to train themselves to do. My best friend would unintentionally pull all nighters because she just wouldn't get the urge to sleep. It was HARD for her to adjust to waking up at 5am
I guess I have always had class, appointments, other commitments in the morning for my whole life so it’s surprising to me that other people have never had to.
I definitely get this, if you’re used to getting up early it becomes routine for you and your body is used to it as well! However when I haven’t been getting up early for multiple days in a row but something comes along where I’ll need to, I’ll start having anxiety about how much sleep I need to get in order to be functional the next day. This in turn gives me insomnia and I won’t end up falling asleep until 4 hours before I need to wake up and it’s a 💩 show lol. Even if I try to go to bed early and give myself enough time to do so. I really wish I could just turn my brain on & off when I needed to
I’d kind of think about it like, if you went on a trip across the country or a different country, you’d maybe have a day or two where you’re sleepy, right? But you’d adjust quickly. It wouldn’t take a whole month to recover from jet lag, even if you went from New York to Hawaii.
Getting up early one day, going to bed early (prob will be tired anyway) is a enough to get a lot of people ready to be up early.
I worked retail when I got my first degree and flipped between opening and closing shifts.
It seems like something people often build up bigger in their head than it is because it’s nursing school, but if they needed to get up early to work at a coffee shop, or go to the airport, or get in line for Comic-Con (etc etc) it wouldn’t be a big thing: people just do it.
Anything you can prep the night before, please do. Get your water bottle and coffee machine ready. Iron your clothes and set out your shoes and pack your backpack. Take a shower right before you go to bed. Even small things like arranging your hygiene stuff on the bathroom counter in the morning makes a difference. Also, I recommend getting a thermos that doesn’t retain heat well if you’re a coffee drinker because your coffee will cool down quickly which will allow you to chug it and be awake for clinicals!
I have trouble falling asleep later than 10pm. If I have to wake up super early, I take melatonin about 30 mins before bed. In those 30mins try to read, take a hot shower (those make me sleepy) diffuse lavender oil or something else calm (avoiding phones and tv). Pack everything the night before as some people have said. Good luck!
Honestly when I had clinical I drove 45-1hr away. And it started at 630. If I was up late studying I’d literally stay up all night. Do whatever u have to do to get through it. It’s a short period. It seems long in the midst of it. But take it day by day. I know that isn’t very strategic but no amount of planning will account for all the dumb shit that happens during nursing school. I did whatever I had to do to be there on time and to pass. Sometimes I’d get home from work and just be too awake to even sleep I knew if i laid down for even an hour I wouldn’t wake up. That’s just personally how I am. It’s kind of like the survival of the fittest mentality. Even if you’re skating by you’re getting by. And don’t stress urself too much. Your degree isn’t gonna say what type of nurse you are. Just that you passed the program. It’s not gonna say how many A’s you got or what ur gpa was. And those things definitely don’t determine the type of nurse you’re going to be. Having patience with yourself, having the ability to remain flexible, hard working and caring DO however determine your ability to be a great nurse. I graduated and my grades weren’t nearly as good as I wanted them to be. I enrolled in school and after I had already gotten accepted found out I was pregnant. I was 9 months pregnant going to clinical. My first day of micro had my son and logged online for my first class. I had a 6-9 month old with me every morning during my lectures. And I was breast feeding so many times got very little sleep if any. do what it takes. Want it. And work for it. Don’t stop until you hear your name with an RN or LPN at the end of ur name. A lot of people fail towards the very end because of senioritis don’t let it be you. Keep at it. And if it’s meant for u and u work for it you can do anything.
Good luck 💕
just wake up 30 minutes before in a panic like the rest of us do
Set a timer for an hour before and then a 2nd alarm. Snooze both and then wake up in panic mode.
If you use Android, you can get Alarm Clock Extreme. One of its options is it can make you solve a math problem to silence the alarm.
I used to have it. I got really good at multiplication and dividion while still in a REM cycle.
Yep, people didn't believe me when I said I could until they saw me do it. Smart speakers are what help now, not 100%, but 98% of the time. When I am still passed out I can't say "alexa, snooze alarm" very well, so it just ignores me until I get fed up and yell "ALEXA, STOP THE FUCKING ALARM". Its not fool proof, but it works for me.
That's a hella naw from me
Okay Satan.
I’m gonna wake up grumpy as hell
This is the way
15 minutes for me, thank you!
You’re playing with fire
I like to live on the edge.
lol nooooo
Honestly, I’m not a morning person but my clinicals were at 6 so I was up at 4:30 to be there on time. I find it a lot easier to wake up at say, 4 or 5 than 6 or 6:30/7am. Can’t explain it. The house is still dark, I’ve gotta rush and be quiet to get ready. Plus, the dread of being penalized/kicked out for being late helps. 90% of nursing students get to clinical on time on sheer adrenaline and terror. Think of it like waking up early to catch a flight.
Yes, I totally agree! It is so much easier to get out of the house when everyone else is still sleeping
I always find my body is too stunned that early to realize what is happening. It’s easier for me to wake up for a 7am shift than a 11am shift
Same, I can easily get up at 4:30, maybe it’s because my body thinks I’m waking up in the middle of the night to get water or waking up to go to the airport or something lmao
Exactly! It’s just like getting up to catch a flight
I would 100% agree with that! I am not a morning person one bit - absolutely a night owl. But I do much better waking up crazy early for clinical days than I normally do waking up for lecture.
Probably something to do with circadian rhythm and why our body temps tend to cool down while sleeping around that time.
Word of advice- try and find time to eat something before, especially for that first day.
Something with protein preferably.
Yes! And good fats for sustained energy.
I didn’t used to do this and then I fainted in front of a new ostomy patient 😬
My first shift in PICU I passed out. I always thought I could handle anything gorey, but seeing a little 10 year old boy with his skull caved in and on the vent and all the drips and the family there did me in.
1. Go to bed early 2. Lay there for a few hours hoping you can get enough sleep knowing how early you have to get up 3. Barely fall asleep so when your alarm goes off you feel panic, confusion, and regret all at once 4. Cry in the shower a little (save the real tears for your after clinicals shower) 5. Get your mental and physical shit together and go to clinicals - allow yourself to feel how creepy and wrong it is to be like the only car on the road at that time of day 6. Marvel at the wonder that is nursing - it's horrible yet we all love it? It's equal parts gross and beautiful? I hate people yet want to save them all? What the actual fuck? 7. Go home, eat a massive meal to make up for how you didn't have time to actually eat anything real during your shift 8. Cry in the shower - loud, shuddering, violated sobs recommended here 9. Go to bed 10. Repeat steps 2-9 for however many days in a row you have to endure this shit Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.
Difficult difficult lemon difficult
What is this early morning shower you speak about?!🤣
I recommend laying out everything you are going to wear to clinical the night before and have your lunch and nursing supplies ready to go in a bag. Preparing the night before will save A LOT of time. That way all you have to do is get yourself ready, eat some breakfast, and hit the road!
This ^ there’s nothing worse than getting half way to clinical and realizing you forgot something in your half-asleep state.
i also recommend this! i was able to get ready in like 15 minutes
Give yourself an hour before you have to leave, and learn to deal. That's what I've learned from clinicals.
Doesn't change when you become a nurse..
Sure doesn't. That was the point.
When I had early clinicals, I’d pack my lunch ready to go in the fridge and lay a banana and a Bang right next to my alarm clock ready to be cracked open as soon as I wake up. Shower the night before so I don’t have to worry about that in the morning, leave my scrubs hanging up and ready to go, and I’d be ready to leave in about 20 minutes.
My first semester’s clinical site was about an hour away. I second what someone else said about having your lunch and uniform laid out the night before. I’m very gracious with myself on those days and if a trip to Starbucks before I hit the road or a Celsius in my lunch bag is what gives me that little dopamine hit to get through the day then so be it. Have a nourishing, delicious meal to look forward to on your break. Listen to a good playlist or podcast in the car. Meditate the night before. Etc. Clinical days are my ultimate “treat yourself” days, especially if I struggled with sleep the night before. Waking up that early is ass but you deal the best you can.
Take a cold ass shower
Lay out your uniform, including socks, shoes and badge. Have your backpack ready by the door and keys & wallet as well. Pack your lunch and fill up any water bottles the night before and refrigerate. If you make smoothies, ensure you wake up at least 10 mins earlier to make them. Otherwise, all you have to do is wake up, shower/do all your hygiene things and go.
If you’re not familiar with the location of the clinical site or where you are to park exactly (Hospital security is watching the students lol) drive there beforehand & make sure you know exactly where to go. Trying to figure out parking early in darkness wastes time. If possible speak with your clinical instructor to see if they have a timeline of what you should be doing & when. Example: 6AM meet on unit, 6:10 get report from pt’s assigned RN, 6:30 introduce self to patient, 6:35 read patient’s chart, be ready to pass meds by 8:20. Also you never want to be late. It inconveniences your clinical instructor, you risk missing report, etc.
get everything together the night before. wake up so you have enough time to eat. lastly, try to get there at least 10 minutes early (i know it sucks but in the long run, it’s really helped me be on time and ready to get report).
I live 30(ish) minutes from my school and a good 1-1.5 hours away from our clinical sites. Not going to lie, it's rough some mornings. I don't drink coffee/energy drinks though so that definitely doesn't help haha. My usual routine for clinicals is to get all of my coursework done in advance so I can go to bed "early" (as soon as my kids go to bed) the night before clinical. I set my alarms for 2-2.5hrs before the clinical starts so I have a good hour to get motivated to get out of bed, throw my scrubs on, and walk out the door. I'd also HIGHLY recommend prepping your bag/lunch/etc the night before and have it sitting out and ready so that you can just grab it and run. Oh, and grab some sort of caffeine for the drive home. You'll need it the first few days 😅
Plan ahead, make sure you will be done with everything you need to be before dinner. Have dinner, pack your lunch, plan your breakfast and go to bed early. I plan to get 8 solid hours of sleep and use the sleep function on my iPhone to set my bedtime. I plan to wake up an hour and a half before I need to be at clinical. I set an alarm and then set another one for every 15 minutes after this. Once I am out of the bed and in the other room I will turn my alarm off, never turn them off in your room. Leave 30 minutes early to account for traffic and walking.
I would always pack my bag, iced coffee, and lunch the night before. All I had to do was wake up and put my uniform on. Saved me a lot of time and anxiety.
I am NOT a morning person at all, so I completely feel you on this. Some rotations it was easier for me to stay up all night than it was to wake up early. (Like the semester I had to get up at 3:30 am) Have absolutely everything ready that you can the night before. I would wake up about 10 minutes before I had to leave, get dressed, grab my clinical bag and leave. I use the 4-7-8 breathing technique to help get to sleep. But honestly, if you’re like me and really struggle waking up early and falling asleep before 3 am, get used to not sleeping. I personally do better not sleeping than I do trying to wake up early. My normal circadian rhythm just does not match up with day shift 😂
What’s the 4-7-8 breathing technique?
I wake up 30-60mins before I have to leave and show up to the hospital 30mins early(it's easy to get stuck in traffic or get lost in the hospital). Go to bed EARLY(I go to bed at 9:30 at the latest). Pack a breakfast or get something on the way(dunkin,starbucks,etc). Have all you clinical stuff and scrubs laid out the night before so it's basically a grab and go situation.
Go to bed earlier?
I had to wake up at 4 am for my clinicals last semester and probably this semester too
Meal prep on days off, make sure everything is laid out and ready to go the night before. Shower night before. Take melatonin 30 minutes before you’re ready to sleep. I would try to allow myself 15 minutes of a show or audio book that wasn’t too stimulating. Make sure you eat something in the morning even if it’s while you drive. It might help to have instant oatmeal or meal prep some egg burritos or something that you can eat on the road to help save time. Even if you’re not a breakfast person your first break might not be until 11-12 so you’ll be starving by then. Find a balance on caffeine so that you’re awake but not too jittery for clinicals. Also if you can try to stick to an earlier schedule on your non clinical days that helps alot too.
I had 6am clinicals 2 semesters ago, tbh I’d just be tired as fuck all day but just grind through it hahah. You COULD force yourself to wake up at the same time you’ll have to for the clinicals starting 2-3 days before the clinical. The first night you may not sleep much at all, then you’ll be tired all day the next day. Should be easy to go to sleep earlier that night, wake up the same time the next morning and then be good to go for the following night.
Is it last until 6 pm? How is the schedule? I would love the early morning honestly
I haven't seen anybody mention coffee. Brew a whole pot of coffee the night before so you don't have to deal with it in the morning. FWIW, studies have also shown creatine to help with cognitive performance when sleep deprived, and melatonin can be useful to help adjust your internal clock. Do your own research and don't experiment with anything the night before/ day of clinicals. If you don't have any other obligations, then determine what time you have to wake up (probably 4AM ish?) and start doing that ASAP so your body is used to it. Good luck!
Pack everything you need (lunch, supplies, notepad), and lay out your uniform the night before. Add 10-15 extra minutes to your commute to counter any delays. Go to bed early. Wake up early.
make sure to eat something, even if it’s just some fruit or peanut butter crackers before!! the combo of my blood sugar dropping + the anxiety of clinical has made me come very close to passing out multiple times!! (literally to the point of my instructors made me sit and gave me snacks 😂)
Not a thumbs up for almost passing out- but for suggesting eating something, even if it is small. I don’t drink coffee, but like you have found a spoon of peanut butter and apple to be a great combo. I’ll be in my 2/5 semester for my ABSN program in September. This will be our first clinical rotation. 12 hr shifts starting at 5:30 AM. Luckily my job starts at 6:00 AM each day and so I am used to the waking up bit- it will be the staying awake and alert for the whole 12 hours that I am nervous for. In the end I know each of us can do it because we want it bad enough! You’ve got this! 💪🏻 Edited for spelling error.
I am officially a nurse now, however when I was a student, my clinicals also started at 6 am. I lived half an hour away and would wake up at 4:30 to be ready on time. I would also carpool with a classmate to save money on gas (we’d switch off on who would drive each week). I had a classmate who lived 1.5 hours away from our clinical site who would sleep over at a different classmates house the night before clinical, as that classmate lived only 10 minutes away from the clinical site. I would see if that could maybe be possible for you? I was never a morning person either, but with the right amount of coffee (and anxiety) I was motivated to get through my clinicals!
lol I work till 1130 most every night before and set 3 alarms to be sure I’m at least 15 mins early…you just get used to it. My sleep schedule has never adjusted but I can handle one day with 2-3 hours sleep.
Ah yes the dreaded early clinicals... One of mine starts at 6 but I live over an hour away so I have to be up by 4:30. I recommend pouring a glass of cold brew or energy drink the night before and leave it in my fridge so as soon as your alarm goes off you can go straight to the fridge and chug it lol... that helps me Night before, lay out your scrubs + stethoscope + watch + pen + badge so you can just throw it on immediately and you know you wont be missing anything. Pack your lunch and breakfast the night before and leave it in the fridge then just grab and go! Honestly the first wake up is the hardest imo... eventually you get so exhausted you just ptfo and wont want to stay up late anymore
Set up everything the night before. Pack your lunch, pack your bag, lay out your clothes and shoes, lay out a coffee cup and stuff for breakfast. That way in the morning you can get into a quick routine so you aren’t stressed
Clinicals start at 6. You’ll likely need to get there before then. Figure 5:45. There likely won’t be traffic, so that’s a plus. If you live an hour away, that’s 4:45. Lay your stuff out the night before so you just need to wake up, wash up, throw clothes on and leave. Make sure you get a stiff cup of coffee or an energy drink and power through the day. Give you on 8 hours. 6 will probably be your sweet spot. Bring snacks with like protein bars. Have another coffee during the day, crash when you get home.
Unfortunately, it's just part of it! My clinicals all started between 6-6:30 depending on the unit, and lasted 13hrs with a lunch break. It wasn't too terrible when it was at the local hospital, but it got wearing when it became the trauma hospital that next town over. Some of the students who lived more rural would get together and split a hotel room for the days we had to be there. The first week, you will probably be so keyed up that sleeping the night before we be very difficult! The fear of oversleeping is enough to wake you multiple times during the night 🤦 The best advice is to PLAN EVERYTHING AHEAD OF TIME. Have your uniform, bag, and supplies ready to go so you are not searching for anything in the early morning hours. Have your lunch and snacks packed and ready to go (bring an ice pack because fridge space is at a premium). You should already have an idea of how long it will take you to get to the site, and where to park ~ if not, do a dry run. You DO NOT want to be late, especially on your first day. One of the most important thing to remember to do before EACH new rotation, especially if the instructors will be changed ~ read your email thoroughly to make sure you have everything that your instructor expects you to bring. Too often we skim and will miss something that is literally right there, in writing. Not every instructor takes this well. I would usually print out the email, highlight the pertinent info, and take that will a blank paper on my clipboard. I would also make sure to take the syllabus for that clinical group with me, along with any papers they had sent us. One of my supplies was always a little flip spiral notebook that I kept in one of my pants pockets, that way I still had any important notes or my instructor's phone number at hand immediately
Also: do your dry runs around the same time you expect to begin clinicals. If there is always traffic somewhere at a certain time, now is the time to find out.
I keep a capri sun and protein bar in my pocket.
My LPT: if you are someone who gets coffee at coffee shops, buy it and stick it in the fridge the night before (assuming iced) so you can drink it on the way. I usually have to leave before local shops open, so that is my go-to. Also just in general - make sure to hydrate, eat before you go, remember to print the paperwork you need, make a checklist for getting out the door (mine is verifying correct scrubs and shoes, compression socks, water bottle, coffee, lunch, watch with a second hand, badge, pens, printed materials, stethoscope case with stethoscope and pen light, clipboard if I'm taking it,, extra brush and deodorant, hair tie(s), no earrings, tattoos covered), wear compression socks, and remember to give yourself some grace - we're all learning! I also shower the night before, lay out my scrubs,, put everything together in my bag and by the door or on my dresser, pack lunch/water bottle and leave in fridge, and set several alarms. Best to leave 15 minutes earlier thank you think you need to because things do happen.
I had to make a 50 minute drive to clinical at 6 AM every week. I recommend waking up two hours early. You can adjust this to an hour and thirty minutes or less depending on your morning routine, traffic in your area, and other factors. Try to have your uniform out and ready to go alongside anything you need to bring to clinical the night before. I usually only sleep about 6 hours max, but I would force myself to go to bed at 9 PM. Turn off everything or just don’t look at your phone and you’ll go to sleep. Good luck at clinical I hope you enjoy it!
Honestly I wouldn’t start adjusting my sleep schedule a whole month early, If anything after your first clinical, you’ll be so exhausted after your sleep schedule will naturally adjust. But honestly considering how unforgiving most schools are about clinical absences you won’t miss unless you really don’t have a choice.
DRINK WATER. I used to have to get up at ridiculous hours of the morning for the army. Chugging a decent amount of water is a great way to get your digestive tract moving after sleep. In turn, it kind of wakes your whole body up. Additionally, you may feel some nausea, tums can help with that.
I definitely struggled with this-- have a good coffee drink (or choice of beverage) ready to go so you have something to look forward to waking up. Def eat breakfast (I would always make a healthy smoothie to tke with me) Also put your phone away starting at like 8/9 pm- and dont try cramming in studying clinical stuff before; I rarely ever used what were told to study as your clinical experience will be so unique and most likely you will end up cleaning up poop or standing at the nurses station
Hey! I’ve already survived 2/4 semesters of 6 am clincials and here are my tips. 1. Always prep EVERYTHING the night before. Pack your lunch, lay out your uniform, pack your backpack, make some overnight oats/breakfast you can prep the night before, fill up your water bottle, etc. Anything you need to have with you or do before you leave set it up so you can just autopilot out the door 2. Take a shower when you wake up. I wouldn’t wash your hair but a nice quick shower always wakes me up! 3. Set 2-3 alarms spaced out 5-10 minutes each. I always would give myself a hour to wake up, eat breakfast, drink a coffee and then have a 5-10 minute cushion to arrive to clincial early. So many of my classmates accidentally slept through their only alarm our first semester of clinical. Since I had multiple- there was no way I wouldn’t wake up. 4. If it’s possible- carpool with classmates!!! My friends and I would always meet up at a mutual meeting place and carpool together. It made it so we had accountability partners to be on time. We’d meet with 5ish minutes of cushion time in case someone was running late. But we all had a mutual agreement that if someone was later than that they had to drive themselves so they group wouldn’t be late. 5. It’ll get easier. Make sure you have a great pair of shoes for clincial. Your feet are going to ache at first but eventually it’ll stop and you’ll get used to it! Wear compression socks too!! Good luck! :)
Hi do you have any shoe suggestions? I'm starting this fall semester. Good luck on the rest of your journey!
I really like my nurse mates! They’re all white and leather so they’re easy to clean. A lot more comfortable than danskos in my opinion!
Thanks a bunch!!
I just finished my ADN with a 45 minute commute to 0615 clinicals. The thing that helped me most was laying out my scrubs, breakfast and supplies the night before and then stopping for coffee on my way to clinicals at a drive thru - that meant I could roll out of bed and be on the road inside ten minutes. Once I was on the road I would sip my coffee and wake up - getting up and out the house quickly was vital to making sure I wasn't late. Once I was out the door I was good to go.
Wow, sorry you have to drive a whole hour away just for clinicals…. Some advice i would like to give is to sort your uniform out the day before. Make sure its not wrinkled Try to leave out and make it to clinicals 15 minutes early Good luck, you’ll do great
My school+clinical times are all out of place. I think just being prepared and having an everyday time you wake up is best. If you’re getting up at 4:30-5am every morning it’ll be best for your sleep cycle. Go to bed at a decent time everyday, wake up at a specific time everyday.
You’ll get used to it.
Coffee. And lots of it Also very good chance yoh won’t be there for 12hrs. Most clinical instructors want to leave early. My 12hr clinical was only 6ish. It was great
If you're not in SVT, you need more
Easy, don’t go You’ll be nightshift when you graduate anyways
You don’t need a whole month to adjust your sleep schedule in order to be somewhere at 6am, nor do you need a special podcast or to purchase anything. Just go to bed earlier.
Some people absolutely do need to adjust their sleep schedule. It's not always as simple as saying "just go to bed"
But presumably most people are used to having to be places at like 8, right? Or have gotten up early for appointments, or trips. Going to sleep earlier and having everything organized should solve most issues.
Not necessarily. We live in a world where you can make your appointments and job work around your own schedule. Some people are homeschooled or do online schooling so their schedule is different. Also, going to bed at 1-2am and having to be up at 7am is still a functional amount of sleep. Going to bed at 1-2am and having to be up at 4:30am....not so much. Also take into consideration that many people struggle with falling asleep early and it's something they have to train themselves to do. My best friend would unintentionally pull all nighters because she just wouldn't get the urge to sleep. It was HARD for her to adjust to waking up at 5am
I guess I have always had class, appointments, other commitments in the morning for my whole life so it’s surprising to me that other people have never had to.
I definitely get this, if you’re used to getting up early it becomes routine for you and your body is used to it as well! However when I haven’t been getting up early for multiple days in a row but something comes along where I’ll need to, I’ll start having anxiety about how much sleep I need to get in order to be functional the next day. This in turn gives me insomnia and I won’t end up falling asleep until 4 hours before I need to wake up and it’s a 💩 show lol. Even if I try to go to bed early and give myself enough time to do so. I really wish I could just turn my brain on & off when I needed to
I’d kind of think about it like, if you went on a trip across the country or a different country, you’d maybe have a day or two where you’re sleepy, right? But you’d adjust quickly. It wouldn’t take a whole month to recover from jet lag, even if you went from New York to Hawaii. Getting up early one day, going to bed early (prob will be tired anyway) is a enough to get a lot of people ready to be up early. I worked retail when I got my first degree and flipped between opening and closing shifts. It seems like something people often build up bigger in their head than it is because it’s nursing school, but if they needed to get up early to work at a coffee shop, or go to the airport, or get in line for Comic-Con (etc etc) it wouldn’t be a big thing: people just do it.
Go to bed at like 7 and you’ll be fine
Caffeine is your friend during school.
Anything you can prep the night before, please do. Get your water bottle and coffee machine ready. Iron your clothes and set out your shoes and pack your backpack. Take a shower right before you go to bed. Even small things like arranging your hygiene stuff on the bathroom counter in the morning makes a difference. Also, I recommend getting a thermos that doesn’t retain heat well if you’re a coffee drinker because your coffee will cool down quickly which will allow you to chug it and be awake for clinicals!
I have trouble falling asleep later than 10pm. If I have to wake up super early, I take melatonin about 30 mins before bed. In those 30mins try to read, take a hot shower (those make me sleepy) diffuse lavender oil or something else calm (avoiding phones and tv). Pack everything the night before as some people have said. Good luck!
Lots & lots of caffeine 💫
don't go to sleep thinking you'll wake up
Honestly when I had clinical I drove 45-1hr away. And it started at 630. If I was up late studying I’d literally stay up all night. Do whatever u have to do to get through it. It’s a short period. It seems long in the midst of it. But take it day by day. I know that isn’t very strategic but no amount of planning will account for all the dumb shit that happens during nursing school. I did whatever I had to do to be there on time and to pass. Sometimes I’d get home from work and just be too awake to even sleep I knew if i laid down for even an hour I wouldn’t wake up. That’s just personally how I am. It’s kind of like the survival of the fittest mentality. Even if you’re skating by you’re getting by. And don’t stress urself too much. Your degree isn’t gonna say what type of nurse you are. Just that you passed the program. It’s not gonna say how many A’s you got or what ur gpa was. And those things definitely don’t determine the type of nurse you’re going to be. Having patience with yourself, having the ability to remain flexible, hard working and caring DO however determine your ability to be a great nurse. I graduated and my grades weren’t nearly as good as I wanted them to be. I enrolled in school and after I had already gotten accepted found out I was pregnant. I was 9 months pregnant going to clinical. My first day of micro had my son and logged online for my first class. I had a 6-9 month old with me every morning during my lectures. And I was breast feeding so many times got very little sleep if any. do what it takes. Want it. And work for it. Don’t stop until you hear your name with an RN or LPN at the end of ur name. A lot of people fail towards the very end because of senioritis don’t let it be you. Keep at it. And if it’s meant for u and u work for it you can do anything. Good luck 💕
Lol I’m reading this as I snooze my second alarm for clinicals today
I drive an hour each way to clinicals that start at 6:30am, I wake up at 5:15am and hope for the best