The Night Before Clinicals: A Survival Checklist You Actually Need!
It's 10 PM. Your clinical starts at 6 AM. You're lying in bed wondering if you remembered everything, mentally going through your bag for the fifteenth time, and contemplating whether you should get up and check for your stethoscope, again.
We've all been there. Clinical anxiety is REAL.
So here's your actual survival checklist—not just the obvious stuff like "bring your badge" (duh), but the things that'll save you when Murphy's Law strikes.
The Night Before:
Set THREE alarms. Different ringtones. Put one across the room.
Lay out your scrubs. Check for mystery stains from last time.
Pack your bag: stethoscope (with working batteries!), pen light, multiple pens (they disappear), small
notebook, hand sanitizer, chapstick, snacks, and water bottle.
Check the weather. Seriously. You don't want to show up drenched.
Gas up your car if needed. Nothing worse than panic-pumping at 5:45 AM.
Know where you're parking. Hospital parking is its own special kind of chaos.
The Things Nobody Tells You:
Eat something, even if you're nervous. Low blood sugar + adrenaline = bad time.
Use the bathroom before you leave home. Hospital bathrooms can be... an adventure.
Bring gum or mints. You're going to be talking to patients and instructors all day.
Wear comfortable shoes you've already broken in. Your feet will hate you otherwise.
Double-check your clinical assignment details. Wrong floor = embarrassing.
The Mental Prep: Remember, everyone there was once exactly where you are. Your instructor, the staff RTs, even the docs— they all had a first clinical day. You're not expected to know everything. You're expected to show up, try hard, and be safe.
Take a deep breath. You've got this.
And if all else fails, just remember: at least you're not the medical student who fainted during their first surgery.
(That happened. Multiple times. You'll be fine.)