Clinical Rotations

As part of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh's Accelerated Nursing Option, students complete 728 clinical hours during six rotations — approximately 80 more clinical hours than are completed by students in the Traditional Nursing Option. The additional clinical time is important to successfully apply the theoretical concepts of nursing to clinical situations in a more compressed time frame.

Accelerated nursing students complete clinical rotations in their home cities or nearby locations under the direct guidance of a qualified registered nurse preceptor and supervised by UW Oshkosh clinical faculty.  Due to the unique one-to-one precepted clinical experience in Accelerated Nursing, students may be required to travel an hour or more from their home address depending on the availability of the clinical agencies.  

Adult Health I Clinical

The first clinical rotation of the curriculum is completed during the two-week campus residency period. Students complete this rotation in a hospital in the Oshkosh surrounding area. In a group of 4–5 students with one UW Oshkosh Clinical instructor, students will care for adults with medical/surgical health problems.

During Adult Health I, 56 clinical hours are completed. These hours are completed on days opposite the lab experience. A typical clinical day starts at 6:30–7 a.m. and ends at 5–6 p.m..

Nursing care units for this experience may include the following: cardiac, neurology, rehabilitation or medical-surgical. Students have their first experience planning and managing care for 1–2 patients. Students complete health and physical assessments and perform psychomotor skills learned in the lab and previous courses.

Preceptor-Model Clinical Rotations

The next five clinical rotations are completed via the preceptor model. Students learn under the direct supervision of a registered nurse preceptor who is an employee of a health care agency in or near the student's "home community."

The student services coordinators secure clinical placements with personnel at health care facilities near the students' home communities (Students do not secure their own preceptors or clinical agencies). UW Oshkosh faculty members supervise the precepted clinical experiences via online communication and on-site clinical visits.

Preceptors are required to have specific qualifications to supervise students in the Accelerated Option. With few exceptions, preceptors have a minimum of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and 2–3 years of work experience. Preceptors complete a UW Oshkosh Preceptor Training Module.

For all five of these rotations, accelerated nursing students are required to complete clinical hours according to their nurse preceptors' schedule. For example, students may work days (7 a.m.–3:30 p.m.), evenings (3–11:30 p.m.), nights (11 p.m.–7:30 a.m.) or a combination of these shifts, depending on the preceptors' work schedule. Students may work 8, 10 or 12-hour shifts and may work Saturdays, Sundays and holidays; depending on the preceptors' schedule. Due to the compressed format of the curriculum, students need to be available "24/7" to work their preceptors' scheduled hours.

Written assignments for clinical rotations are submitted to the UW Oshkosh clinical instructor. Students have 3 hours of a “live chat” conference (usually divided into 2 or 3 chat sessions) with the clinical instructor and other students in the same clinical course during the precepted clinical rotations.

The student services coordinators make every effort to secure placements at appropriate agencies relatively close to the students' home communities. However, a particular agency may take students in one specialty area but not another or may have its own constraints, limiting the number of students who can be accommodated. Not all agencies have qualified preceptors available to supervise students. Thus, students must be prepared to travel up to fifty miles, one way, for clinical experiences. In extenuating circumstances, the distance may be greater than 50 miles.

Adult Health II Clinical

The Adult Health II Clinical rotation runs concurrently with Adult Health II Theory. Theoretical concepts covered in this course include nursing care for adults with:

• cardiac disorders
• renal disease
• gastrointestinal, liver and pancreatic disorders
• neurological disorders
• cancer, burns and trauma

Clinical units will have a combination of patients with some of the above problems to facilitate application of theoretical concepts to clinical situations.

During Adult Health II, students complete 112 clinical hours over five weeks.

Pediatric, Obstetric, Mental Health and Geriatric Clinicals

Accelerated nursing students are assigned to two of the above four clinical rotations. Although students may have a preference or higher interest in one area than another, assignments are made by the student services coordinators based upon preceptor availability and the number of students needing clinical experiences. Particular clinical specialty experience during a nursing program, or lack thereof, is not a significant factor related to job placement upon graduation.

The format for these two clinical rotations is the same as for Adult Health II. However, the theory courses for the four specialty areas do not necessarily run concurrently with the clinical rotations.

End goals for these clinical courses reflect greater independence and problem solving when caring for patients. Students independently care for two patients and may progress to managing 3-4 patients with a nursing assistant or an LPN, depending on the acuity of the patients.

Preceptor guidance and supervision is maintained throughout the rotation, even as the student becomes more independent. Students become more actively involved in discharge planning and multidisciplinary teamwork to assure the needs of patients are met, both in the hospital and after discharge.

Community Health Clinical

All students in the Accelerated option complete the Community Health Clinical Rotation concurrently with Community Health Theory. Students complete 168 hours of clinical over six weeks. Students are partnered with a community health nurse preceptor and complete the hours in a community or public health agency such as a county health department, free clinic, home health agency or school.

The schedule and format for this rotation is the same as described in Adult Health II. Students follow the preceptors' schedules. During this rotation, students have 4.5 total hours of “live chat” sessions with the UW Oshkosh clinical instructor and fellow students.

Senior Clinical Synthesis

Approximately halfway through the accelerated curriculum, students are asked to identify areas of interest for the Senior Clinical Synthesis experience. Students are asked to select more than one area for the Senior Clinical Synthesis rotation. The students' “first choice” cannot be guaranteed as all rotations are based upon preceptor availability.

During the Senior Clinical Synthesis, students complete 168 hours of clinical experience over 5 weeks. The Senior Clinical Synthesis runs concurrently with the Leadership and Management Course.

The schedule and format for this rotation are the same as described in Adult Health II. Students follow the preceptors' schedules. During this rotation, students have 4.5 total hours of “live chat” sessions with the UW Oshkosh clinical instructor and fellow students.