CALLING ALL RNs :D

[Resonance.Of.Life]

Ok.. so I start my first clinical rotation (Med/Surg) and we need to get some white shoes as part of our uniform.. can you seasoned nurses tell me what are the most comfortable shoes to get?

 

[iheartscience]

I''m not a nurse but I work for/right by a hospital and pretty much every nurse I see wears Dansko clogs. I''ve tried them on and they are comfy. I don''t have any but my older sister does and she loves them.

 

[Resonance.Of.Life]

Oo I''ll look into those. I don''t have an arch (dreaded flat feet) so finding a comfortable pair is important.

 

[SeaStar]

I second the Dansko clogs. I wear the black professional clog style and my feet never hurt at the end of my shift. You need shoes you can run your butt off in so make sure you zip around the store a couple times in them. I also recommend the regular old-fashioned Crocs, the kind that were out before all of the crazy styles started showing up on the shelves. They''re like walking on cloud.

 

[Resonance.Of.Life]

I just read my uniform attire requirements in our handbook and we''re not allowed to wear clogs. T__T any other suggestions? It said "cannot be open anywhere on the shoe, including clogs such as Crocs."

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 8/27/2009 12:00:05 PM
Author: Resonance.Of.Life
I just read my uniform attire requirements in our handbook and we''re not allowed to wear clogs. T__T any other suggestions? It said ''cannot be open anywhere on the shoe, including clogs such as Crocs.''

Dansko clogs aren''t open. They have a closed back. That''s what I wore when I was on my feet all day in college. They are amazing. You want the Dansko Professional clogs.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Right, check your policy for restrictions on color as well. I recently bought a pair of Nike "walking" shoes (walkers). I tried on New Balance, etc, and found the Nikes fit the best. They are designed for the types of movement you need while working--vs. running shoes which are designed primarily for forward movement. All white too!

cheers--Sharon

 

[Amandine]

I''m on my feet all day at work, too, standing on tile. I love Merrells, and thought these two may work for you (they come in more then white):

Jungle Moc Pro

Encore Moc Pro

Good luck, happy feet are important!

 

[mochi]

First off, make sure the shoes you choose is allowed in your nursing student handbook. When I was in school, they were pretty strick in what we can wear from head down to our toes.

Then go and try them on. What works with one person will not work with another because of the anatomy of our feet. I have plantar fascitis and what worked for me was z-coil shoes, birkies (closed kinds, not cloggs), and at this time I'm wearing croc's (made for people with foot problems). I'm always on my feet and use to go home in pain. But these help me tremendously.

Good luck in your clinicals. You're going to meet alot of wonderful nurses willing to help you and pull you under their wings and some of them that 'will eat their youngs', unfortunately. Don't get discouraged, just find a mentor who is willing to go that extra mile with you.

 

[Upgradable]

Nurse Mate''s are made specifically for the medical field. They have great support and are made of breathable and long wearing leather. Whatever you decide, they should be leather and NOT vinyl!! You''re feet need to breathe and your shoes need to be comfortable and flexible. I do not advocate "sports shoes" that are usually either pierced leather or fabric because if you have a body fluid spill (and you will!) it can soak into your shoes. Remember "barrier protection"? It applies to your feet as well! Good luck and I hope you love your rotation!!

 

[Resonance.Of.Life]

Thanks girls!

I greatly appreciate all the advice! I''m just so nervous.. since we JUST finished Fundamentals and Pharmacology as of Wednesday.... any other words of advice in regards to clinicals?

 

[tiffanytwisted]

I''ve worn Danskos for the last 7 years. I love them. The Professional Clogs are not open anywhere, so they should comply with the uniform rules.

Good luck!!

 

[Lynnie]

ROL:
I second the Danskos. Nursemates are good, too. Make sure you walk around in them a bit in the store first, though, and check your feet afterwards. Some shoes have a tendancy to rub either on the back of the heel, or the top (where you would tie shoelaces on a pair of sneakers).
I''m a nurse, and I prefer regular sneakers or crocs, though. I think I have extra sweaty feet

. Also, it''s a good idea to get some good socks that are breathable and absorbant.

Re: clinicals... I feel your pain/nervousness. I was super nervous for my first clinical rotation (also med-surg). The nurses weren''t very enthused, either. But in hindsite, I realize that they probably had a 7-8 patient load. If I had 7 or 8 patients, plus 2 or 3 student nurses, I''d be a little overwhelmed, too.
Advice? hmmm... Don''t be afraid to say you don''t know something. Once, my clinical instructor asked me a reeeaallly easy question, and I just blanked, I was so nervous. She put me on the spot and everything. So, rather than stand there and fumble and make a fool of myself, I told her that I was extremely nervous, a little stressed out, and my brain was so fried at that point that she could''ve asked me what my name was and I wouldn''t know. She was one of the good instructors, and was understanding about it.
Also, ask a lot of questions, no matter how ''stupid'' they sound.
Remember your ABC''s

That is always a constant. I know you''re not thinking NCLEX now, but a lot of it has to do with priortizing. So try to keep that in mind. Once you get a patient load of more than 1, think about why patient A is more critical than patient B or C.
Lastly, another piece of advice - DON''t be afraid to chat with your patients. I was super nervous about introducing myself to patients. "Hi, I''m Lynn, I''ll be your student nurse" just sounded so horrible to me!! If the patient''s watching aa baseball game, ask about it. If there''s pictures of the patients family in the room, comment on them. Patients are people, first and foremost, and talking about non-hospital related stuff puts you both at ease, and ''breaks down the walls'', so to speak. I''ve had some of the most fascinating conversations of my life with some of my patients. Of course, not all patients are fun - there''s always the crabby, perveted, downright crazy ones, so don''t let those ones get to you!

Good luck... it won''t be easy, but it''ll be sooo worth it in the end!!

 

[HOUMedGal]

I''m a physician, and after several years of being on my feet ALL THE TIME, I also highly recommend Danskos. The one you want is indeed the "Professional Clog" which is closed all around, no open back, so should fit your dress code. My feet, legs, and back feel the least tired after a long work day/night in these shoes. Even better than my running shoes. I''ve gone 30hrs straight at work with very little sitting down before, and I think it was because of my Danskos that I made it through without just collapsing. I''m a little embarrassed to admit it, but I own three pairs of the professional clogs and 3 pairs of more sandal-like Danskos that have the same sole/bottom as the clogs.

Love them!!

 

[cara]

Not a nurse, but I love Danskos. Even then, my feet will still hurt a bit after all day in them. Nothings perfect.

BUT I've convinced two people to buy Dansko professional clogs and they weren't as happy with them - so please do try them on and make your own decision about what works for you. My husband was one of those that Danskos didn't work for - he's a doc and basically finds shoes with some balance between professional appearance/comfort for clinical work. Think sneakers but with a full leather upper. He likes a lot of Merrills but also other brands. One other trick is that he will often alternate between two different pairs of different style shoes when he's working long days. No matter how good the shoe, its hard to wear it for long days consecutively. And if you find something that works for you - stock up! Most of them will break down over time, though Danskos are pretty long lasting.

 

[Resonance.Of.Life]

Going tonight to try some shoes on!

Thank you all again!

@ Lynnie:

I was told by one of my previous Professors (an associate Dean at the school) that if we weren''t able to answer a question by our clinical instructors we would be sent home! That just makes me even more nervous. We''re doing the HESI exams for every nursing course so we''re getting used to NCLEX thinking and question formats. In order to move onto the next quarter, we have to get a raw score of 850 on the HESIs.

I have no problem talking to patients! I really enjoy doing therapeutic communication.

 

[Lynnie]

ROL: Ugh, HESIs. I am so grateful that I never had to take them... my school didn''t require it! But I have heard some horror stories about them, from co-workers and students.
I did take the Kaplan review course right after graduation, though. It was extremely discouraging. On those exams, I was borderline fail or altogether fail

. Then I took the NCLEX two weeks later and passed that in 80 questions!
I think that the 2 days of waiting for my pass/fail NCLEX grade were the worst, most stressful days of my life!

I can''t believe they could send you home for not knowing an answer! You''re there to learn, right? Isn''t that the whole point? I think they try to strike a lot of fear in your heart, so that you study your A$$ off and pass, which makes the school look better, as their pass rate rises. The HESIs are a large part of this, also. If you don''t pass the HESI, you can''t take the NCLEX... The HESI is a way the school can keep their pass rate above 90%, so they can get grants and soforth. A lot of political crap, if you ask me.

Dont get discouraged by ''meh'' grades, either. As long as it''s passing, you''re all good

Great grades don''t neccessesarily make a great nurse - I know some EXTREMELY book-smart nurses, but are a little lacking in the common sense department. Common sense in nursing is HUGE! If a patient doesn''t look right, or feel right, then something must not be right, right? haha
Ok, enough rambling.... Can you tell I just got home from night shift?

Lots of CLINICAL DUST!!!!!