Clinical procedures

You will start observing and then practising procedures yourself while on your medical and surgical attachments. You should record each procedure you have seen and whenever you have undertaken one.

• Don’t undertake a procedure until you have seen it being done and feel confident that you know what is involved.
• Make sure that you are supervised by a qualified doctor or specialist nurse throughout the entire time that you undertake a procedure for the first time.
• It is normal to need to be supervised more than once for you to feel confident at performing a procedure.
• If you are doing a procedure on your own, do not feel embarrassed to have to ask for help.
• You will not be asked to participate in invasive procedures on patients known to be HIV/HCV positive. Check the patient's notes.
• As a student, you are not allowed to administer drugs without supervision.
• Obtain membership of a medical defence organisation. This is free to students.

Policies index