Getting ripped off with clinical experiences...

[MattiesMama]

I'm about halfway through my 4th module (out of 5) in an LPN program. After 9 straight months of LTC clinicals, we are now supposed to have our main clinical site be sub-acute. Additionally, we are supposed to have out-rotations in maternity, psych, med-pass, ER, OR, cath lab and GI lab over the next 2 mods.

Well, first of all, our base clinical site is a nursing home. They tried to play it off to us like it was a rehab center that patients are sent to after they are hospitalized-it's not. It is a nursing home.

I did my psych rotation 2 weeks ago. Guess where it was? You guessed it-a nursing home. We just were given patients who happened to have a psych co-morbidity. We were originally supposed to do it at a hospital (all previous rotations have been there) but at the last minute we were switched to the nursing home. I ended up doing my case study on a patient I had taken care of in my first mod.

I'm currently doing my med-pass at...a nursing home. So far I've given a bunch of PO meds and 2 insulin injections. I've been told that this is about the extent of what I'll do (I have 1 day left and was told that they will "try" to find a mantoux test or an IM but it probobly won't be happening)

The only non-nursing home rotation our class has is the GI lab-and that's for 1 day. We have no cath lab, no ER, no OR, and no maternity. We've been told that we will do those in our last module but I have my doubts!

I'm just so frustrated. I've been in my program well over a year and haven't gotten a chance to do or even observe ANY of the procedures that I'll be expected to perform when I graduate in 5 months! Even the instructors are enraged over this! I've tried brining this up to the administration and was told there is nothing they can do about it and that some facilities simply will not take LPN students. I think this is BS-other LPN programs DO have clinicals at hospitals and sub-acute facilities, and the class that is 1 mod ahead of us had their clinical at a sub-acute AND had all of the out-rotations that we are now being denied.

Does my class have a right to be angry about this? And if so, what can we do about it?

[caliotter3]

At this point there is nothing you can do except grin and bear it, graduate, take your NCLEX and move on to get your experience on the job. Almost nobody gets a good clinical experience. Most people learn the clinical aspects of their job, on the job. Just get there. Hopefully, should you move on to RN school, you will get a better clinical situation.

[That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

I hate reading this kind of stuff. I will graduate with over 600 hours of clinical/internship time with only like 4 days in a nursing home. Your class has every right to be angry.

[HyperSaurus, RN, BSN]

Other LPN programs do allow for clinics in the hospitals, but many of those same hospitals don't hire LPNs. It got bad enough here that they are discontinuing our LPN program.

Still, especially if you're in an area where hospitals still hire LPNs that would be incredibly frustrating and disappointing.

[nursel56]

Wow-- sorry to hear that! In my program we never went to a nursing home at all! Honestly though, I did 1 IM that I can recall , no Foley, no intradermal, did do an enema and a Harris Flush (don't ask). I saw a lot of surgeries, but that was just luck because our hospital happened to be owned by a surgeon who did hysterectomies and bariatric bypass surgeries like an assembly line.

Also, it is generally true in today's market being hired as an LPN/LVN in acute level hospitals is near impossible, unless it's part of several pocket areas I know of.

The first year of the first job is when I picked up the vast majority of my clinical skills. Best of luck! :)

[9livesRN, BSN, RN]

lets see we had 96 rotations at +- 12 hours... that is over 1000 hours of patient care in all areas...

I am really sorry that you did not have the experience that you deserve!

[itsmejuli]

Its unfortunate that your clinical experience hasn't been the best, but like the others said there's nothing you can do about it.

I live in a large metropolitan area with several hospitals and a few nursing schools. The schools that have been around the longest and have the best reputation have the best clinical sites. The newer private schools have a difficult time finding clinical sites, the hospitals can only take so many students.

So for anyone who is considering a nursing school, whether RN or LPN, be sure to check out where their clinical sites are before signing up.

[kcochrane]

Hopefully thing will come together in your last semester. My LPN program was 1/2 nursing home and 1/2 hospital. No psych rotation and one day on the labor/delivery floor. You will learn to be a nurse and put it all together when you get hired. So I agree, work on finishing school, passing your NCLEX and getting a job.

[mammac5]

I hear what you're saying. I've had some great rotations where I got to see/do a lot of things and really felt like I propelled forward in my skills...and some that were way below my expectations. Unfortunately, I don't have a fix for this situation. Slog on through and get whatever you can in the way of experience, knowing that you're going to have to spend your first months/year on the job asking lots of questions, doing research on your own when you come up against something new, etc.