I overslept on clinical day!!!

Nursing Students General Students

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I set the alarm, double-checked it, and I never heard it go off this morning. When I opened my eyes, I thought, "hmmm, it's awfully light outside". Then I looked at the clock--it was 7! My clinicals start at 7! Fortunately I live fairly close to the hospital and I made it there by 7:30. Our group was still having preconference, so I didn't miss out on any patient care. I apologized to my instructor and told her what happened--what else could I do? She didn't really say anything about it, so I don't know what she thinks. I know that some of the other clinical instructors are very strict about being on time. I NEVER EVER OVERSLEEP. EVER. And I am ALWAYS on time, if not early, so this has me really freaked out. It's thrown off my whole day. I even forgot to ask my pt about a bath--you know, the most obvious thing in the world. She wanted to get dressed right away and I never thought to mention it. Stupid, stupid me. Hope everyone else had a good day.

wow, you are lucky that she allowed you to stay. The clinical instructor that I have now will only allow 5 min. late, we have to be there by 6:45, if you are 5 min. late you go back home and make up the clinical on another day...

that is my biggest fear of being late for clinicals as I try to be 15 min. early, no later. But oversleeping can happen to anyone.

Glad you got to stay!

:)

Specializes in Med-Surg.

Check your student handbook on the policy for student tardy. Better to know the official word on consequences than worry or to be subject to an instructors arbitrary judgement.

If your school does not have an official policy, ....shame on them! If that's the case get your student nurses association to insist on clear policy that everyone follows.

Good luck with your clinicals (and with your alarm clock). :)

We are allowed to be late/miss one clinical as long as we call, anything after that is automatic failure of the clinical which in turn makes a failure in the lecture portion also (kind of a double edged sword). I missed one clinical because I was sick and called the night before. We were in maternity and I didn't want to expose any newborns/moms to whatever I had managed to pick up.

Now we are starting med surg so I'll have one more I can miss if I need to, but since our classes are excellerated (14 weeks worth in 6 weeks) I don't see me missing anything!

i can hardly imagine what i would do if i was late for clinical. i feel for ya, diana. i've overslept before a clinical but never to the point that i was actually late. just didn't have time to do the hair and make up routine. :chuckle

Hey! Don't be too hard on yourself. As long as everyone was still in preconference, and as long as your patient wasn't kept waiting, AND as long as you are usually punctual and your attendance is good, I don't think you have much to worry about.

Specializes in LTC, ER, ICU,.

i tend to agree with cathy.

Our preconference starts at 6:45 anything past 6:50, well bye, bye. I have a lot respect for my instructor. The only student that she was sent home is also habitually late for classes too, or doesn't show up. :eek:

Diana, I know how you are feeling! The same thing happened to me on our first clinical day of the summer semester, and I had an instructor that I had never even met before that day. Even though our group was just touring the unit when I got there, I felt like it really messed me up for the rest of the day.

But things turned out ok for me, as I'm sure they will for you. And now I have two alarm clocks set on clinical nights, both with dual alarms!

Best of luck with the rest of your clinicals!

Don't be so hard on yourself. I agree with Cathy also. As long as you are normally on time you should be okay. I am so afraid of oversleeping that I have 2 alarm clocks. I guess we all have some OCD in us. :) Good luck to you!

Tonya

Rn2bNC,

We must have been posting at the same time.

But things turned out ok for me, as I'm sure they will for you. And now I have two alarm clocks set on clinical nights, both with dual alarms!

Glad I'm not the only one!

Tonya

it's alright! now you know...have your mother call you or someone close to you in addition to the alarm going off-just so it doesn't happen again! good luck to you!

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