Just need to vent.... long

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I'm currently in an LPN program and will be finishing the first wk. of Dec. only 3.5 mths. to go. Well....low and behold I had to have emergency surgery on July 11 to have my gallbladder taken out. They had to cut me open, I had 37 staples and have had thrush, a reaction to my staples, and just this week had a high fever for over 3 days, so needless to say I've not had a great couple of weeks after surgery. On the the venting part....

After my surgery my Dr. told me he didn't want me going back to clinicals, well I kindly explained to him if I didn't go back I wouldn't be able to finish so he decided I could go to the last 4 clinical days of our summer term. Well my husband called a couple of my teachers and asked them what I should do, they came to see me in the hospital and told me not to worry about it, they would work with me and not to even think of quitting, I just needed to focus on getting better right now. Ok, so I felt better for three weeks.(we were on a 3 wk. break). We started back last Mon. which I couldn't go, I missed 3 clinicals that wk. and started class on Friday, was sick all day long with a virus and didn't want to be there, but I went anyway. I gave the head instructor my Dr.'s excuse(which I had already told her about the previous Sun. so she would know why I wasn't there on Monday morning) and she had said ok. Well, she reads it and proceeds to tell me she'll have to contact St. Board's about my missing the 5 days of clinicals since we can't miss over 10% of our clinical time. We've been in clinicals since January of this year. I was fuming mad, I mean after they said they would work with me, all of a sudden they decide that they have to check with St. So I ask her why they didn't just tell me this in the first place and I wouldn't have even got my hopes up. I wound up having to leave early because I got so sick so I don't know what the outcome is. I'll find out tomorrow I'm sure but I just feel so bad that I've gone through all of this work to get this far with only 3 mths. left to graduate and to think I'll have to quit and wait a year to go back and finish the last semester is heart breaking. Naturally I won't wait, I'll apply for the RN program at a local community college and try that route, but that's two more years of my time. I feel like I've wasted this year. No one else understands, they just say oh well at least you'll have time to recover and get better, they think I'm in high school or something, and don't understand how hard nursing is.

I'm sorry this is so long I just needed to get it off my chest to someone who may understand where I'm coming from, I'm on the verge of being depressed over it and I know I shouldn't, I should be happy I'm alive(I had trouble during the surgery), but school was my life, it had to be top priority so it'll be hard to give up and I'm not a quitter.

Thanks for listening....

Sandy

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Oh...bless your heart! What an awful mess to go through! We had a girl in our LPN classes that had already missed her alotted time, then had an emergency dental appointment. She was removed from the program for missing over 10%.

Be thankful at the time and moment that YOU are ok. Cause if you didn't have your health, you couldn't nurse...right?

The Lord gives gifts in HIS time, something we may not always appreciate, but there could be a reason that you went down for awhile. Something you may not see right now.

Hang in there and may God be with you through this difficult time.

Julie :)

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Sorry to hear about this, I hope it all works out for you. I also hope that you will be feeling better soon.

Take care.

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I am so so sorry for what you are going through! I feel for you and hope that you can hang in there. Sorry I have no great words of inspiration..... I just wanted to let you know that others are thinking of you. Take care of you.

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Take care of yourself and I totally agree with Julie!

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Is there anyway you can see about making up the clinical time? I mean there really has to be away around this. You probably do have to do a certain amount of clinical time, but see if there is anyway you could make some of the time up. Good luck to you and please let us know the outcome. Oh and I hope you are feeling a lot better soon. Hugs

Teresa

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I am so sorry to hear about all you are going through sandy!

Hope you are on the road to recovering from your surgery

In our LPN Program we are allowed to miss 12 hours total of class time (This totals 2 days) and also 12 hours total of clinicals (1 1/2 days) per semester - They told us up front that regardless of the reason you had to miss that was it! If it is excused (doctor's note etc.) you can make up any tests you missed but the time still counts against you, no matter what semester you are in!

Again, hope you are coming through the surgery ok

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Specializes in Hospice specialty.

We have lost several people due to missed clinicals...and unfortunatly, I dont believe there is much you can do. This almost happened to em because my son is in the hospital so much...I was fortunate enough to have some family to stay there with him during my clinical days. He is better now thank goodness. Anyways, hopefully they can figure something out, but if not...take more of the co-req's for the ADN rather than taking a semester off waiting for the program to begin. Good Luck!

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We had a similar situation with one of my fellow classmates. She also had to be hospitalized. She took it all the way to the board of the school, and she got back in!

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Specializes in Case Management, Home Health, UM.

I remember those days very well. I was a student L.P.N., and was halfway through the program, when the Hong Kong Flu started going around....and I caught it. I was sick to the point of almost being bedbound for two weeks. Towards the end of the two weeks, my instructor called, and begged me to try and come in and work at least 4 hours of clinicals before the end of the quarter. If I didn't, I would be dropped from the program, due to the State's clinical requirements.

Somehow I managed to drag myself to that hospital and got through that day. My instructor, who was an absolute gem, gave me the easiest patient. And, at the same time, she kept a watchful eye on me, for I was so weakened by the flu, that I could barely walk, without bumping into things. At precisely 12 noon, she collected my clinical note, and told me to go home and go back to bed....which I did.

It would have been easier for her just to have sent me a letter telling me that I was out of the program, but she didn't.

I hope things work out for you. :kiss Keep us updated.

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I understand how you feel. I was all the way through all the classes and due to begin clinicals on Aug 31 of that yr. Wouldnt ya know it my son who is severly epileptic and had been on a waiting list for 8 months to go to Cleveland Clinic to be evaluated for brain surgery was called in Aug 29 we had 48 hrs to get there. In our clinicals you could miss no more than 5 clinical days period no ifs ands or buts. I called my director of nursing who recommended that I drop out and wait to start clinicals the following year. I didnt feel I had a choice so I dropped and went to Cleveland with my son. We were there for 31 days and he seized horribley. On top of all that the studies ended up showing he was not a candidate for surgery. I was devastated on 2 levels One my son was not going to be cured with surgery and Two I had to wait a whole yr to do my clinicals. I took some legal courses and a couple of phsycology courses while I waited. Here I am 6 yrs later and I am now an LPN working on my RN and my son has since had surgery to implant the vagal nerve stimulator which has not cured but has decreased the # of seizures he has. I guess I just wanted to say I was very disappointed but now looking back I can honestly say it made me a better nurse. Sorry for the long drawn out story. Good Luck

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Specializes in Cardiothoracic Transplant Telemetry.

I'm sorry to hear of all that you have gone through this summer! There was a girl in my class who had started the program, was going to clinicals and was doing fine. It turns out that at the same time she was on limited duty at her CNA job due to a workman's comp injury. Well she went to her doctor for a check-up and a new note for work and without thinking asked if she should have a note for school as well. Her doctor gave her one, she gave it to the school, and bump...she's out of the program. I can understand that the school can't take the risk of her exacerbating the injury, but it just sucks that she was doing great and now she has to take the time off until she's better.

Just think of it this way. At least you know that you are going to be better. You may even be able to join a RN program at your local CC if they will allow some of the classes to transfer between schools. I know that my program has a LVN to RN program where the LVN's join a existing class during 3rd semester. Maybe you can join a second semester class and not lose quite so much time. Good Luck. Everything turns out for the best, I promise

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