what to do if you are told not to come back to clinical site?

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Here's the thing, I was told not to come back to my clinical site because my instructor said there was a management meeting about me "sitting to much". I had an 8hr night shift in the ER paired with an agency nurse who was sent home early due to lack of census. I am a disabled veteran with back/foot issues who has notified both my school and the charge nurse on duty that night of my potential limitations, and if she saw me sitting it was because I was in pain.. ( if we are not busy I rest my feet, however, I make sure that if we have patients I see to them). After the beds were turned over, and all of the nurses were at the desk I proceeded to do paperwork. 20 min before my next shift my instructor called me and told me not to come in and I would be getting an action plan. I am terrified that this is going to get me kicked from the program as I need another 36 hours to complete this class. BTW I am 1 month from finishing my program. I have gotten multiple job offers and I have NEVER received a complaint from any clinical site before!

What can I do? My instructor did not talk to the nurse I was paired with or the other students that were on the floor with me that night. I was told that there was no reason fo the complainer (no idea who it could be) had no reason to "make it up".

Sorry about the rant, I am just so worried and at a loss..

thanks for any advice in advance -

a discouraged, wounded warrior

Specializes in ICU.

My advice? Own it. No offence, but to play the wounded vet card with your school is probably not going to b to your advantage. All I am hearing is that you are trying to justify why you were sitting during clinical rotations. Own up, set up the action plan and graduate.

elkpark

14,633 Posts

Well, in my experience as an instructor, facilities reserve the right to refuse any student they choose for any reason, so they don't really have to justify or defend their decision and you will be dealing with your school about this, not them. Have you been doing well throughout your program, or have there been previous concerns about your performance? If you are known to the school to be a solid, well-performing student, this may just be a minor thing and a formality for them (I'm sure there's a policy that any complaints by the clinical facilities have to be addressed, regardless of what they think of the complaint). It's hard to imagine that a single complaint could put you in jeopardy of not graduating. Best wishes!!

HoneybadgerFTW

17 Posts

I have gotten job offers from every clinical site, and have never had a complaint. Infact all of my clinical instructors have said great things about me. I am not trying to pull any card. I am just scared that if I don't have a clinical site how do I finish my hours? Also I have an apple watch that shows I walked 3 miles during my shift, to prove I wasn't just sitting around.

Thank you for your best wishes, I have never heard of this happening, maybe it is common if a hospital doesn't need a reason. I am a hard worker and my integrity and feelings were deeply hurt. I have a meeting with the hospital tonight.. hoping for the best!

thanks again

Specializes in Allergy/ENT, Occ Health, LTC/Skilled.
I have gotten job offers from every clinical site, and have never had a complaint. Infact all of my clinical instructors have said great things about me. I am not trying to pull any card. I am just scared that if I don't have a clinical site how do I finish my hours? Also I have an apple watch that shows I walked 3 miles during my shift, to prove I wasn't just sitting around.

Thank you for your best wishes, I have never heard of this happening, maybe it is common if a hospital doesn't need a reason. I am a hard worker and my integrity and feelings were deeply hurt. I have a meeting with the hospital tonight.. hoping for the best!

thanks again

First of all, thank you for your service. Second, it doesn't sound like your a lazy loser. Do you have on record at your school, medical doumentation, of your wounded vet status? Is so, and they were aware of this when we started the program, I would dispute it either with your dean, head of nursing, whoever. I would also ask the nuse you were with to purdy purdy please take time out of her hectic day and shoot the dean/head of nursing an e-mail about your activcity that day so she can vet for you. It's completely unreasonable for your instructor to not inform you of who lodged the complaint.

I thought being a wounded vet, was a protected class of sorts, no?

KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN

1 Article; 2,675 Posts

Specializes in ICU, LTACH, Internal Medicine.

So, did you sit because your legs hurt too much, or because the census was low and there was just nothing to do, or you were doing something you might do sitting or standing and you were sitting at that time?

Seriously, if your school, your clinical site and the charge there know that you have physical limitations, it must be done in writing. Regarding the current situation, you need to document everything you were told to do, actually did and all other details about this shift. In particular, that you were given an agency RN as preceptor (kinda strange by itself), that she was sent home b/o low census, who was your next preceptor and what was your next assignment. With this, you need to reach your school's Dean STAT. If you can't get there Sunday, come early Monday and wait under the door. Give her your documents, explain everything and request immediate transfer to another clinical spot. Do not bulge for apologies. Your school gets money for your education, and that is their d*** job to let you be in a place where you can get good exoerience, not sit on your butt or clean kitchenette.

Thank you for your services!

P.S. consider yoyr physical limitations while applying for jobs, for your own's sake.

Specializes in ICU.

Are you sure you are in the right profession? Seriously. I'm honestly asking. 3 miles is not that much. It's less than 10000 steps and I'm betting those were your steps for the entire day. I'm saying these things to be mean, but how does being a vet make your feet hurt, because I've heard of lots of disabled vets have very horrific and not so horrific injuries but I've never heard of I have to rest my feet. The majority of nurses that work for years have painful feet. My years of retail gave me sore feet. We suck it up and deal.

Is your disability documented? Are you considered a disabled veteran by the government? I ask, because there are huge differences here. You have more assistance available to you if it is documented. But I also see many self diagnosis on here.

And yes, you are trying to play a wounded vet card here, you signed your name as such. I have the utmost respect for every one of our veterans. I will pay for a meal for our active veterans. But what I don't like, is people who try to use an excuse to not work as hard as the rest or those that think the constantly deserve special treatment. If you cannot be on your feet for hours on end, you are in the wrong career. If you are disabled from service, there are hundreds of careers that do not have the demands of nursing. You can't expect to choose whatever and sail right through as a disabled veteran. And I hope that makes sense. Your service to our country is invaluable, but recognize your limitations. That is the difference here.

Again, thank you. You have done something I could never do.

Specializes in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology.

I'm going to second the "it's just a formality" aspect. I don't believe that you were doing anything out of the ordinary and it is likely someone just got a bug up their butt about you for whatever reason -- at this point, whatever happened doesn't matter, you have a challenge in front of you to face.

Also, if you made the nurse you were precepting with aware of what was going on and you were doing paperwork, simply emphasize those things, accept whatever action plan you are given and go from there. I think you're going to be okay. Don't emphasize that you're disabled (if you are registered as such, I'm sure your school is aware of it and merely mention it but don't lean on it) because, as you can see from some of the responses here, you might get the same, "You shouldn't be going into this line of work" flack (especially since, and correct me if I'm wrong, you're already an LPN so I'm assuming you're bridging to RN and so you've been in this line of work for a good while :ahem: :whistling:).

Anyways, take heart and I am sending you all the good vibes and encouragement I can send. Thank you for your service! Let us know how it works out.

Mavrick, BSN, RN

1,578 Posts

Specializes in 15 years in ICU, 22 years in PACU.
And yes, you are trying to play a wounded vet card here, you signed your name as such.

Again, thank you.

First off, I agree, thank you and appreciate your service. Are you still active duty?

However, denying you played the vet card when you clearly did subtracts from the validity of your entire post. Employers don't really care why you can't do your job.

It certainly does seem petty to report you for sitting as opposed to reporting you for not doing your job because you were sitting. Sitting can be integrated into the job. I consciously try to sit when I'm charting so it's not a matter of either or. I do both.

everlongRN

27 Posts

Are you sure you are in the right profession? Seriously. I'm honestly asking. 3 miles is not that much. It's less than 10000 steps and I'm betting those were your steps for the entire day. I'm saying these things to be mean, but how does being a vet make your feet hurt, because I've heard of lots of disabled vets have very horrific and not so horrific injuries but I've never heard of I have to rest my feet. The majority of nurses that work for years have painful feet. My years of retail gave me sore feet. We suck it up and deal.

Is your disability documented? Are you considered a disabled veteran by the government? I ask, because there are huge differences here. You have more assistance available to you if it is documented. But I also see many self diagnosis on here.

And yes, you are trying to play a wounded vet card here, you signed your name as such. I have the utmost respect for every one of our veterans. I will pay for a meal for our active veterans. But what I don't like, is people who try to use an excuse to not work as hard as the rest or those that think the constantly deserve special treatment. If you cannot be on your feet for hours on end, you are in the wrong career. If you are disabled from service, there are hundreds of careers that do not have the demands of nursing. You can't expect to choose whatever and sail right through as a disabled veteran. And I hope that makes sense. Your service to our country is invaluable, but recognize your limitations. That is the difference here.

Again, thank you. You have done something I could never do.

Doesn't sound like you have that much respect. While I don't know this person

or his specific military experiences and subsequent injuries, I think it's quite a stretch to compare military service to nursing, from a physical perspective (again, mileage varies in both professions). Without knowing specific details (which are really none of our business), I don't believe any of use should judge, nor accuse this person of playing a 'card'.

caliotter3

38,333 Posts

A good rule of thumb is to never give people who have power over your future any reason to "stick it" to you. It took me quite some time to realize that my veteran status was not welcome at my nursing school, as well as other personal attributes that we were 'encouraged' to disclose. Play it close to your vest.

You need to have quite a heart to heart talk when presented with the action plan. Make certain that everything is clear to you before you proceed. You can't afford another situation like this to come up in the amount of time you have remaining. Good luck.

everlongRN

27 Posts

I'm definitely getting soft in my old age, and at the same time, more and more discouraged at what I see and here from my fellow 'colleagues'. I wasn't born yesterday, and have been teaching nursing for half my adult life/ nursing career. I've heard many a 'story' from students, some are completely bogus, and some are heart wrenching. I don't believe everything I hear, or every story I read on allnurses, but if this person is truthful in his/her story here, I'm sadly disappointed in many of the responses.

If you look at this person's profile, you see that he/she is an LPN and an EMT. I think there is a safe assumption that he is physically able to handle the tasks of a nurse, with some limitations. There are many nurses practicing with limitations, and there are many areas in the nursing field that are suitable for persons with physical limitations.

Having said that, to the OP: I trust that your limitations are documented. If they are not, this is a lesson to all that may choose to conceal their disabilities (whether physical or learning) until it comes up in a negative way (like this). I get why people do it; they don't want to deal with the stigma and the attention, which is a shame. If it is all documented, then there should be no issue with the school. The institution does reserve the right to complain and dismiss students, but the school does not have to abide by their regulations (sure, you may not be allowed to continue clinical there, but the school ultimately gets to decide how to handle this with you.

I hope this gets straightened out for you. Thank you for your service.

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