Help!! Failing last few weeks of clinical

Nursing Students LPN/LVN Students

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Well, after a great year in LPN school--they're saying I'm now( just before graduation) that I'm failing clinical & thus failing the entire program!! They're writing me up for the smallest, tiniest things!! Has anyone been through this and know how to pull through. I feel like administration is sabotaging me big time!! Should I see a lawyer??

Can't believe my school is so horrible?! Shocked and amazed!

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Specializes in Community Health.

was there any specific incident that happened? Like did you get written up for something?

I'm actually in the same boat kinda...I'm not failing (as far as I know) but I did get a warning and if I get another one I fail...I feel pretty much the same way you do, I think I got in trouble to cover my instructors butt because she put me in a situation that I should have never been in the first place. I don't want to get into all the details here but if you want you can PM me and we can commiserate!

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Yes, I've gotten written up 3 times in 2 weeks!! For the most minute things--certainly not constituting a failure!!

Funny, how the instructor's say they want "students to succeed" and then do everything they can to see that it doesn't happen. Wow! They are working in concert. I swear there's some kind of weird conspiracy going on with administration because I keep hearing the same blanket statements. Cruelest thing that's ever been done to me--really.

What does PM mean? Do you have an e-mail I can reach you at? I need someone to commissurate with!

I think I may have to sue, except most student/school lawsuits don't go very well from what I hear. Just considering my options with this monstrous situation.

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Specializes in LTC.

It all depends on what you call " minor" things. What are they writing you up for ?

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Let's see . . .

I used the word "extremities" to a patient--ie medical terminology.

I didn't provide "teaching" to a patient who had no questions and said she needed no teaching.

I didn't change an empty colostomy bag immediately, instead of when the patient requested it which was later that day.

That sort of stuff. What do you think? Nitpicky or valid?

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If I were in your position, with just a few weeks left, I would just keep my mouth shut, do my work, try not to step on any toes, and really try to show that you can do this! I dont see how you can fail this far in for clinicals for small things like what youve said- you havent violated any safety issues, so really! Even failing a class this far in would be devastating! So just try to stay on their good side, dont bring anything up about a lawsuit- i wouldnt ruffle up anyones feathers this close anyways- Id kill them with kindness, and do my best- and if you do fail(esp with such minor things, then maybe, once you do - contact someone about it) But know what your signing(warnings) and you can refuse to sign it, sit down ask politely why they feel it constitutes a warning rather than guidance, since they are your teachers after all! Good luck!

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Truly, I don't see either how they could fail anyone in the last month for such minor things. But this nursing school has been the strangest, most horrendous experience when it comes to unethical practices, unfairness, meanness, unprofessionalism, nepotism, favoritism and so on. . . corruption run amuk.

I do believe your advice is the way to go, however--until the final days. I'll have to keep my cool & prove myself even more. And I thank you for your words of wisdom. Thank you for the wishes of good luck VM85--I'll be needing it.

. . . All I can say to anyone is research your school very, very well before you "enlist." Stats and ratings mean nothing. The truth may be much different than the publicity. It seems as though some nurses who choose to go into administration and teaching couldn't play fair in the real world and unleash their vengeance upon hapless students with unabashed zeal and pleasure.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Geriatrics, LTC.

I agree with VM85 and I would go one step further, and ask for the guidance. Talk to someone and tell them you want to improve rather than insisting you did nothing wrong. Are those things you listed as infractions the actual things on the write up sheet? It seems hard to believe. I'd say if you were making critical errors at this point, then yes you could and maybe should still fail, even though it's late in the year. Find out what they want and do it, no sense being threatening or uppity, I'd say humble is the way to go if graduating is your goal.

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It's true, the things I listed are the actual infractions. (Nothing close to critical.) No one can believe it, especially me.

What would you say would justify a clinical failure?

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Geriatrics, LTC.

We have very specific grading rubrics at my school and we are graded for many things. Everyone starts with 100 points for each area and then loses points for various infractions. At the end of the day you have to have an 85 to pass clinical. We are graded every day and then averaged at the end of the rotation, it has to be 85 or better to remain in the program.

Critical errors are things like safety, infection control, confidentiality, (you left the bed in a high position and walked away, you transferred a pt without help, you did something outside your scope of practice as a student, you left a room without washing your hands, you didn't document a med pass, you didnt ID a pt before meds or a procedure, you got a dosage calc wrong, you gossipped, you broke HIPPA, forgot gloves for body fluids, walked into the hall with gloves on...) could be any number of things.

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Thanks for sharing how your school administers the clinical grading process. A New York State school, right? Do you feel the clinical process was run fairly?

Still the process seems inherently subjective to me. Say your instructor sees you walking down the hall with gloves on and you lose points, but the instructor missed or chose to miss teh two other people do it. I think this entire process in nursing school clinical needs to be overhauled for this reason. Too much discretion is given to instructors. What if they or the head administrator (their boss) is unethical. . . And don't think it doesn't happen.

At our school, there is so much favoritism that instructors write up the same students over and over and others never get written up--based on who you know, who your family is, etc. It is NOT based on performance. I don't know anyone important and am getting crucified despite that my knowledge and abilities outweigh my peers (sorry if I'm being pompous). (Believe me, I never gossip or leave a bed up, etc.) I'm literally going through hell with this whole process. The women instructors are personal, insulting, petty. It's so sad, so typical--gives nurses a bad name.

I wonder how clinical rotations are graded in physician's assistant school or medical school, is it as cockamaimey as nursing school???:banghead:

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