Are clinicals really difficult for schools to schedule?

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Nov 17, 2008

It depends on where you are.

They're difficult here because this is a rural area with few hospitals. In fact, the hospital in my town just treats inpatients for CHF, COPD, and pneumonia. Anyone else is stabilized and shipped.

insa · Nov 17, 2008

I'm in a medium-size city with several hospitals. I would think that the difficulty for the school arises from juggling several sites and instructors and 90 students divided among nine sections.

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Nov 17, 2008

It takes a lot of coordination.

If you're trying to set up a work schedule for next semeester understand that even when you get your schedule it is subject to change.

Good luck.

Debra ACRN · Nov 17, 2008

You have to remember too that there are others wanting clinical time. Other schools of nursing, residents, other medical professional students. It's not only complicated for the instructor but also hard on the hospitals and other programs. I run an HIV clinic and sometimes we have had a dental student, resident, pharmD, and a nursing student. It can get overwhelming for staff and patients. I think you need to cut the school a little slack.

smartin13 · Nov 17, 2008

At my school we aren't even allowed to register for our classes. The advisor puts us into whatever sections fit best with her magical plan. We can request days but there is not guarentee that we will get them. We do not even know what days we have lecture or clinical untill a few days before the next quarter. We won't know where were going for clinical untill the quarter starts. It really stinks and it's very hard to get work and family and the rest of your life situated with such a huge thing hanging in limbo. I live in a large city with many hospitals to choose from. The problem our instructors tell us is not the site but finding enough RN's that are good enough to teach us.

Sk8ermomRN · Nov 17, 2008

We get to choose our clinical days, but the times are totally up in the air...Also, we can choose either 1 day, or 2 days. For the 2 day option, you have to be available both days, but will not necessarily be doing anything. That makes it really hard for those of us who have to work. I am going with the 1 twelve hour day split between OB and Psych...That should be an interesting combination. :rolleyes:

gillytook · Nov 18, 2008

In my program, each level and campus (we have two now, maybe three soon) has set clinical days. But the times and locations vary based on where youare assigned. We will not know defintely until sometimes the day before clinicals begin. There is even some juggling on the first day when we meet at the school rather than the hospital. They allow us to put in requests, but they make the final decision. Then if we want to trade, it is up to us the find someone who will trade with us and get it approved before the first actual clinical. Certain hospitals are imposible to trade out of.

mb1949 · Nov 18, 2008

I guess it depends on where you are located, in NYC it is difficult I have actually been in the hospital with other nursing schools doing clinicals. We really just get put in classes by the instructors and we usually know our schedule about 1 month before classes start, again subject to change, nursing school is like that nothing is easy, you just go along. i realize it is hard especially someone in your situation, however that is the way it is.

caliotter3 · Nov 18, 2008

In my school they told us that scheduling clinicals was not an easy task. We never knew what clinical group and the facility, days, times were going to be until we attended the biggie group meeting at the beginning of the semester when all this was decided. For our final semester clinical preceptorship, we were given options the previous semester. We were to indicate our preferences, but there were no guarantees that we would get our first choice. We still had to find out at the biggie meeting at the beginning of the semester whether we got our choice and what the details were. We always had to arrange our private lives around the school schedules. That was just part of going to nursing school.

Ack_RN · Nov 18, 2008

So I'd love to hear:
Has your school ever said "We'll get back to you about the clinicals hours when the semester starts"?
Does this sound reasonable to you?
Has anyone ever pushed back in a similar situation?
Thanks

At our school, we didn't get our clinical or lab schedules until the Friday before class started. We signed up for regular classes 4 months ahead of time, and then played a waiting game to get our "complete" schedule.

I didn't think it was very reasonable at all, but there wasn't much we could do about it. The advisors and director were really great about switching around, but it was our responsibility to find someone willing to trade schedules.

I don't think anyone in our program pushed back. It was pretty awful for everyone who worked or had other obligations already set, but my manager understood school came first. At least this semester we know to expect anything! :uhoh21:

puresass · Nov 18, 2008

during our first semester of nursing school, they didn't tell us our clinical days until the week before. the last couple semesters, we've known ahead of time, but they've changed the days & times each & every time. they told us at our orientation that it is very difficult to schedule clinical time since there are a few other schools in our city trying for clinical spots as well, & that we need to be completely flexible, even if they change our clinical times the day before.

sooo, i wouldn't push back. it's probably going to be this way for the rest of your program.