Clinical Hours

[Nursewife613]

Hi everyone!

My husband is finishing his second semester as a nursing student in an accelerated bsn program. For each class he has a number of required 12 hour shifts that he arranges with a preceptor. I've come to understand that a 12 hour shift in nursing means 13 since a 7-7 shift really means 6:30-7:30 and he is not the type to ask to leave after he's finished the requirement. However in his current his preceptor expects him to stay 14+ hours. I get that nurses may have to stay extra occasionally, I just didn't expect a student to have to so frequently (6 times in a month). So I was just wondering, is the norm at your school? Would you ask to leave after staying a certain amount of time over the requirement or say something to your clinical instructor?

[springchick1, ADN, RN]

At my school, you stay and work the shift that your preceptor is working. Some days it may be 12, some days it may be 15. You suck it up and do it. When you are nurse out there on your own you may have to work an extra hour is so for numerous reasons. I wouldn't recommend asking to leave.

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

Sounds like the preceptor is not exceling in time management. After shift change it should not take another 2 hours to chart. I think your husband should talk to his instructor and see if there is a way of saying he is not supposed to stay more than 12 hours. Either that, or keep up with the hours strictly and skip the last day or two since the required hours are fulfilled.

[dah doh, BSN, RN]

Preceptor needs to learn time management! I'm rarely at work late EXCEPT when all heck breaks loose or when I'm training a new grad who hasn't learned time management!

If it is one of those crazy shifts, I'd let the student go home unless they want to stay to chart which I'd probably rather do as I'm pretty quick at that. The students aren't getting paid & wanna go home!

[RunBabyRN]

If my preceptor needed to catch up on charting that didn't involve me, she sent me home. Sometimes there would be a shift I'd be over just because there was a lot going on, and I didn't want to leave X,Y&Z for the oncoming nurse. But part of preceptorship is learning how to manage the time, and he shouldn't have more patients than he can handle yet. He should have started with one, then once he had that down, two, and so forth.