Ugghhhhhhhh so with two weeks to go, I fell today and hurt myself. I fell right outside of the nursing building, in the middle of the street, on my way home from a day of studying for a med surg test. JOY!
Ended up in the ER and found out that while my ankle is NOT broken, it is very badly sprained. I can't bear weight on it and I am on crutches and in an air cast. This is bad because I have two weeks of class left this semester and along with those, I have clinicals. You would think I wouldn't have too many clinicals left, but I actually have 6 from tomorrow through next thursday. Insert freak-out here.
I already had to bow out of my clinical tomorrow. I'm not sure what the rest of the week will bring but I know there's no way I can be on up on my ankle for 8 hours tomorrow. I can't even put a shoe on, at this point. The problem is, we're so close to the end of the semester, there's not really any time to do make-ups... especially since my schedule is jam-packed with other clinicals. So, my intructor is looking into a few things but she said it may come down to me taking an "unsatifactory" for clinical tomorrow, just as a matter of standard procedure. She said it won't reflect badly on me and she'll put why I was unable to attend, but it still makes me really upset because I have worked hard to be an excellent student in clinicals, and I have never received an unsatisfactory EVER. To have to do so because of an injury I cannot help... Ugh, so frustrating. And then there's the matter of what to do about the rest of my clinicals... I'm going to try to make them, if only to not have to reschedule them, I guess. I'm not sure what else to do. So stressed out now, my ankle hurts and it just seems like these things always happen right when they're most inconvenient. :(
Talk with the dean and see what can be done. You may have to withdraw and repeat. Our hospital has a no boot policy for the floors as it can be a liability.
I was off work for 6 months due to an ankle fracture. I could have went back after 3 but I had a boot and it wasn't allowed. I went in intermittently to do audits and work on policy/standards, but it wasn't clinical that was required. So sorry about your situation!!!!
I would do everything I could to be at clinical. I would not take pain meds. I would prop my leg up while doing any paperwork. I would refuse to let my ankle ruin the end of school. This is coming from someone who has rolled her ankle to three times the size of my healthy ankle. Find a bigger, comfier shoe for that foot. Go to clinical unless told specifically that you are not allowed. It sucks, but it is temporary.
Thanks everyone for your input. I ended up missing one clinical, and sucking it up at the next day clinical... I was on crutches and everything up until the hour before clinicals, and then I ditched the crutches, wrapped my ankle really well, and wore an air cast and a big shoe. My instructor saw me limping but didn't ask questions thank everything. I made it through- sucked but it hurt. Luckily, I don't have any more clinicals until this coming Tuesday. My ankle has been improving leaps and bounds each day- I am so thankful it wasn't actually broken, because my situation would have been far worse if it was!
The problem is, we're so close to the end of the semester, there's not really any time to do make-ups... especially since my schedule is jam-packed with other clinicals. So, my intructor is looking into a few things but she said it may come down to me taking an "unsatifactory" for clinical tomorrow, just as a matter of standard procedure. She said it won't reflect badly on me and she'll put why I was unable to attend, but it still makes me really upset because I have worked hard to be an excellent student in clinicals, and I have never received an unsatisfactory EVER. To have to do so because of an injury I cannot help... Ugh, so frustrating. And then there's the matter of what to do about the rest of my clinicals... I'm going to try to make them, if only to not have to reschedule them, I guess. I'm not sure what else to do. So stressed out now, my ankle hurts and it just seems like these things always happen right when they're most inconvenient. 
NicuGal, MSN, RN
2,743 Posts
Talk with the dean and see what can be done. You may have to withdraw and repeat. Our hospital has a no boot policy for the floors as it can be a liability.
I was off work for 6 months due to an ankle fracture. I could have went back after 3 but I had a boot and it wasn't allowed. I went in intermittently to do audits and work on policy/standards, but it wasn't clinical that was required. So sorry about your situation!!!!