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Specializes in post-op.

Ok, I am an RN and I work on a med surg floor. I onnly graduated 6 months ago and I know I would have had an automatic clinical failure for what I am about to explain happened at my work the other day. We get students on our unit. When these students are there, the clinical insturctor picks 2 people each week to pass meds. This particular student was assigned to a patient that my co worker had and this student was not going to be passing meds this day, so obviously it was my coworkers job to pass the meds. The RN had pulled the medication out of the pyxis and checked them, opened them out of there packages and was going to pass them, but must have been sidetracked. So she put them (they were in a med cup) in these cabinets that are outside each patients room, in a drawer and was going to give them when she was done doing whatever. So a little bit of time goes by and the student keeps mentioning to the RN that the meds needs to be passed. These were 11am meds and we have and hour before or an hour after to pass meds. So a little more time goes by and the student goes up to the RN and says, "oh I gave the patient those meds". The RN asks the student if she did it with her instructor, the student says no. (ok in my opinion that is a HUGE no no). Not only that the student gave the patient the meds that had already been popped out of the package, so she had no idea what they were! Also a big NO NO. So the RN told the student that she needed to tell her instructor what she did. The student said she would. So before they leave the RN says something to the instructor and the instructor said that the student not only did not tell her the truth, but tried to accuse the RN of making a med error, (that is another story) and she did not make a med error. So the instructor says she is going to talk to the student. These students have 1 semester left before that grad, I think she should have known better than to pass meds withput her teacher and to give something that you have no clue what it is??? Anyway....the next time they came back, the teacher told the RN that they have 3 times they can get written up before they are failed. Does that sound right? Just curious as I thought that this was a major mistake. Sorry so long!

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We would have been failed immediately, sometimes I wonder aabout some of my fellow students. I graduate on Dec. 14th :mortarboard:and they still would not hesitate failing us for giving a med that someone else had prepared and we had no idea what we were giving. :nono:

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Specializes in Urgent Care.

Wow, big no no. We probably would have failed too, as med passing is worth a good portion of points for our clinical rotation.

Since we have already done graded med passes, we are allowed to pass meds with the staff nurse if they feel comfortable observing us. It is their preferance.

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Specializes in OB.

we would have been in serious trouble for passing meds we did not prepare.. BUT.. I am one semester from graduating and I do everything except IVP independently. Why are these girls having to be coddled? if they cant do po meds alone and they only have 6 months before thye graduate..??:uhoh21:

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Specializes in post-op.

It must be a law where we live, because when I was in school we were never allowed to pass any meds without the instructor checking them with us first.

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Specializes in LDRP.

yep, big F for that one...

another "what not to do situation." geez.

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This is rediculous. That student would be kicked out of nursing school at my state univ. if she was caught doing that. Is she attending a community college? MAN !!! where are the high standards for nursing !

You also should maybe called the nursing program to report what was done. Can you imagine when that student graduates?

I pray none of your relatives will have her as a nurse.

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Specializes in Looking for a career in NICU.

OMG...I haven't even started the program yet and that sounded HUGE to me!

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Specializes in ICU/PCU/Infusion.
This is rediculous. That student would be kicked out of nursing school at my state univ. if she was caught doing that. Is she attending a community college? MAN !!! where are the high standards for nursing !

You also should maybe called the nursing program to report what was done. Can you imagine when that student graduates?

I pray none of your relatives will have her as a nurse.

I have no idea why attending a community college or a university would make any difference in this situation or any, for that matter. The standards are the same. Errors are errors, no matter where you go to school or the type of RN program.

I am offended by your insinuation.

:nono:

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Wow! That was something my CNA Instructor even warned us about. It may seem harmless enough or even helpful to a busy nurse for the nurse to give you meds and ask to make sure a pt takes them, but it is NEVER a student or aides responsibility to do ANYTHING regarding meds, not to mention it is highly illegal.

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Specializes in LDRP.
I have no idea why attending a community college or a university would make any difference in this situation or any, for that matter. The standards are the same. Errors are errors, no matter where you go to school or the type of RN program.

I am offended by your insinuation.

:nono:

:yeahthat:

That was a crappy thing to insinuate, healinghands. I am offended. I go to a community college with THE HIGHEST NCLEX pass rate in my state--yeah, higher than all the BSN programs in my state. They are training me to be a d%$^ good nurse and would NEVER stand for that kind of behavior.

You are going to be working with lots of "community college nurses" so I would watch the 'tude.

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I have no idea why attending a community college or a university would make any difference in this situation or any, for that matter. The standards are the same. Errors are errors, no matter where you go to school or the type of RN program.

I am offended by your insinuation.

:nono:

Didn't mean to offend anyone. But IMO there is a difference in the caliber of students in a Univ program vs a community college program. So I was wondering where the student who made the error was taught.

First look at how community colleges accept their nursing students. All of them must maintain a mediocore average like a 3.0 (or even lower), then the applicants are selectively chosen "randomly". Thus allowing students substandard students who may not care for our profession practice, thus leaning to carelessness in the clinical setting.

Universities are allowed to raise the bar, usually top students who do well with ATI, and have good gpas (such as over 3.65) at least are considered for the program. These students study really hard to be a nurse, and know they want to be a nurse and usually have what it takes, and thus are more careful.

I have been to both types of institutions and know the difference, yes your community college may have a good nursing program, but generally speaking community colleges let in more substandard students then universities. I'm not talking about the nursing programs in community colleges, but the types of students allowed into the program. :uhoh3:

If it wasn't for the nursing shortage I would want nursing schools to be like med schools or pharmacy schools where it is cut throat to get in, because of the responsibilities with being a nurse.

again it's not my intention to offend, I'm sure some community college students are superb, but the caliber of students are generally different.

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