Curious what your school would do?

[colleennurse]

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!

[AnnieOaklyRN, BSN, RN, EMT-P]

Healing, I hope you are not insinuating (sp) that community colleges have lower standards than the universities out there... I am in a ADN program at a community college and we would have gotten a boot in the you know what on the way out the door if we did that...

swtooth

[AnnieOaklyRN, BSN, RN, EMT-P]

and also you need A LOT higher of a GPA than a 3.0 to get into a community college program for one thing!!! You should really do some research before you open your mouth. VERY FEW community colleges if any let students in randomly, most require a GPA above 3.3 if not higher and work on a point system. Universities let 18 year olds attend nursing school fresh out of highschool! Like another poster said community colleges have the HIGHEST NCLEX pass rate in my state as well!! Private universities have the lowest with state universities next in line. Hmmm guess it doesn't really matter what the GPA is to begin with it is how well you are taught, although we cant all be too stupid or we wouldn't be surpassing those much better students you presume that are attending a university. . The difference is that some people have the money to go to a university right off the bat and well others like myself who are adults may not be able to afford the high tuition costs. So like another person said you should really change your presumptions before you get gobbled up in the real world of nursing!!

Swtooth

[tx2007, RN]

Ok I know this is not the tpoic but I am HIGHLY offended by HealingHand's post. Maybe where you go to school CC let in everyone, but I can tell you the whole area where I live it IS cut throat to get in at the CC. EVERYONE in my class had a 3.7 or higher GPA because my program and all the programs in the area admit solely on GPA. I will be graduating in May with a 3.8 GPA and worked my A$$ off for it, I choose to go to a CC becuase its closer to my home and I will transfer to a University in Fall 2007. Don't make BROAD judgements about all CC and think that ANYONE is better regarding thier education. An RN is an RN no matter where you got your education, I can name quite a few University nurses who have no business being a nurse but because they could afford the 12,000 tuition each semester got passed through, some passed thier boards some didn't. Anyway I am done I just thought I would let you know not all CC have Low standards!! To the OP we would have been failed out of clinical and tossed out and told not to return!! I can't believe the Nursing Instructor seemed so laid back I would call the NS and anonomyously call the Dean of the nursing program and report the incident.

[colleennurse, ASN, RN]

Ok I did not create this thread to start an argument about 2 year vs. 4 year programs. I myself went to community college and I don't think it makes a difference where you went to school, cause we all sit for the same licensing exam and that is what determines if you are competent enough to practice nursing. Please don't turn this into a huge argument, I just wanted to know if it was just me that thought it was crazy that this student was allowed back to clinical, like I said in my original post, I would have been booted out for this and I attended a community college.

[tx2007, RN]

Ok I did not create this thread to start an argument about 2 year vs. 4 year programs.

Sorry Colleennurse, yes I too think it was crazy that this even happened!! What was she thinking, maybe she thought "oh I saw her pop them out of the packages I know what they are" but she should have either asked her instructor or the RN if it was ok to go ahead and give them to help the RN out BEFORE doing it. who knows what she was thinking!! But I think the NS should do more than a slap on the wrist about it!

[colleennurse, ASN, RN]

You don't have to apoligize, I see why people are offended :)

I just hope she learned a valuable lesson and is thanking her lucky stars that she is not out! I just know that even as a practicing nurse I would never ever give meds that someone else opened, even if they told me what they were! Nurses work too hard for their licenses!

[nurse4theplanet, RN]

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 !

Community Colleges do not have lower standards, and I hope that is MY misinterpretation of your post and not your true feelings.:trout:

The student's actions were grounds for termination in my program. No meds are to be given without the CIs knowledge. Ultimately, the decision to fail this student is up to the CI.

[nurse4theplanet, RN]

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.

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.

your opinion, although you are entirely entitled to it, is one of misinformation and assumptions.

[GeminiTwinRN, BSN]

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.

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.

Every time you respond to this thread you are digging yourself a bigger hole. You are a new poster to this site, and I suggest you think about the way you are coming across in a community that is HIGHLY populated by successful RN's, who take their responsiblity as RN's VERY seriously, and a MAJORITY of them (and who you will come to realize this is true in the hospital setting as well) have graduated from CC programs.

As I stated in my original response, this would be a huge error in any program, and IMO should have received the just punishment for such an error.

As for whether or not this future nurse should be caring for patients, that is something that will be determined by her program and the policies for whether or not med errors are acceptable during her clinical experience.

Many, many RN's have made errors, and will make errors in the future. One of the most important things about NS in general is to realize that patient safety is the priority, and this student didn't put patient safety first. It's that simple.

I'm sorry this has taken the turn it has, but I continue to be offended by this new poster's comments.

[moongirl]

: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.

ditto to that.. I attend a CC, our NCLEX pass rate for the last 2 years was 100 percent ON THE FIRST ATTEMPT for EVERYONE, and the year prior to that it was 98 percent.. and I am also taking independent care of 4 pts right now, so I think my CC has trained me pretty dang well

[shoegalRN, RN]

This is my opinion. I would have never passed the meds off without the instructor knowing about it. I also would not have passed ANY meds that I hadnt opened myself, I just can't take someone else's word for it without knowing what the meds are myself. I'm not even in nursing school yet and I know that.

As far as the comments about a community college vs a university, I can tell you in my area, the community colleges are producing damn good nurses with 98% of their graduate nurses passing the boards the FIRST time. The waiting list for one community college in my area is backed up to 2009. The only reason why I decided to go to a four year university vs a community college is because it was not a waiting list to get in.

[moongirl]

your opinion, although you are entirely entitled to it, is one of misinformation and assumptions.

In order to get the highly coveted 50 spots in my CC nursing program you have to have a GPA no less than 3.5. With over 275 applicants each year, I doubt that "substandard" students are being allowed in. I am sure that all 50 were well above the 3.5, or they would have never had a chance.