Dismissed from my program less than a week before finals!!! Please Help!

[MattiesMama]

I was dismissed from my LPN program today for clinical absences...

One clinical I was sent home because I was 5 minutes late...we are afforded, by school policy, a 10-minute window to be late before we are sent home, but my CI sent me home anyways because she "wanted to set an example" to the other students (she actually told me this)

Then today, I was sent home for wearing the wrong kind of shoes. The sneakers I normally wear had a heel that was literally falling off and the only other pair I had was some white Crocs...I wore them, hoping it would go unnoticed (there are tons of flagrant dress code violations in my clinical group that never get addressed so I didn't think it would be an issue) but had the other shoes with me just in case it was an issue. My instructor saw the Crocs and confronted me about it, and I explained the situation to her and immediately changed shoes (this was within an hour of starting the clinical day, I hadn't even hit the floor yet) but she called the program director and sent me home, which resulting in me absencing out of the program.

My program director actually told me that she would have overridden the first absence if I had approached her about it...I had planned on doing so but she is NEVER in her office and with everything else going on I sort of forgot about it. She says that because I signed the paper acknowledging that absence (which I thought I had no choice in, since I WAS technically absenst since I got sent home) her hands were tied and there was nothing she could do.

My last final is Monday...I have a 4.0 GPA in classroom and have gotten A's on all of my clinical paperwork and good evaluations, but if this goes through I'll have to wait until December and take the entire Mod over...and get zero credit for this Mod, clinical OR classroom (even though I've already taken the A&P final and gotten my final grade!!)

Has anyone been in this situation before?? Is there anything I can do to appeal this?? I'm still in schock right now...I've worked SO incredibly hard and made so many sacrifices, I cannot believe this is happening

[Coriander, BSN, RN]

Wow that's rough I hope you get the situation resolved.

[Kora0880, BSN, RN]

Another perfect example of old RN's eating their young......supposedly we are nurturing, and compassionate professionals...I guess not for one another.....makes me sick...I always thought there must be a reason why these "RN's" are not providing pt care....that exactly why...would you want a Helga as such at your bedside?

Sorry to hear they had to sacrafice a nurse to make a statement........

Please have the director and other official sit down with you and discuss this ASAP. Hope for the best

K

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

Your schooling is also on the job training. If this were a job, you would also be in trouble for tardys and absences. One of the things we asked of the nursing schools in the recommendation letters was the student's attendance record. We didn't want to hire someone with an attendance problem. The schools were made aware of the employers rules and regulations. They are not only training nurses. They are also preparing employees for the employers of their community. Word to the wise.

[Kora0880, BSN, RN]

True, however is that a reason for dismissal? Some kind of reprimend ok, but swift kick in the ***? Common....... Typically if it was a job, you woud be first warned, then couselled, then written up...not fired as easily b/c there is a nursing shortage after all.....it costs hospitals to hire and train people.....

On the other hand, you know the shool's rules......so fair game too........

[goodstudentnowRN]

Your schooling is also on the job training. If this were a job, you would also be in trouble for tardys and absences. One of the things we asked of the nursing schools in the recommendation letters was the student's attendance record. We didn't want to hire someone with an attendance problem. The schools were made aware of the employers rules and regulations. They are not only training nurses. They are also preparing employees for the employers of their community. Word to the wise.

I agree, however, there seem to be some inconsistencies in that nursing program that need to be addressed. I believe she has a right to appeal her case and take it as far as possible until justice is served.

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

True, however is that a reason for dismissal? Some kind of reprimend ok, but swift kick in the ***? Common....... Typically if it was a job, you woud be first warned, then couselled, then written up...not fired as easily b/c there is a nursing shortage after all.....it costs hospitals to hire and train people.....

On the other hand, you know the shool's rules......so fair game too........

The school makes the rules. I worked for one hospital that was very tough on attendance. They also paid the highest salary in the city and had a no float policy so people wanted to work there. Our bosses wanted the attendance tracked closely and the attendance policy followed to the letter. Sadly, we fired a number of people on tardys alone (4 tardys = a day off) and clocking in a minute late was considered tardy. There were no exceptions. If we head nurses didn't pick up these tardys when we did the time cards for payday, the payroll clerks were instructed to check as well when setting up the payroll. I talked with the DON several times about the unfairness of it, but she insisted that it kept overtime down.

[Jerry 75]

Although as Nurses we are expected to show Mercy, compassion and empathy. we are not supposed to be judgemental. Most Nursing Instructors (and MD's) lack these qualities.

Schools love to penalize and set examples but let you back in next semester so they can get more of your tuition money. What ever you do be polite and do not burn bridges if you plan on returning next semester to graduate. See if you have any legal avenues to pursue, check if everything done to you was by the book.

Good luck!

[MattiesMama]

Not to be mean or anything...BUT...you sure do have a lot of excuse!

I was only five minutes late

I would have appealed, but she was never in her office

It was my first dress code violation

Everyone else violates the dress code

I IMMEDIATELY changed shoes after she told me they were not acceptable

There is no way you will win your appeal with these excuses! Take it like a big girl and repeat the course or go to another school. Whatever you decide, be accountable for your actions. Get to clinical at least 30 minutes early and follow the dress code.

We are allowed a 10 minute window BY SCHOOL POLICY! I am not someone who has "attendance issues", I'm almost always early or at least on time to school AND clinical. As we all know, stuff happens and that day I happened to have something happen that was beyond my control that made me 5 minutes late. I don't even need to give an excuse for what it was because again, under SCHOOL POLICY I was within the accepted parameters.

I am a "big girl", thanks . I do take responsibility for what I could have done differently-I should have been more proactive about finding acceptable shoes that day, and I should have been more agressive about tracking down my program director to address my issues with this CI earlier. At the same time, she should have been doing her job which entails being available for students when an issue like this comes up, and she wasn't. My CI should have been doing her job and making sure that the same rules applied to everyone, and acting like a leader which entails not being intimidated by other students who she was afraid would get her in "trouble".

I wasn't allowed to go to clinical today because my CI hadn't heard anything from the program director but I'm planning on going to the school today and I'm not leaving until I have some answers. I appreciate all the support and advice, but after spending all day yesterday trying to find the "silver lining" and come up with an acceptable reason for this to have happened, I'm not coming up with anything.

[XYcsccSN]

Again with the excuses! Does the program director have a phone, voice mail, or e-mail? You could have called and left a message when she was not in the office. A ten minute window by policy or not should never have to be used. Just think if you planned on getting there 30 minutes early and something came up, like it did, you still would have been on time. You are just not getting it, the only reason you were dismissed was because of you. Not because you were being picked on and you could not track down the program director.

[MattiesMama]

Again with the excuses! Does the program director have a phone, voice mail, or e-mail? You could have called and left a message when she was not in the office. A ten minute window by policy or not should never have to be used. Just think if you planned on getting there 30 minutes early and something came up, like it did, you still would have been on time. You are just not getting it, the only reason you were dismissed was because of you. Not because you were being picked on and you could not track down the program director.

OK, so explain to me how I was supposed to drop my daughter off at day care at 6:30 (the earliest time they open) and arrive to my clinical site half an hour early? I wish I had the luxury of arriving 30 minutes early but being a single mother thats not always an option. The ten minute policy is in place for a reason, your opinion on whether it should or should not have been used is irrelevent.

You have made your stance clear, you think I deserved the dismissal and that's fine, you are entitled to your opinion- but I didn't start this thread as a debate, I started it to seek advice on how to handle the situation :wink2:

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

MattiesMama. . .if you feel the rules were applied unfairly against you, get a written copy of the rules and the grievance procedure, sit down and begin the grievance procedure to have your case reviewed. That is how this would be handled in the working world. Then, it becomes a matter of reviewing whether or not the rules were violated and discipline applied fairly. You have to work within their world to come to some agreement and closure on this, not yours. Talking and venting about it is only making the wound worse.

[MattiesMama]

Dayonite-I faxed my letter of appeal to the corporate office yesterday complete with references to the school handbook and a detailed explaination of what happened. My program director and the executive director have both been informed and are in contact with them- I'm not allowed to speak with anyone involved untill it is resolved. All I can do for now is wait, and study for finals that I hope and pray I will get a chance to take.

I got all my crying and anger out of my system yesterday...Now I'm just trying to stay positive and focused. Everything happens for a reason and regardless of how this turns out, I'm not giving up on nursing.

Again thanks for everyones advice and encouragement!! :redbeathe