Do I have to choose another profession if I fail clinicals

[lori305]

I had two weeks of clinicals left when I was failed. Just two weeks and I would have graduated. I am hurt and indignant by what I was accused of. I am following my appeal process but I live in the real world. It's my word against an established nurse. The nursing director said I was not allowed to return for two years and at that time I would have to start over with fundamentals. I am 45 years old and have already invested 4 years (1year of prerequisites, 1year of waiting for an opening and two years of the program itself) into this associates degree. My fear is that if I go to another school someone will find out I was failed and not allow me into their program. I just want to be a good nurse. Any suggestions on which way to turn.

[Libra_8]

I wish i knew what to tell you..... im so sorry to here this... what did the established nurse say you did or didn't do?

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

In what state will you practice? You can try www.excelsior.edu.

And I'm sorry.

[caliotter3]

This kind of thing happens, it is a preview of the nursing world of work. You will need to find another program, or go to Excelsior College if your state accepts it. Your situation is how Excelsior gets a good number of students. Good luck.

[MaverickyMaverick]

just curious...what happened?

[lilsp00n]

How sad I know alot of my friends failed in their clinicals and even their exams. They gotta start from the scratch like for example if they failed in one of those subjects. Sometimes they given a chance to retake the subject and they called it challenge test which is good. Dont give up and if I were you, stick to the same school. U already know ur professors and if u transfer into another school, u have to get to know em. Never lose hope! Everyhing happens for a reason. Good luck. :)

[lilsp00n]

i mean they given a chance to retake the exam. :)

[nkara, CNA]

I would say try another school... if you really love nursing and want to do it I'm sure it will fall into place.

[lori305]

I will try to be brief but the reasons given were multiple but I mainly attribute the situation with raging anxiety and politics.

First my original instructor was promoted to director of nursing. My rotation was then divided by three other instructors. I was trying to improve on time management and was told by first instructor to start a routine. "Get report take vitals give meds and then complete my assessments." (while I'm taking vitals and giving meds I start assessing i.e. able to swallow, orientation, ask about chest pain, sob, numbness tingling but the bulk was completed after meds were administered) I explained this to the other instructors they each thought I should have a different routine. While administering meds I was questioned about the location of a patient's medaport (which was in my notes). I hadn't completed the assessment so when I referred to my notes she marked me down for not completing my assessment.

The patient was receiving nutrition via pump through a g-tube. I had never worked with the pump she had insisted I had and asked me questions about the administration. I was confused. Asked her to rephrase the question. Explained I was not sure what was being asked but she marked me down for not being able to answer the questions. Next this same patient needed fluids. The resource student nurse thought she was helping by retrieving the solution. She pulled the wrong type of fluid and brought it to me while in the middle of giving meds so I simply waited to check it. When I checked the MARS and realized the mistake I retrieved the correct solution. The instructor documented I would have given the wrong solution had she not caught my error. Which is not the case because I found the mistake.

Then after suctioning this same patient I wanted to listen to his lungs. He was paralyzed and had multiple DU's. He would cry and complain when he was turned and had only been turned less than an hour before(the wound care nurse was in to see him) so rather than turning him I asked, can I just listen to the front (I'm thinking he gets turned in about an hour I'll listen to his lungs and check his back side and reposition him all at the same time-not to make it easier on me but for his comfort). She said to me yeah, sure do what you want. Then documented I didn't want to turn him even though when he was repositioned I had completed these assessments.

I am a Maryland student at a community college.

[CrufflerJJ, BSN, RN, EMT-P]

I'm sorry to hear about your situation. It definitely sounds like your clinical instructors are NOT observing to see you do the right things. Instead, they appear to be viewing your actions in a negative light, no matter what. Not fun, or nice, at all.

I was very lucky to have supportive lecture profs and clinical instructors. EVERYBODY makes mistakes, and it's a shame that your clinical instructors feel that perfection (or at least their definition of perfection) is the only acceptable level of performance.

[truern]

In the last semester of an ADN program you should pretty much have your time management skills, but that's neither here nor there. What I see is a lack of accountability....you've said several times that you were failed, never that you failed. There's a huge difference.

[nlion87]

Since all the care you give during shift is based on your assessment, you should start shift by introducing self getting vitals and performing initial assessment and then proceed with your course of care on your patients. Assessment and vitals are definitely what you should be doing first at clinicals after getting report from previous shift