Im getting ready to CRY!

gitanagirl · Jan 30, 2008

Keep your head up! Surely there must be a solution for this. Maybe you can finish the theory part and then finish the clinical part at a later date. Or maybe you can finish it in the lab? Or maybe on another floor where they will allow you to have a cast? I'm so sorry that you are hurt Keep us updated.

locolorenzo22, BSN, RN · Jan 30, 2008

often, if your school has a summer program...you complete theory regular time, and take make up clinicals in summer....then the school forwards your NCLEX stuff.....ask them about this.....they do it often when emergencies occur....

angelwingsamy · Jan 31, 2008

the only thing i think my school offers in the summer is psych. i hope they can fix this for me. the way our program is set up each class is only offered once a year so if you fail or whatever else then you have to wait a year to come back. its just sad cuz im so close to graduation and its ONLY 3 weeks of a cast. its not like it will be till the end. lol

dria · Jan 31, 2008

hang in there...i know how you are feeling, because i've been there.

in my case, i wound up with not one but two broken legs (if youre going to do something do it right huh?) i ended up being close enough to the end of my clinical rotation to take the absences as long as i attended the theory classes. (is this an option you've explored? what about an alternate clinial setting?) so immediately after my overnight stay (on the unit where i was doing my clinicals...classmate was my tech...) my big sis (and classmate) loaded my busted a** into her little festiva and away we went. especially traumatic was the lecture on ent surgery...the day before i was scheduled to have my broken nose fixed. throw in a presentation i don't quite remember (thanks pain meds) and i'm sure it was a hoot for all involved. i ended up having to sit out the next 8 week class and was able to finish up in the summer. not quite the same, but i do know how you feel. i had to attend my classes pinning since my sister was there, and i bawled the whole time.

even if you have to wait until the class is offered again, remember, everything happens for a reason. i know this is devastating right now, but you will look back on it and realize that in the grand scheme of things, it isn't that much time.

you can pm me any time.

LeapofFaith · Jan 31, 2008

I am so sorry that you are going through this.

Maybe you can switch to another teachers clinical, where the hospital is willing to let you work w/ a cast.

I am pulling for you. Keep us updated.

Nicky30, BSN, RN · Jan 31, 2008

Oh I remember a very similar situation when I was in my second year.

I had a work injury which ended up requiring surgery on my hand. Surgery coincided with my clinical, there was no way I could have gone whether I had the surgery or not - so it was done. I thought ok I'll just do the clinical later when I have recovered. Well come to the end of the semester - theory was going well but then the lecturer phoned and said you will fail because you don't have the clinical component. I was devastated (I was crying as I explained what had happened), she would not budge. I couldn't even get an incomplete until I could do clinical. After that phone call I turned around and organised my own disability adviser who got me on placement (to a sympathetic hospital - only thanks to the DON - her lackey didn't want me either).

I confess it was only sheer guts and determination that I made it to the end of the year with no fails. I admit there were many tears on the way. Compassion was few and far between (I got a lot of not my problem attitude from nurses and instructors).

I am praying for you (I had a friend that prayed for me and it worked), I hope that mine work for you).

Nicky.

Roseyposey · Jan 31, 2008

I am supposed to graduate this May and hopefully become an RN. I am in OB right now for the next month, then spring break, and then my final class (leadership). I have a fractured bone in my leg and am in a temporary cast until the morning when I get my walking cast. Anyways...
My school dont know what to do with me because the hospital Im at right now for clinical will not allow me on the unit with a cast. I feel like I can still handle the rotation. I understand if Im not allowed to stay at the hospital for the length of my cast wearing days but can my school make me wait a whole year to finish for a 3 week cast? Has anyone went through this?
My teacher was in a meeting today to determine the best plan of action for me but Im so scared. I have worked so hard to get where Im at and I cant see losing a year of my career because of a 3 week cast. Do any of you have an alternative idea that could help me get some clinical time for my OB?
Thanks so much. I have been in tears for a few days now.

Check outside of the nursing program - your college should have some sort of student services office - you have a right to reasonable accomodations for a legitimate disability, which this certainly sounds like. There has to be some alternative to your enrolling for an entire year to finish three weeks. Also, an initial meeting with an attorney is usually free and could be worth your while. In the end, nursing school is still that - school, and nursing students should have the same protection as other students. Let us know how it turns out - I'm rooting for you!

angelwingsamy · Jan 31, 2008

thanks so much. i liked your story. its kinda hard on me too because my sister in law is in my class with me and she is graduating either way so i will be there for her celebrations. i have bonded so well with the students in my graduating class (hopefully) and i cant even begin to think of graduating with a new group that i wont even know.

angelwingsamy · Jan 31, 2008

thanks so much. prayers are what i am going to rely on most i think. everyone at my school seems to be pretty upset about this because i CAN walk. and i have been doing clinicals just fine until now. (the fracture was missed on the initial xray and its been a month). so if i can do clinicals for a month with a fracture and no cast then why cant i do it with a cast for 3 weeks. lol. anyways. thanks alot i need all the prayers i can get.

angelwingsamy · Jan 31, 2008

thank you so much for your reply. i will explore ALL options. first i will trust in my teacher and see what she can do. she says there is nothing in our policy book that says my injury is not allowed so maybe she can loop hole it or something. and if not then i will take any road i have to. i want to be a nurse so bad i can taste it! lol.

2bTraumaRN2008 · Jan 31, 2008

We had someone go out for foot surgery last semester and in lieu of the clinicals they have her gave studies to do. She got a case study for each clinical she missed which was like 4. Maybe you can suggest this to your clinical instructor or program director.