has anyone ever missed/skipped clinical?

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Don't incriminate yourself here, but just wondering has anyone ever purposely missed a clinical day for something other than a sickness? I know I try hard to got because it's much more trouble than its worth to miss clinicals, unless it's something completely out of my control, like being sick or my car not starting, and that has only been once or twice in 3 years of nursing school. I tend to feel guilty, so I will just go. However, I have a dilemma because next year we have clinicals scheduled on a Tuesday and there is an event I've been waiting for a long time also on that night; it's a 12 hr clinical. This might possibly be the first day of clinical....double whammy! Ugh, I feel guilty already and nothing has even happened yet. :uhoh3:

On that last Monday holiday (Veteran's Day?) I got to a community health clinical site about five minutes early. No one was there yet so I turned around and went home. About five hours later I drove back by to run some errands, and they were all there and looked busy. I said screw it and went on my way again. I told the teacher that the next day and she didn't seem to care.

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Specializes in Operating Room.

I don't see how you can skip the first day of clinicals. The first day tends to be orientation- something you do not want to miss. It is a big hassle. I remember hearing about a student who missed orientation and had to wait until the next SEMESTER to do her clinicals because the hospital did not have time to give her a one-on-one orientation. And to answer your question, I missed a day of clinical purposely once. Apparently in that clinical, you are allowed to miss one day without having to make up hours. I did not find this out until the very last day of clinical and noticed that all my classmates had already taken advantage of it, I might as well relax and enjoy my day off.

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Specializes in Community Health/School Nursing.

I missed one day of clinicals during my 4 semesters. I was in the ER vomiting and running a 103 temp.

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True. The first day might just be orientation. I hope it is because that usually doesn't last that long, maybe some class time after that. It usually ends way earlier than actual clinical. I'll hold on to that notion for now. I'm still gonna work something out, whatever that may be. It's still over 2 months way from now. Wish I knew the clinical schedule now!

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True. The first day might just be orientation. I hope it is because that usually doesn't last that long, maybe some class time after that. It usually ends way earlier than actual clinical. I'll hold on to that notion for now. I'm still gonna work something out, whatever that may be. It's still over 2 months way from now. Wish I knew the clinical schedule now!

Just ask. Say I've got this going on. Could I be in a clinical group that doesn't meet that day. I got my Monday clinicals changed to Wednesday because I get off at midnight and didn't want to drive 35 miles away and be at Monday clinical at 0600. It was a valid reason, and they bumped me. The worst they can do is say now.

As an aside, I don't really get anything out of clinical orientation. A week passes after having been merely shown some things. I never think about it at all in the mean time. I get there and have to be shown all over again. Such is life. I really don't think missing orientation would hurt.

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I have never missed a clinical. But if something came up like a sibling's wedding, I sure would.

As far as the worry about missing orientation, most of you must have amazing first clinical days. We usually go for about half the day, wander around the floor and learn door codes, etc. Our computer access is almost never activated, so we can't even do any hands on practice charting, we have to all lean over our CI's shoulder and watch. I really don't get much at all out of it, except how to get to the floor and where to park.

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I wouldn't miss my first clinical day, but I would try really hard to either get my clinical days switched or even that first clinical day switched.

If you receive student loans or other aid, not attending the first day of any class could affect whether or not your classes are paid for that semester.

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Specializes in ER, progressive care.

I never missed a clinical day in nursing school and never thought about missing one unless I was REALLY sick or something.

Don't miss your first day. Your first day is important with orientation stuff and typically you go over the hospital's charting system (especially if they have computer charting) and do other things to "get into their system." I also think missing the first day (unless it's an extenuating circumstance and not because "well, I just felt like skipping") looks really bad. Most schools won't let you miss a clinical unless you have a valid excuse such as car problems or if you got into accident or something, or if you are sick (but you need a doctor's note). In that case, the student would just go to clinical later that week with a different group to make up for it. Choose wisely, though. I say don't skip clinical.

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Specializes in Cardiac, Rehab.

I've never missed one day of clinicals, but if there was a conflict in scheduling, I would be honest and see if it were possible to swap with another day or another person. Missing clinicals is not the way to go, unless you are demonstrably sick (and then they won't let you stay), I would do everything to be there.

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I have never missed a day of clinical yet (2 semesters down so far) but boy have I wanted to!

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

There are no excused absences in clinicals in my school. Therefore a missed clinical, whether due to illness, injury or otherwise, is a zero for that day. This can obviously, given how short the semester is, impact one's grade severely. So no. I don't skip. I worked hard to get here and work hard to stay here. Calling in for a BS reason is out of the question. If you get caught, you can get dismissed. Are you going to lie and say you are ill or are you going to tell the truth? Either way, you are playing roulette with nursing school politics. Highly discourage you from doing it. Highly. Especially at the beginning of the semester. It will taint how your instructor sees you for the rest of the term. Not good.

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I've taken everyone's thoughts into account. I'll figure something out.

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