Has anyone been put on probation for clinicals? I just did!!!

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I am so upset! I am going into my 3rd semester, and I have never had to worry about how I did in clinicals, and have always gotten positive evaluations.

Well, 2 days before the end of this last semester (dec. 2010), I was working with my clinical instructor in pediatrics and I had a patient that had a lot going on. She had a central and peripheral line, was on a tubefeeding and G-tube. I have never had the oportunity to start a tubefeeding or give meds through a g-tube. so, while I was giving meds through the tube, I asked how much normal saline I should flush with?; Then, I had to start a tubefeeding, which I have never done and told her this, and she had to walk me through it; I have never dealt with a central line, so I again asked her if we flush it with heparin or normal saline? I was very upfront with her and told her I had never done these skills before. The next day, I had the same patient and did everything on my own without asking a single question. The next morning after class, she said she wanted to go over my evaluation with me! She said, "I was going to tell you to go home and fail you this semester, but since you improved the next day, I am doing you a favor and olnly putting you on probation.:crying2::crying2: I asked why, and she said I should know all of my skills by second semster and she should only have to supervise me. What makes me so upset, is that the majority of the students only had to give out pain meds to their patient! I told her this too, and she said "well that is the luck of the draw!" My heart absolutely dropped. I pleaded with her not to do this, but of course she doesn't care.

I am so damn upset. In all of my clinical rotations, if we told our instructor that we had not had the opportunity to do a procedure on a patient, they would walk us through it. I always thought that people who got put on probation in their clinicals, were doing something that could endanger the patient ie. not washing their hands, leaving bedrails down, faliling to stay with the patient until they take all of their meds!!:mad:

I am just bummed, because my new clinical instructors will know I am on probation, and I feel like I will be walking on eggshells! I feel devastated!!!!:crying2:

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Wow! I feel really bad for you; what a terrible experience. I don't know, maybe you could talk to your D.O.N. about this.

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I wish I could, but she had it signed by the dean! Thanks for your response!

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Specializes in Telemetry, OB, NICU.

Sorry to say this, but I agree with your clinical instructor. If you've learned these skills at any semester until your clinical day, then yes you should know the steps already, without asking anybody, including your clinical instructor whether you've done it on real person or nor. You learned it, so you know it, period. These people aren't there to re-teach us the steps that they've already taught. They are there to guide us and answer other questions we might have. I think you are very lucky to be doing all those new skills while your classmates are doing the same stuff. I would love that.

I did plenty of things at clinicals where it was my fist time doing them on real people. I knew that I had to know them before entering my patient's room. If I had asked my steps to the skills to my instructor, I am sure I would have been in trouble too.

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Hopefully, this means that the instructor is giving you hard time because you've been doing well. Perhaps its clear that you're a strong student (organized, prepared, etc) and things have been going smoothly and she is (rightly or wrongly) giving you a hard time specifically to test your ability to deal with things when they don't go smoothly - since things often DON'T go smoothly in clinical care no matter how well you plan and prepare. In that case, she is paying you a compliment by riding you so hard, pushing to find where your weaknesses may be. This may not be what your instructor is doing and even if it is I don't necessarily agree with it. But it's a different spin to consider.

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Specializes in Critical Care (ICU/CVICU).

WHAT?! I think that is CRAZY! This is what nursing SCHOOL is for, for you to learn and get help when needed! And for the other posters, don't forget that each school is different. Some schools go over all the required skills every semester until graduation. Some do not (mine for example, we learned majority of our skills the first semester, and we don't review over them again). But I graduate next semester and my teachers would MUCH rather us ask for help, especially if we forgot/never attempted something. I might have forgotten due to lack of practice or even nervousness. Regardless of when or how often you are taught your skills, I think the OP was completely within her rights as a STUDENT to ask for assistance on procedures never attempted (especially on a pediatric patient). Now this poor lady is either probably going to be soooo scared to attempt any new skill or ask any questions from now on! Heck, whatever happened to "don't be afraid to ask questions". At least she didn't go in on her own and put the patient in danger. And its not like the OP was a repeat offender, either. Man I'm really upset for you bella! And she was actually wanting to FAIL YOU?!?! That is not fail worthy! Does this instructor not like you? I can imagine being completely imcompetent during clinicals...but this? Just isn't right.

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If you've learned these skills at any semester until your clinical day, then yes you should know the steps already, without asking anybody, including your clinical instructor whether you've done it on real person or nor. You learned it, so you know it, period.\

I totally disagree with this statement. Learning how to give po meds or do a simple dressing is one thing but accessing a central line or g-tube should (in my opinion) always be a "learn it - see it - do it" opportunity. No student nurse should be expected to do these things without having the opportunity to see it being done first. As stated previously, this is what nursing school is for. If students are frightened into not asking questions there will be an inevitable decline in the quality and confidence of graduating nurses.

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Specializes in Critical Care (ICU/CVICU).
Hopefully, this means that the instructor is giving you hard time because you've been doing well. Perhaps its clear that you're a strong student (organized, prepared, etc) and things have been going smoothly and she is (rightly or wrongly) giving you a hard time specifically to test your ability to deal with things when they don't go smoothly - since things often DON'T go smoothly in clinical care no matter how well you plan and prepare. In that case, she is paying you a compliment by riding you so hard, pushing to find where your weaknesses may be. This may not be what your instructor is doing and even if it is I don't necessarily agree with it. But it's a different spin to consider.

You think that the teacher was maybe paying her a compliment because of her hard work? She is one random skill/question away from FAILING out the entire nursing program. That is one hell of a spin to consider. Not trying to jump on you jjjoy, and I know you are trying to be optimistic (which takes a strong person to feel that way in times like this), but most people will feel completely upset, confused and helpless over this situation.

What should she do now? Take time out to read a skills text book and study every single skill written in it to perfection, while still having to study for tests papers, etc?? Because you don't know what might be coming in clinicals. Geez, that's very "doable". OP, if I were you, I would just lay low and ask the RN caring for the patient any questions you might have with your patients in the future. And your clinical instructors need to replace their "instructor" title to clinical overseer, because they obviously serve no purpose to help students learn.

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OK, so now I'm terrified of what awaits me in NS. In my CNA clinicals, if I wasn't 100% sure of something I didn't think twice about confirming with my instructor before I did it. And all I was doing was vitals and AM/PM care. I'm so sorry this happened to you.

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Seas, I have to disagree with your post, although, maybe your nursing school is different. My nursing school gives students more opportunities to succeed. When we pick out our patients the night before clinicals, we meet our patient and check to see what our patient has (foley, PICC, ect). If my patient has these, I re-learn certain skills. The up side is, I go over with my instructor what I think I should do before I even touch my patient. Then, I am encouraged to ask questions while performing the skill. I think this allows me and the patient to be more comfortable, and I pass. I can't imagine having an instructor watch me do something wrong and not correct me. That is not safe for the patient.

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Don't stress about it. Just keep moving forward. You did everything correctly the next day which means you learned...which is the point. You were tested more than any other student and I believe there is a reason for it.

Shrug it off and keep it movin' :)

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I totally disagree with this statement. Learning how to give po meds or do a simple dressing is one thing but accessing a central line or g-tube should (in my opinion) always be a "learn it - see it - do it" opportunity. No student nurse should be expected to do these things without having the opportunity to see it being done first. As stated previously, this is what nursing school is for. If students are frightened into not asking questions there will be an inevitable decline in the quality and confidence of graduating nurses.

Regardless of when or how often you are taught your skills, I think the OP was completely within her rights as a STUDENT to ask for assistance on procedures never attempted (especially on a pediatric patient). Now this poor lady is either probably going to be soooo scared to attempt any new skill or ask any questions from now on! Heck, whatever happened to "don't be afraid to ask questions". At least she didn't go in on her own and put the patient in danger. And its not like the OP was a repeat offender, either. Man I'm really upset for you bella! And she was actually wanting to FAIL YOU?!?! That is not fail worthy! Does this instructor not like you? I can imagine being completely imcompetent during clinicals...but this? Just isn't right.

The skills that the OP referred to are very basic skills. Now the way the OP comes across is VERY important. It's one thing to ask questions and for guidance, but it's another to give the impression that you have no clue what you're doing. Also deciding whether to flush a Central line with saline or heparin, those are some big questions that make it sound like you aren't competent in the skills.

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