12 hour shifts for students AND Med. school

Epona · Jan 28, 2008

Not to get anyone confused. I am a RN student asking about doing clinicals for 12 hour shifts. My other question was about Med. school. Two separate things. Thanks!! :) Epona

nurserynurse55 · Jan 28, 2008

Hello. I don't have the answers to your questions, but in nursing school, C- fails too. At least in my BSN program.

platon20 · Jan 29, 2008

Also... a nursing student was telling me today that in Med. school, there is no such thing as a C- and you fail. They have nothing like this for grading standards I was told today. You get a D and you are still fine. Anyone know if this is true??

Would you trust a med student who told you anything about nursing school? Of course not, because they dont know what they are talking about. Its the same way with nursing students talking about med school.

90% of med schools operate on a pass/fail basis. Only a few use letter grades.

Blee O'Myacin, BSN, RN · Jan 29, 2008

I'm confused, are you a medical student or a nursing student? The title of your post, and some of the wording is a bit tricky, even after reading it through a few times.

For the sake of argument, I'm going to assume that since you are posting here in a nursing forum, you are a student nurse.

Since you are making the commitment, despite an underlying health condition, to go to nursing school, you need to be able to withstand clinical if you are going to work in a hospital setting. Now, you might be at the clinical site for 12 hours, but there is pre-conference, the time when your instructor tells you to take lunch with the rest of your class, and post-conference. All are times where you can rest, take your meds and have a snack. You also should prioritize your tasks, leaving built in time for your medication and eating schedule. Every nurse should do this. Anything short of a code situation, there is no reason why our bladders should be full and our stomachs empty. The patients will wait an extra 3 minutes for a bathroom break. As a student, you have your instructor and the primary nurse to back you up. Now is your chance to learn as much as you can - and time management is one of those very important lessons.

Good luck!

Blee

RazorbackRN, BSN, RN · Jan 29, 2008

I'm confused, are you a medical student or a nursing student? The title of your post, and some of the wording is a bit tricky, even after reading it through a few times.
For the sake of argument, I'm going to assume that since you are posting here in a nursing forum, you are a student nurse.
Since you are making the commitment, despite an underlying health condition, to go to nursing school, you need to be able to withstand clinical if you are going to work in a hospital setting. Now, you might be at the clinical site for 12 hours, but there is pre-conference, the time when your instructor tells you to take lunch with the rest of your class, and post-conference. All are times where you can rest, take your meds and have a snack. You also should prioritize your tasks, leaving built in time for your medication and eating schedule. Every nurse should do this. Anything short of a code situation, there is no reason why our bladders should be full and our stomachs empty. The patients will wait an extra 3 minutes for a bathroom break. As a student, you have your instructor and the primary nurse to back you up. Now is your chance to learn as much as you can - and time management is one of those very important lessons.
Good luck!
Blee

The OP indicated her student status:

"Not to get anyone confused. I am a RN student asking about doing clinicals for 12 hour shifts. My other question was about Med. school. Two separate things. Thanks!! :) Epona "

SFDRN · Jan 29, 2008

They instituted 12 hour med-surg clinicals at my BSN school this semester, too. We'll see how it goes. My first one is next Tuesday.

I don't know how your school can accept D- as a passing grade, since it's so close to failing. At my school, they have instituted a strict 80% (or B-) rule. If you don't get at least a B- in the class, you fail it.

locolorenzo22, BSN, RN · Jan 29, 2008

80% is the C cutoff at my school....pass % there.

However, I work a 12 hr shift as a CNA and go to school full-time. I made a committment to it. If I was you, I would NOT make waves. Most standard nursing shifts are 12 hrs. You have to set up your day to have free time in it. Group all your med passes, tasks, etc... together. You'll have time for bathroom breaks, to take 5 mins.....

Personally, my clinical is 8 hrs, and we are usually go go go til lunch...after, it slows down. Also, my school says we CAN take a 15 min break in morning and in afternoon....but we work through the morning so we can have a whole HOUR off the floor.....You'll be fine.

Don't let the instructors label you with the "troublemaker" sticky note on the back. How many patients are we talking about for your load? Patients won't want you in there for 50 mins off and on....relax, and take a break.

santhony44, MSN, RN, NP · Jan 29, 2008

I never had to do 12 hour clinicals, but then, "back in the day" 12 hour shifts were not the norm. Considering that they do seem to be the norm in most places now, it makes sense to me that schools would be doing this. I think the more like the "real world" of nursing clinicals are, the better prepared students will be.

I always hated 12 hour shifts, personally.

Epona · Jan 29, 2008

Thanks all for your comments. I appreciate it!! The situation I am in is that I have a history of SVT, PVC's, PAC's and so forth along with an MVP. I take beta blockers and KCL every day. I take six pills a day. The problem I am running into is the clincial starts at 6 AM. I live FAR from the clinical sight so I have to get up at 4 AM. My usual routine is to begin taking meds. b/t 8 and 10 in the morning. I have been on that schedule for YEARS. I have to take my beta blocker when I get up and and be still for about an hour. I am usually always tachy in the morning, but after an hour, I am just fine. No problems. I am not going to get up at 4 AM and shift all my meds. up like 6 hours. So I wanted to be able to arrive at clinical b/t 8 and 9 AM AFTER I had the beat blocker in my system. I cannot get there and run all around. My heart will just not let me. I told my instructor about this and she was not very understanding. I told her if I am not allowed to follow my regimen and take my meds. as I have, they will be TREATING ME. I have no problem getting up early. I am not a lazy person. In fact, I am an honor nursing student... my problem is my condition and taking my meds. on schedule and avoiding a tachycardic situation. My doc. will not give me a note. The teacher said I needed one... well he will not give me one. I can start b/t 8 and 9 AM OR I can be there at 6, but cannot do lots of running around until after I take the meds. Last year was fine... clinicals were offered later and it was no problem. I know because of my health, I am not working 12 hour shifts. I already knew this. Well this is the only time the peds. clinical is offered and I am in a pickle.

vashtee, RN · Jan 29, 2008

I'm not sure how you can make it though nursing school if you can't do clinicals. Personally, I would shift the time I took my meds. for this semester.

all4schwa · Jan 29, 2008

You are just going to have to start taking your meds when you get up, regardless of what time of day it is. Take your betablocker and then chill out before you get ready and you'll be fine. The time of the day is not what's important, apparently you've just always gotten up at 8 in the morning.

I seriously doubt you would do night shift, but in the hospitals, dayshift starts at 0700 so you'd better learn to be flexible now...rather than later.