How does it work in your school when you have to miss clinical?

elkpark · Feb 18, 2010

In the hospital-based school I attended long ago, we were able to (and required to) make up missed clinical hours on another day, with another clinical group. The schools I've taught in since then (ADN and BSN programs) have not had a means for students to make up clinical hours on other days (most SONs now don't). So, you were "allowed" to miss X number of clinical hours (some designated percentage of the total number of clinical hours in that rotation). If you missed up to the "allowed" number of hours, you had to complete a written assignment (short paper on a topic assigned by the instructor, related to the clinical rotation) to make up the hours. If you missed more than the "allowed" number of hours, even one hour more, you failed the clinical rotation, no matter how good your excuse was (and, if you failed the rotation, you were out of the program).

In the last clinical rotation I taught (in an ADN program), students were allowed to miss up to eight hours for the term -- and the clinical days were 12 hour days. So if a student missed a single day, you would fail the rotation and be out of the program.

Your student handbook should have something about your program's policy on absences.

jrsmrs · Feb 18, 2010

At my school, they take each case individually. If you are doing well in your clinicals, they really dont care much if you miss a day or two. And of course they dont want you coming in if you are sick.

If people are not doing well, I have heard of some students attending alternate clinical group days to make up the lost time, or if someone needs extra practice. Clinicals are pass-fail here so basically if you are doing well, you have nothing to worry about.

bell47 · Feb 18, 2010

Playing devil's advocate.... In the programs that basically have a "no miss" policy (like the one that said you can miss 8 hours, but it's 12 hour days) or you flunk out... What happens when someone gets the flu or some other bad illness. Do you flunk out, due to something that is not your fault? I would think there would be some policy on such circumstance.

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Feb 18, 2010

The problem is per letter of the law (regulations regarding nursing schools and licensure) the student MUST have a certain number of clinical hours. So unlike say Accounting or Journalism, you must attend a certain amount of clinical hours (much like Med students/Interns MUST do so many hours/rotations. This is a legal/regulatory issue in most places and not something that your school can really work around.

If you get sick, even if for a good reason, you will most likely have to make up the time - it depends on whether there are extra clinical hours built in to your program so that there may be some leeway. This true for many health care professions in many places.

In my experience, Associate degrees rarily have any "extra" hours built in to the program, but that may have changed since I was a student.

knittingmonster · Feb 18, 2010

I looked in my handbook and it's up to the discretion of the instructor. My teacher flat out told me not to come.

What stinks is that there are optional weeks for some of the students. We have nine weeks of clinical and there are two optional weeks built in. For my group, they are taken up by Sim lab and a health fair. Some groups still have those weeks open. I have no idea how this is all going to go down.

elkpark · Feb 18, 2010

The problem is per letter of the law (regulations regarding nursing schools and licensure) the student MUST have a certain number of clinical hours. So unlike say Accounting or Journalism, you must attend a certain amount of clinical hours (much like Med students/Interns MUST do so many hours/rotations. This is a legal/regulatory issue in most places and not something that your school can really work around.
If you get sick, even if for a good reason, you will most likely have to make up the time - it depends on whether there are extra clinical hours built in to your program so that there may be some leeway. This true for many health care professions in many places.
In my experience, Associate degrees rarily have any "extra" hours built in to the program, but that may have changed since I was a student.

Exactly. If you don't complete the required minimum number of clinical hours (and classroom hours), you're not eligible to write the NCLEX. And most schools don't have much extra clinical time built in to the curriculum, and rarely have opportunities available to make up clinical days in the clinical setting.

Nursing school is a different in many ways from other kinds of formal education. In most programs, if you miss more than the maximum allowed number of hours, you fail that course, regardless of how valid or "good" your excuse is, and whether or not it's your "fault." There have been plenty of posts here over the years from people who got dropped from nursing programs because they needed emergency surgery, had a serious illness, etc., and missed too much school. Most schools will try to work with you if you really have an unavoidable emergency (and are good student), but every school has some kind of limit ...

craziechiq, BSN, RN · Feb 19, 2010

You miss one day, then you have to write a three page paper on a topic that the clinical instructor provides. Any day you miss after that, you have to make up those hours in SIM lab.

Mineee45 · Feb 19, 2010

Miss more then 2 days, they fail you regardless of the reason. But thats only "certain" people. I seen some miss 6-7 days and pass.

LovebugLPN · Feb 19, 2010

My dad died while I was in school. I found out at 1 a.m. and went to school that day even though I felt like just curling up in a ball and dying. I took a day off for his funeral and they so graciously allowed me to attend a health fair to make it up. It is totally at the schools discretion and it can be like squeezing blood from a rock to get them to let you have the day depending on where you go to school.

idahostudent2011 · Feb 19, 2010

I missed a day of clinical because of being really ill...like vomiting non stop and having to go to the er and getting 4 liters of NaCl in 2 hrs and some phenergen. Even for that i wasn't able to make up a clinical day, i had to do a case study teaching plan which sucked... :banghead:

We are only allowed to miss two days of clinical the whole semester...

allnurses Guide · Feb 19, 2010

We get a zero for the day. There is no make up. Three zeros and you go before the student affairs committee to try to explain why they should not kick you out. Two tardies also equal a zero. If you are sick, you are still expected to be there. Period. We are told that there are things for us to do that don't involve patient care. Fortunately I have not yet had to find out. I don't look forward to that day.