I feel like I was hit by a Mack truck...

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Oct 13, 2005

No school can realistically expect that in however many weeks you have clinical that you're not going to get sick at some point.

Have you been to a doctor? If not, and if you're going to go to one, have them writ e note excusing you from clinical, and request that they put a small detailed description why.

meownsmile, BSN, RN · Oct 13, 2005

Most schools are like that, very minimal amount of time can be missed in clinical. If i remember we were allowed 2 days for the clinical year. Most of which used them for bad roads.

I suggest you hide yourself away this weekend, after seeing the doctor on friday afternoon, and sleep yourslef well over the weekend. Normal get well cures, fluids, tylenol, sleep. Wash it out of your system is about all you can do. Then pick yourself up on monday and go back at it.

Good luck,, hope you feel better.

Thunderwolf, MSN, RN · Oct 13, 2005

From the description you give, do you have any current cardiac or respiratory health problems?...overweight with the above symptoms?...any infectious conditions like pneumonia, dental problems, etc? Regardless, what you describe is not normal even with a simple cold. You need to see your health care provider asap or you will not be any good to yourself or your patients. Does your school have a student health clinic? You need to be seen. No medical advice can be given here. We can only direct you to care. Hope you get this addressed.

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Oct 13, 2005

I just had to vent to someone/you guys. I feel like I was hit by a Mack truck... although I with it was the truck because then I would at least be offered morphine (or another equilivant)
How do schools get away with "You can't coem sick... but you are absolutly not to miss clinical?"

How do they get away with it?????

Why, quite simply the exact same way that hospitals get away with telling nurses that they cannot come to work sick, but penalize them is they exceed certain numbers of absences for sickness.

elkpark · Oct 13, 2005

How do they get away with it?????
Why, quite simply the exact same way that hospitals get away with telling nurses that they cannot come to work sick, but penalize them is they exceed certain numbers of absences for sickness.

Well now, to be fair, it's not exactly the same. The reason nursing programs are so strict about not missing clinical days is because each state BON requires that nursing students must have completed a certain number of hours of supervised clinical time (varies from state to state) in school in order for them to be eligible to sit the NCLEX. And many programs (esp. smaller programs) do not really have a mechanism for "making up" clinical days (I know that the program I taught in for a few years did not -- an instructor would have had to willing to put in an extra day of clinical (out of the goodness of her heart) one-to-one with a student (and that's assuming it would have been OK with the hospital/clinical site -- the contracts we had with faciliities were v. specific about the dates we could be there for clinical), and I can tell you that was not gonna happen unless it were really extraordinary circumstances ...) It's not until you're a nursing faculty member that you find out just how difficult and complicated it is to make arrangements for the clinical experiences that the students need -- I was shocked at how much of our (faculty) time and energy it took up on an ongoing basis ...

Still Riding · Oct 13, 2005

From the description you give, do you have any current cardiac or respiratory health problems?...

The main reason for the chest and lack of breathing is that I am a sever asthmatic. I am completly controled normally, but when I have a cold it goes down hill. and if I am sick with more than a cold then it is not a pretty sight. I've seen the proffesionals and this is just how it is.

Thanx for all your well wishes, but my bed is calling again. My instructor was really good about me not being in clinical, it is the first I've ever missed. what a nice person she is.

SR

jnette, ASN, EMT-I · Oct 13, 2005

So sorry, SR.

Do take care of yourself, and do what you HAVE to do for yourself. And DON'T stress over it !!! It only prolongs the "sickies."

Get better ! (((HUGS)))

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Oct 14, 2005

How do schools get away with "You can't coem sick... but you are absolutly not to miss clinical?"

That is one of the great conundrums of our profession! I had to have surgery in my last semester of my ADN program and had to miss two weeks of clinicals. Of course, I had a signed excuse from the surgeon. I even had a couple of my fellow students assigned to me while I was hospitalized so there was no doubt that I was out with a medical excuse. The way it worked was that I had to make up the clinical days I missed in order to graduate. The way it was done was I went to clinical sessions with the Monday/Tuesday group of students (I was in the Wednesday/Thursday group) and attended the one or two make up clinical days the school had specifically scheduled for those who had missed clinical days.

You should see a physician to be examined and diagnosed and discuss with him/her if there's any way you can attend your clinicals or absolutely take the time off on the advice of the doctor.

Just so you know...this goes on with employers too. I can't tell you how many times I've dragged myself in to work half sick in order to avoid getting charged with yet another sick day taken.

holikow · Oct 14, 2005

quit your whining. do you realize how many thousands of nurses before you have suffered illness and still sucked it up to go to school and graduate! all of us have, and many more will. i gave birth right before my june finals, went back 3 days later, took early finals with instructor's approval, passed and was able to spend the summer home with baby. started clinicals at end of august, did care plans while rocking crying infant on lap. i passed with flying colors... this infant is now a 14 year old beauty, an angelina jolie look alike, so now i have my eyes and ears to her activities to keep the boys at bay! and still do studying to keep ceu's up to date! it never ends!

go ahead, call in sick, missing 1 to 3 days per year is ok. you won't get slam dunked for it, unless your a habitual school skipper, and it sounds like your not, so you won't get kicked out.

sharann, BSN, RN · Oct 14, 2005

I went to school with a woman who in our last week of clinicals lost BOTH her parents in a car crash(both died). She was not permitted to finish and had to retake the entire last semester. Welcome to the wonderful world of compassion for everyone but yourself.

You need to get to the doctor or NP/PA.

allnurses Guide · Oct 14, 2005

Quit your whining. Do you realize how many thousands of nurses before you have suffered illness and still sucked it up to go to school and graduate! ]

Coming here to vent, and saying so up front is hardly whining. And if we hadn't allowed ourselves to be jerked around for so long that we don't think we should be treated well, this wouldn't be an issue.

Just like they are finally recognizing that med students/interns don't really benefit by working 36 hours in a row, nursing students need some leeway when they are sick.

To the OP, God bless and heal you soon. Glad your instructor was so reasonable. :icon_hug: