I have the FLU!!! What now??

BluegrassRN · Oct 24, 2009

You need to talk to your instructor ASAP. It could be that they will make arrangements for you. Make up days, additional assignments to do instead of clinical days, etc. Don't go to school/clinicals ill.

JennNJ83 · Oct 24, 2009

Our school is taking extra special precautions to protect everyone against the flu, we arent allowed to come to school if we have ANY flu like symptoms, H1N1 is now considered a national emergency, I'm sure you will not fail you because of this, contact your professors, good luck.

morningland · Oct 25, 2009

Yeah, if they fail you because you didn't want to come in and infect the rest of your class I think you just might have a lawsuit against them

llg, PhD, RN · Oct 25, 2009

Shame on your school for not giving you clear instructions on what to do in this situation! All schools should have been prepared for such a scenario to allow students and faculty to follow the recommendations of the CDC, etc.

and while I'm at it ... Shame on you, OP for even considering leaving your house until you have recovered appropriately! You should know that you would be spreading the virus to everyone you come in contact with, children, pregnant women, etc. Behave ethically in this situation and prevent the spread of this horrible disease.

ShortStackRN · Oct 25, 2009

I would NEVER intentionally spread this disease! I guess I worded that wrong in my post. Let me rephrase what I was TRYING to say initially...I WONT go to school and risk spreading this virus HOWEVER I'm freaking out because our nursing program says there are NO excused absences whatsoever. I am set to graduate in May and I absolutely refuse to repeat a semester over a couple of sick days (especially since I have an above 90 average in both classes). People have been thrown out / forced to drop over things like hospitalized children and illness in the past. After some research, the school itself states that students with the flu will be excused from class, however if you are in an Allied Health Program it's up to the director. I have spoken with my instructor and have been told that we will have to see what happens. Also, I'm not the only one in the class apparently that has been diagnosed this week. Now knowing this information I feel like I have a leg up and they won't be able to expell us based on the fact that we aren't allowed out of the house. I would NEVER EVER go around anyone and expose them to this...I'm trying VERY hard right now not to give it to my 7 year old daughter, as I'm a single mother and she has no where else to stay. Guess I should have cleared that up and worded that statement a little better.

tiffanyleigh0212 · Oct 25, 2009

You would think allied health would be more understanding, what do they want you to do, come to clinicals with the flu and give it to all the other patients, including theirself and other classmates! Our teachers at school too are required to NOT penalize anyone for flu or flu like symptoms no matter what, but that's just for general classes, I don't know how it is for nursing students. Keep us posted though.

SRK77 · Oct 25, 2009

I am speechless at the thought of you not passing because you have the flu. Why would you be expected to be present considering the current flu situation? Please keep us posted, I will be interested at how this turns out.

Multicollinearity, BSN, RN · Oct 26, 2009

This is hardly unusual. My own nursing program changed their clinical absence policy in the middle of this semester due to H1N1. We are mandated out for 7 days if we have flu-like symptoms. However, they did not change the number of absences we are permitted or schedule make-up days. For those of us who had one absence earlier in the semester, before the 7 day mandate was issued, it means if we get the flu, we are out. Out. Have to reapply to repeat the semester. Thousands of dollars. They changed the rules mid-semester due to clinical agencies' H1N1 requirements without adjusting the ramifications to the students. We questioned this - that we'd fail out due to the new 7 day mandated out policy - and were told we just better wash our hands extra, super-duper-well.

Due to this, I'd show up in clinical with the flu if I got it and could fake it. I'd mentally place the responsibility for the ethical crap-out on my nursing program because I don't have the money to get behind a year in my life and repay tuition. I truly don't have the $$$$. I'm not risking my future and the tens-of-thousands of dollars I have in student loans to be the honest one and keep my germs at home. However, I couldn't walk into a L&D unit or area with babies with H1N1. Not in that rotation.

In some nursing programs, we are expected to show up no matter what, and function. It's part of the culture. They expect us to show up and fake it.

morte, LPN, LVN · Oct 26, 2009

remember, the amount of clinical and class is set by the state......all this time will have to be made up. if the instructors' contracts do not include this, who is going to instruct the make up days?

llg, PhD, RN · Oct 26, 2009

I would NEVER intentionally spread this disease! I guess I worded that wrong in my post. Let me rephrase what I was TRYING to say initially...I WONT go to school and risk spreading this virus .... Guess I should have cleared that up and worded that statement a little better.

I'm happy to read that. Thank you for clearing that up. I got the wrong impression from your original post.

Most schools are developing new policies to deal with this pandemic. Keep in touch with your faculty/administration to stay informed about things at your school. I'd also be sure to document everything about your illness and any instructions you have been given by health care providers -- just in case you need it later. Also document any conversations, save e-mails, etc.

If your school does not have (or is not in the middle of developing) a way of dealing with such absences ... I would suggest writing a very good letter to members of your school's administration -- higher up than the nursing school's department director. Go to a Dean, a Provost, etc. Don't dwell on the details of your case or appear "whiney." Simply request that the school look into the development of a policy consistent with the government's recommendations regarding this national emergency. It HAS been declared an official government emergency and you should use words like that. Point at the sick students and faculty are being instructed by health care providers AND government officials to stay home -- and that having school policies that contradict those authorities puts students/faculty into a very difficult position. Ask them to reconsider their policies about mandatory attendance without the chance to "make up" time to allow to graduate on time. There is a good chance a request such as this might get a positive response.

Good luck!

Alibaba · Oct 26, 2009

I would be talking to the dean of the school ASAP.

As soon as the epidemic hit, our school's 'cant miss even one day of clinicals or you fail or have to pay an instructor $50/hr for a make up day) policy was immediately changed. The new policy was that if you got the flu, you could miss 5days in a row and they would attempt to accomodate you in another group for your make up days (which they did for 2people), or you could go to the SIM lab and do your 'clinical' day there.

Much better solution that kicking out otherwise great students who get caught in an epidemic.

Good luck to the OP and feel better soon.