I know this has nothing to do with nursing, but I figured since you all have clinical and stuff there would be some relevance. I'm so supposed to be graduating in november and I'm about to start my externship sometime in september. School starts back on september 4th and we'll be a few weeks late starting our externship cause we have to wait for a site to be open. Well I found out a quarter or two ago that we don't get to pick our externship site, they pick a name randomly and we have to go wherever they send us. Their sending people to sites out of town, like Xenia, Cincinnati, Middletown, etc. Well at our meeting today I told the director of the surgical tech program that I don't have a car, I catch the bus and I won't be able to go to a site out of town. Basically in so many words she told me I'm out of luck. She asked me do the buses run early in the morning I told her yes and she said what if the bus break down. Well what if your own car breaks down. I've worked many jobs on the busline and was never late, always on time. Where in other cases I've seen people with cars that are always late. Then she asked if I could get someone to drive me. She said that's why they starting screening people to see if they had reliable transportation cause if they didn't have a car they would not have let them in the program. I am so pissed because how are you gonna stop someone from pursuing a degree because they don't have a car. I thought she would have been understanding of my situation. If that was the case, I guess a lot of people wouldn't be allowed in a program cause they have to catch the bus. I didn't go to school for two years, catching two buses across town everyday, taking four classes a night at times, making sacrifices, and paying out $20,000 just to be told to get to the clinical site the best way I can and I shouldn't have been allowed to pursue a degree in this field because I don't have a car. Now I don't know what's gonna happen, if I can't make it to whatever site they give me I will fail the program. I want to complain to someone about this, cause I don't think it's fair, and I think it's discrimination against people with no cars. Also I'm mad cause I let my nursing assistant certification expire thinking I'm be soon working as a scrub. Also I'm wondering should I just had went on I stuck with trying to go to school for nursing.
I agree completely that she should ask someone to trade. I just think she shouldn't get a special assignment just because she doesn't have a car. Others have chosen to buy a car..have paid for a car. That doesn't mean they should be the ones required to pay the extra expenses of going out of town. If she's in the city..I'm sure there are taxis...or perhaps she knows someone who has a car that she could use those days.
I'm sorry but if I am paying you $20,000 then I should get better treatment than this. I didn't take out $20,000 in loans for nothing. I didn't choose to not have a car, I can't afford one at this time. Like my father said that's why I'm going to school to better myself so I can afford things like a car, etc.
I feel bad for your troubles, but I can't help but wonder if the instructors mentioned that you needed to have a car before you even started, that it was made clear it would be necessary.
We were asked if we had reliable transportation, if that broke down, what would we do, and what was plan C. That was one of the requirements of being selected. My car bombed one week before class started. I am now driving another that is not much better shape, and looking at my third option. Like they said at orientation. Anything that can happen most certainly will. Just like real life.
Look for ways to deal with this, and don't give up. There has to be a way to get where you are going. If you get your assignments ahead of time, maybe you can put a note on the bullitin board, or an ad in the paper to get a temporary lift. Where there is a will, there is a way.
i don't like the sounds of this a bit. you need to go up the chain of command. i'm up near mansfield and go to school in marion.
i have a friend in a graduate program who relies on ramen noodles and the bus route for transportation. you're in school-- it's a status symbol to be poor, haha. i love the above posters post; you will probably get a job within the bus route! don't let the person who posted about the 3 kids upset you; their situation has nothing to do with yours.
my college has wayyyy out of town clinicals, sometimes a little over an hour away. they have a sign-up sheet for people who might be interested in taking it, but nothing is guaranteed. i think it's extremely nice that they do that.
i'm going to be the devils advocate here. maybe she/he went home and took a good look at themselves-- and decided to put you somewhere closer to home and you just don't know about it yet. i hope this is the case. xenia is a haul from dayton. if it's the ud-- that school is expensive!!!
if you were my classmate, i'd totally give you a ride or switch sites with you. :)
Also there have been a lot of people complaining about the school and the program period. A lot of students think the school and program is very unorganized and they don't do anything to help the students. I'm wondering should I had went to miami jacobs or sinclair. None of the instructors ever mentioned anything about needed a car, some of them I've told I catch the bus.
Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, Emergency, SAFE.
Sounds similar to a situation i had just this past Thursday. I have NEVER driven, never had a drivers license and I just cant drive. Everyone should be happy I dont drive, or you all would have dings, dents and then some, from me swerving down the road..lol. I also happen to live just 2 blocks from school, so thumbs up for me.
Anyhow, I show up on Thursday, my first clinical day which we were told was just to be a lab.. yet, lo and behold a clinical schedule is given out and guess what?? I was due to be in a city 45 minutes away from there at 1pm!!! WOW! That was thrown at us, no one knew that we were going to have to drive anywhere..
I guess long story short, its not Lashon's fault that he/she "chose not to own a car", LOTS of people get by on public transportation and theres nothing wrong with it (thats what its there for, to get people places!!), & its better for the ozone!!! I would definately see the program director about what is going on with you and to try and find a more suitable situation for you. When I was in Tech school 6 years ago, I spoke with my teacher from day one and she knew I didnt have a ride to go to any other clinical sites. While she didnt have to accommodate me, she did, because she saw I was a dedicated student and I wasnt trying to be difficult by not daring to own a car or by not possessing a license...
Lashon, Keep on Truckin! Talk as high as the chain goes for your school.. and Good Luck!!
I guess long story short, its not Lashon's fault that he/she "chose not to own a car", LOTS of people get by on public transportation and theres nothing wrong with it (thats what its there for, to get people places!!), & its better for the ozone!!! I would definately see the program director about what is going on with you and to try and find a more suitable situation for you. When I was in Tech school 6 years ago, I spoke with my teacher from day one and she knew I didnt have a ride to go to any other clinical sites. While she didnt have to accommodate me, she did, because she saw I was a dedicated student and I wasnt trying to be difficult by not daring to own a car or by not possessing a license...
I remember when my cousin was in school, it was very common for college students to not have a car. It must be nice that all college students nowadays are so fortunate to have a personal car.
I really don't get it.
Anyway, this conversation reminds me of the debate on workers with children "making it hard" for coworkers by leaving early, coming in late, etc. Well, people have kids and they have to be taken care don't they? Employers should make provisions for this stuff.
Now obviously, some people chose not to have a car or CAN'T have a car for whatever reason, I don't see that as a bad choice or anything wrong with that and it shouldn't keep someone from getting an education. The school should be able to do something.
Sometimes I am shocked at how people can be. :uhoh3:
I bought my first car at the age of 26. My parents couldn't afford to buy one for me as a kid, and neither could I as an adult. I took public transportation most of the time, and a few cabs a month was a lot less expensive than note+insurance+gas. I also graduated from school with my first bachelor's degree - unfortunately in something unemployable - and then completed a year of BSN prereqs. My first school I lived close enough that I could either walk or catch one bus, and my second school took an hour with a transfer to get to. I then started nursing school, also without a car, and I took the streetcar halfway and walked the last mile since it wasn't on a convenient bus route. Katrina flooded my school before we started clinicals, but I was fully planning on taking the bus there too, wherever it was. Unless specified before you apply to a program, car ownership shouldn't be an attendance requirement. I hope everything works out for you!
I agree completely that she should ask someone to trade. I just think she shouldn't get a special assignment just because she doesn't have a car. Others have chosen to buy a car..have paid for a car. That doesn't mean they should be the ones required to pay the extra expenses of going out of town. If she's in the city..I'm sure there are taxis...or perhaps she knows someone who has a car that she could use those days.
So are you saying that schools that have these ridiculous requirements should discrminate against students that are unable to afford a car?
In a larger cities, especially super-major cities like Chicago and NY, the costs to operate a vehicle are staggaring. You have to pay sometimes HUNDREDS of dollars a month to park it, your insurance is through the roof because of the high accident/theft/part-stripping rate. Cars are NOT practical in these cities...not sure if you have ever been to one, but you only have to stay a few days before you magically "forget" about a car...you simply don't need one.
That is an INSANE expense to require of students in major cities, and a cab isn't always the answer...when the gas prices went through the roof, so did cab fares.
There is no reason why the school cannot make an accomodation for her or any other student that takes public transportation to school.
Whether or not a cab is affordable greatly depends on where you live. I have a friend on Statin Island, and I have to budget $150 in car service every time I got to visit them...that is on top of my ticket...that is how expensive it can get.
Honestly, the talk of owning cars as impractical in super major cities doesn't really apply to Dayton, Ohio. It's not that big, comparatively speaking, and the public transportation system sucks if you're not within the metro area. If I were to not have a car right now, I would be in as much trouble, if not more, as the OP because my county has one public transit system that's actually "on-demand". There is no set route or set schedule, and you have to make appointments to get rides. If I wanted to use the "city" bus, I would actually have to get across town because there are only 2 places in my county the bus goes: the state university, and the air force base, and neither are within walking distance of me.
If I managed to get to the bus stop I'd be okay as long as I were assigned to one of about 4 hospitals that happen to be within the county. Heck, my community clinical involved doing home visits all over town, so I *had* to be able to drive around, or carpool (luckily we did the visits in pairs).
My only advice is to keep working with the school to see if they can accommodate you, and see if you can switch with someone who gets placed in town. Other than that, there's no use worrying much about it until you know where you'll be placed because there's only so much you can do to fix a problem before you know you have one. :)
So are you saying that schools that have these ridiculous requirements should discrminate against students that are unable to afford a car?
No..not "discriminate" but that shouldn't be the school's concern. By your terms they already discriminate against those who can't afford school. I worked my way through school...put $3000 into my van when it broke down last year because I knew i had to get to clinicals. I went into debt to buy a computer that was mandantory....added $60 a month to my monthly bills to get high speed internet because it was needed.
I'm just saying that other students shouldn't be made to go out of town just because she doesn't have a car. I completely sympathize with her...I just tend to look at the big picture...and the fact that there are many other students struggling as well. Why should she get special treatment? She should work it out with someone to either switch, carpool, or borrow something.
I'm sorry but if I am paying you $20,000 then I should get better treatment than this. I didn't take out $20,000 in loans for nothing. I didn't choose to not have a car, I can't afford one at this time. Like my father said that's why I'm going to school to better myself so I can afford things like a car, etc.
I pay 20K in tuition and do not get a say in where I am assigned clinically. I also don't get better treatment due to the price tag. I think you can certainly ask if you can get an in town assignment but if there policy is random assignment you may have to ask a peer to trade spots. The problem is that once you make an exception then more people expect there issue to be an exception which makes scheduling a nightmare for the school. If we have an issue other than the clinical time conflicts with a course we are expected to trade. Personally, I will trade if the person has a good reason.
:uhoh3:
AprilRNhere
699 Posts
I agree completely that she should ask someone to trade. I just think she shouldn't get a special assignment just because she doesn't have a car. Others have chosen to buy a car..have paid for a car. That doesn't mean they should be the ones required to pay the extra expenses of going out of town. If she's in the city..I'm sure there are taxis...or perhaps she knows someone who has a car that she could use those days.