If you get sick in nursing school you're out?

CecilyM · Jun 4, 2009

I'm just in LVN school but if we have more than 2 absences we are dismissed from the program.

Do-over, ASN, RN · Jun 4, 2009

I have seen classmates sent home from clinical for illness and they passed the class. Others have dropped a class and re-entered the next semester. I think it really depends on the actual situation - how long you'd be out and what your standing in the class was at the time you missed.

AngelaC · Jun 5, 2009

I have seen student miss more than one lecture class and are able to continue on but, that may be because all of our classes are recorded and those recordings are uploaded so we can listen to them again if we wish.

However, when I had a torn rotator cuff earlier this year, if I had not been able to get a release from the doctor for clinicals (meaning I had no restrictions) I would have had to drop until the same quarter of the following year.

I would not have had to reapply and would be guaranteed a seat.

Scary, isn't it?

caliotter3 · Jun 5, 2009

We were allowed to make up clinicals as long as we didn't miss more than two. Anything beyond that for a good reason would see the person coming back the next term, depending upon the circumstances. They always tell the students that they can come back only if there is room.

Kringe38 · Jun 5, 2009

I have seen student miss more than one lecture class and are able to continue on but, that may be because all of our classes are recorded and those recordings are uploaded so we can listen to them again if we wish.
However, when I had a torn rotator cuff earlier this year, if I had not been able to get a release from the doctor for clinicals (meaning I had no restrictions) I would have had to drop until the same quarter of the following year.
I would not have had to reapply and would be guaranteed a seat.
Scary, isn't it?

Yes, it is scary! I feel like I'm taking such a big risk. I may possibly have to quit my job, lose my health insurance, and then if I wasn't able to complete the program for whatever reason...just eek. I keep saying it, but eek.

elkpark · Jun 5, 2009

The schools aren't doing this just to be mean or difficult -- the state BONs require that, in order for programs to be approved and for graduates to be eligible for licensure, students must have completed a specific number of hours of classroom time and a specific number of supervised clinical hours in the various clinical areas. There are usually lots of options for making up classroom time and assignments, but the big issue is usually clinical. Many schools (including the programs in which I've taught) have no way for students to make up clinical, and the requirements are demanding enough that there's not much "wiggle room" -- in most cases, if you miss more than a day or two of clinical, you're over the limit of hours you're able to miss and still be able to graduate and write the NCLEX, (and you fail the course and, therefore, in most cases, fail out of the entire nursing program).

The last clinical rotation I taught, students were allowed to miss up to eight hours of clinical for the rotation, and the clinical days were 12 hour days. So, if you missed one clinical day, you would fail the rotation and that meant you would fail out of the program. The program in which I taught before that, the students could miss up to 12 hours of my clinical before failing; that course had eight hour clinical days (and more of them), so they could miss one day and be okay, but not two. Many students approached me about whether they could (or should) skip a day a clinical to attend an important family function, friend's wedding, etc., and I always reminded them of what a gamble that would be -- they had no way to predict if they were going to be sick or have some other unavoidable situation later in the term; it would be a shame if they ended up flunking out of school because they took an "optional" absence and got caught short later.

Policies about if and when you can return to the program if you have to leave because of absences varies from school to school.

AngelaC · Jun 5, 2009

I don't think the OP or any of the responders have an issue with the requirements. I think we're all just concerned about the fact that life does happen and it could jeopardize our 'schedule' for graduation. Having to wait an entire year to restart the program where I had to leave, would cause a major financial issue for me.

Again, it's just scary because life does happen.

caliotter3 · Jun 5, 2009

There was a time when I almost was involved in a highway collision on my way to clinical. If that had occurred at 80 mph in that traffic, I'm sure I wouldn't have been around to worry about making up clinical. But if the accident had occurred on a side street and I had to go to the hospital or otherwise was kept from getting to clinical, and I had already used up my allowed absence time, what then? The school officials would have been quick to inform me that I knew the consequences when I deliberately missed school. You have to be cognizant of the fact that things can happen that are out of your control. Students who attend programs that allow one or two missed clinical days are very fortunate.

elkpark · Jun 5, 2009

I only offered a longer explanation because I'm always surprised at the number of nursing students I encounter who do think that schools make these policies arbitrarily, and aren't aware that there are "larger" reasons.

I agree, it is scary. I had to take a LOA from nursing school myself for medical reasons, many years ago -- I was fortunate that my school's program was set up so that I could return as soon as I was able (at the the start of the next quarter, that is) and continue my studies without problems.

Kringe38 · Jun 5, 2009

The last clinical rotation I taught, students were allowed to miss up to eight hours of clinical for the rotation, and the clinical days were 12 hour days. So, if you missed one clinical day, you would fail the rotation and that meant you would fail out of the program.

I think this is what the lady at the WIA program was saying and it scared me! 8 hours and you're out. I can understand the policy and that the requirements are tight and no way to make it up. I certainly don't intend to miss a day and I think anyone would be crazy to skip class or clinical unless they were genuinely ill. It's just scary because it feels like you're thisclose to disaster for the better part of 2 years. One case of the sniffles and it's over, much less a more serious or lengthy illness/injury.

ETA: Anybody got any tips for NOT getting sick? :) I wash my hands and try to keep from touching my nose/eyes/mouth, but every once in a while something sneaks past me. Last semester I had to miss one class day of A&P I because of a cold, which didn't mess me up too bad but I hated to miss and it would have been much worse had it been nursing school.

amarilla, RN · Jun 5, 2009

It really depends on your school.

In the ADN program I'm attending, we are allowed four absences each semester: one lecture, one lecture/skill lab (class time only), and two clinical days. So - if a cold wiped you out one week, you'd be fine *if* you didn't miss any more time that semester.

Best,

Southern