Is it safe to be a nursing student right now?

**NICU Guy, BSN, RN** · May 19, 2020

37 minutes ago, Futurenurse836 said:
I feel conflicted. I want to be a nurse but I have mixed feelings about the current situation involving covid-19. I've heard of things not being very safe for healthcare workers so I am concerned about the clinical setting.

Excluding NYC, the rest of the country has not been overwhelmed with Covid cases. It is safe as it is going to be. You will always have to deal with Cold/Flu (and more likely Covid) season as a nurse.

45 minutes ago, Futurenurse836 said:
Maybe in a year there will be more safety precautions or more PPE available.

My CEO gives daily updates about number of cases our hospitals have, number of employees that are positive and self-quarantining at home, status of our PPE supply availability. We do not have a PPE shortage, plus the fact of less and less people being hospitalized. Our current requirement of wearing a mask while in the hospital will be lifted in the next month or two. It not as dire as you make it out to be.

Enarra, BSN, RN · May 19, 2020

That’s like asking a Nurse is it safe to go to work. I work in a covid19 only hospital we wear N95 mask and don full PPE before going into those patient zones.

Is there a risk that you’d accidentally contaminate yourself taking off PPE yes. following protocol you minimize that risk. Or miss wiping one spot on shoes and bring home a germ. Hence I change at work head to toe and shower immediately when arriving at home. There is no such thing as zero risk and covid19 isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. When you go to the grocerie store it’s risky too that cashier isn’t 6 ft away and how do you know he she isn’t infected hence everyone wears a masks.

In clinicals your clinical site and prof will provide you with PPE and instruction on how to put it on and take it off. Are you willing to put your career on hold on the off chance that maybe things will be better next year? Your choice. me personally I think now is as good of a time as any to get in there and learn it’s a once in a life time experience and opportunity.

Bobognnp · May 21, 2020

I feel like some people aren’t as understanding why it’s a cause for concern. I plan on starting an ABSN in the upcoming fall semester. I get the concern and I’ve been thinking about it for a couple months now but I think I’m personally not going to let COVID stop me. This is what I’ve been telling myself. 1) Hopefully schools wouldn’t ask students to come into clinical without adequate PPE to protect students and staff. They wouldn’t because that’s a liability and a lawsuit waiting to happen. 2) I’m gonna make sure my equipment and my clinical bag and my phone are disinfected before I leave the hospital, as well as make sure I’m washing my scrubs often and keeping them away from others in my house. 3) HAND HYGIENE! I’ve always been pretty good about washing my hands properly/often before all this, but this pandemic is making it all the more important. So you damn sure when I get into clinical I’m remembering hand hygiene! I feel like if we’re careful and follow procedures and guidelines put into place to protect us we should be okay!

blueskiesandsunshine.prn · May 22, 2020

I completely agree with everything the PPs have said, so let me just add on:

1. We are training to be nurses. This is what we signed up for. Times are scary, but sadly this won't be the last outbreak we will have to deal with. Hopefully the next won't be as widespread, but in the past decade alone we've had SARS, H1N1, Ebola...there is no BETTER time to be a nursing student! We are getting exposure to an unprecedented situation. I am sure we will never forget the respiratory pathophys. and pharm. once this is over ?

2. Most likely, schools will cancel clinical until there is a vaccine. Another thread cited this as a problem, and I understand the frustration, but IMO nursing school isn't there to make you a well-trained robot doing technical skills, it is there to teach you clinical reasoning and critical thinking -- both of which are acquired through theory courses and case studies. Clinicals have sadly become a way to use nursing students as free labor (very dependent on the facility and the nurse, but it does say something when my roommate spent 4 hours of her Foundations clinical sitting with a resident watching The Price is Right). Study hard in the theory portions and faithfully complete the VSims and case studies, and you really won't be missing out on much.

Wishing you all the best in whatever decision you make! From one nursing student to another, my heart and prayers are with you! ?