Kicked out of NS b/c of broken ankle???

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A friend of mine broke her ankle over the weekend, and was informed today that she might be kicked out of the nursing program b/c the program "requires able bodied persons". Are there laws against this??? What can she do to fight this???:angryfire

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My guess is she isn't being kicked out but rather removed from this semester's clinical and placed in the same one next semester. This does happen. You can't be in clinicals with a broken ankle.

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Specializes in PCU/CICU.

I went through 6 weeks of clinicals with a broken foot. I was in a walking boot though. My doctor signed off on it. If she can't walk on it, then I can understand why she wouldn't be unable to continue. If I had missed more than 2 clinical days, I would have been out.

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Specializes in DOU.

I dislocated my knee half way through a semester and had to wear a knee brace while it healed. I had to get a physician to sign off that it was okay for me to work or postpone until the following semester. Fortunately, my doctor feels the world really needs more nurses, so he signed the paper.

I have to be honest and say though, that I was worried the whole time that my knee would pop out while I was ambulating a patient and I would drop them.

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Specializes in UR/PA, Hematology/Oncology, Med Surg, Psych.

I had to quit my first LPN program (just started) after I found out I was pregnant. We were allowed to miss two days only and I knew I couldn't labor, deliver, and return to school in two days. Wasn't going to happen. I don't think she has any legal recourse, as them are the rules for everyone.

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A friend of mine broke her ankle over the weekend, and was informed today that she might be kicked out of the nursing program b/c the program "requires able bodied persons". Are there laws against this??? What can she do to fight this???:angryfire

Nothing. If she misses more than the maximum number of clinical days because of recovery, she's eligible to be removed from the program. Typically, schools will allow for placement in the same clinical the next time it is offered; her education would be delayed, but not cancelled.

If she is planning to attend clinicals WITH the broken ankle (cast, brace, etc) then they can still require her dismissal as she would likely be seen as a liability. She probably would not be seen as "safe" with patients if she is physically injured. Also, she could FURTHER injure herself through the requirements of student nursing. Neither of which the school wants.

Hopefully your friend will be in top form when the clinical is offered next time.

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Specializes in med-surg.

:typingIts a decision that the school has to make based on state board requirements, school liability and the student's safety. In our state, you can only miss 8 hours of lecture and 8 hours of clinical per semester per BON requirements. Which sucks if you get laid out on a day where you are in lecture from 8 am to 3 pm or get something like strep where you miss back to back in a single week.

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Specializes in Operating Room.

A transport person rolled over my foot with a bed my last 7 weeks of clinical before graduation....my school would not let you work with a cast or shoe..I could still walk on it-it was a chip fracture at the top of my foot. I did not tell anyone at the school about it either-I had only 7 weeks left!

I still have the chip fracture too, you can feel the little piece of bone in my foot. The podiatrist who looked at it for me said if it really starts to hurt, he'll take it out.

Unfortunately, your friend may be out of luck for this semester-you can't really hide a broken ankle.

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I doubt she will be kicked out. Any reasonable nursing school will push you back to next semesters clinical. I cut my hand in nursing school pretty bad and was in a cast but thank god I was in my Psych Rotation...

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It would be really hard to complete clinicals with a broken ankle since you are lifting, transferring patients and such. I would say she isn't getting kicked out of the program, just having to sit out of clinical until her ankle heals. I do not know how you would do your clinical work if you have a broken ankle.

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Specializes in Psychiatry.

My nursing school was very understanding about things like this, we ARE human btw, and things can and WILL happen. I've seen classmates with broken bones, serious UTI's (requiring hospitalization), crohn's disease, Bad Latex allergies, pregnant with missed days for delivery etc. These students all came to class when they could, and when they couldn't they talked to the profs/clinical instructors and accomodations were made. I never heard of anyone being kicked out of the program for medical reasons, especially not something as temporary as a broken ankle. She can still function in a clinical setting, she can teach, assess, medicate, chart etc etc. She just might need a little assistance from her peers for other things such as lifting/ambulating patients etc etc. That's teamwork and it's a great skill to learn. What happens in the "real" world when a nurse breaks his/her ankle? Does the boss fire them???? Heck no. :nono:

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Specializes in Nursing Ed, Ob/GYN, AD, LTC, Rehab.

I have a feeling what they are going to do is give her a hardship withdrawl which would allow her to take the quater over again without any negative repercusions

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