LPN Student in RN Clinical

amoLucia · Jan 12, 2014

Am I missing something here? Is she a regular student, one who is enrolled in the school's RN nursing program? Lots of LPNs are in RN programs , so what's the big issue that's trying to be hidden?

Or is someone trying to sneak her in just to take a clinical practicum (WITHOUT taking any regular classes) like for a refresher course or for some disciplinary remediation action? Like she's NOT a student ...

The fact that there's something being kept as a SECRET is a red flag to me. There would be a liability issue here and misrepresentation also. Good way for a facility to lose its accreditation for its shady doings and you'd now be suckered into it.

Just curious --- wonder if that LPN is related to someone in the school? Oops, I'm being paranoid and suspicious again.

Whispera, MSN, RN · Jan 13, 2014

I teach clinicals and often have LPNs who are working on their ADN in my clinicals. Are you saying your school doesn't have LPNs? I'm kinda confused...

RNgrrl09 · Jan 13, 2014

Sorry, to clarify, she is an lpn student,not yet an LPN, not an RN student, taking clinical with RN students. The site is for RN students- who are LPNs.

amoLucia · Jan 13, 2014

Sorry, to clarify, she is an lpn student,not yet an LPN, not an RN student, taking clinical with RN students. The site is for RN students- who are LPNs.

Then the hospital would be bamboozled and it is likely they will refrain from being a clinical cite in the future all because of the shenanigans. I'm sure there are SIGNED contracts of agreement that are being violated here and that is unprofessional and unethical (maybe illegal if it's considered fraudulent?).

Are there no more clinical site spots open for that LPN student through the school?

The student has probably been prepped/coached to keep quiet.

Methinks something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN · Jan 13, 2014

"Struggling to find clinical sites". Um that right there. I'm thinking lying to them about the status of a student and breaking down the trust factor MAY have something to do with why some schools have a hard time placing students for clinical sites!

So this LPN student would be performing skills and doing things that she's not prepared for theoretically for? Sounds wrong on SO many levels. Why is this student not being placed in an LPN clinical rotation?

Hi. I am a new nurse educator- adjunct faculty in an ADN RN program. Recently. I have been requested to let an LPN come to the clinical site and not let the site know that the student is an LPN. The clinical coordinator takes care of obtaining a site for the clinical and I usually do not have to say what type of students are taking the clinical. My dilemma, I feel this is ethically wrong- not telling the site. I know that ADN programs are struggling to find sites for clinicals and this just seems to me to be an accident waiting to happen. Who is to say what this LPN student will say if someone does ask her. Am I incorrect in feeling that this is just not right?

lindseylpn · Jan 13, 2014

When I was in LPN school we did all of our clinicals right alongside the RN students. We were even paired together sometimes and the clinical sites never treated us differently. The only difference was the RN students usually only stayed about half the day and we stayed all day. I'm confused, why is the LPN student taking her clinicals alone and not with her class, all of our clinicals were set up by the school.

Whispera, MSN, RN · Jan 14, 2014

My son went to a school that had students preparing to become LPNs as well as students preparing to become RNs. They all did their med/surg I clinicals together. After that semester things they were split apart.

Is she the only such student? The expected secrecy bothers me..

msn10 · Jan 14, 2014

I agree with BuckyBadger (not to mention I love the name - On Wisconsin)

Anyway, there must have been some type of contract regarding the types of students that the hospital will accept. I can just think of some bad things waiting to happen. I am not doing clinicals right now, but in the past, we have always had the clinical instructor (me) and preceptors (staff RN's) teach together. So my concern is that the preceptor is assuming that the student they have is learning in the context of an RN curriculum and may expect that student to performs tasks or know more than they are capable of knowing. It is not fair to the LPN student or the hospital. You are right to be concerned.

RNgrrl09 · Jan 14, 2014

My son went to a school that had students preparing to become LPNs as well as students preparing to become RNs. They all did their med/surg I clinicals together. After that semester things they were split apart.
Is she the only such student? The expected secrecy bothers me..

That is what is bothering me also. She is the only student in her cohort. The others left the school or failed last term.

RNgrrl09 · Jan 14, 2014

Then the hospital would be bamboozled and it is likely they will refrain from being a clinical cite in the future all because of the shenanigans. I'm sure there are SIGNED contracts of agreement that are being violated here and that is unprofessional and unethical (maybe illegal if it's considered fraudulent?).
Are there no more clinical site spots open for that LPN student through the school?
The student has probably been prepped/coached to keep quiet.
Methinks something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

I don't know whether or not they have an lpn clinical site for this rotation. I was just asked to do this. I feel if they had an agreement, then they would not need to be secretive about this student at the clinical site. Maybe, I am just being overly cautious.

Whispera, MSN, RN · Jan 14, 2014

You're the one who will get the consequences if she does something outside LPN student rules. The school will too, but YOU will. Doesn't seem safe to you, as far as I can tell...