Medical exemption for nighttime capstone shift

llg, PhD, RN · Feb 20, 2020

It depends on the policy of your school ... and how legitimate you reason is. It will also depend on whether or not the clinical agency can accommodate your request. You can probably find a clinical agency that can accommodate you, but it might not be your first choice as to where you would like to do your capstone.

Lacandela · Feb 20, 2020

It’s a mental health issue (on medication for depression . The shift will trigger I’m afraid, but also afraid to disclose

Are there any laws on my side ?

203bravo, MSN, APRN · Feb 20, 2020

Any requests for accommodations should have been long before now. Not sure you really have much of a stance here (especially if you knew before now that that there was a chance of getting night/evening shifts.)

Also you are going to need something from a healthcare provider that supports any medical claim.

Best of luck.

llg, PhD, RN · Feb 20, 2020

Your best chance may be to select a clinical setting (e.g. outpatient) that doesn't work nights. But if you are going to claim a medical exemption, then you are going to have to have the reasons for the exemption documented.

Lacandela · Feb 20, 2020

I didn’t realize till few weeks before . I have children and I would not be getting any rest if I did a night time shift , therefore interfering with my mental health . There are lots of day time preceptors and it seems that I was one of the few that ended up on the nights . I do have a medical note clearing me from nighttime shift

I was just about hesitant since there is always a stigma attached to mental health , but again there are laws to protect so I think it should be ok , just wanted to know if anyone else had to deal with a similar issue while in nursing school capstone ?

Mergirlc, MSN, APRN, NP · Feb 20, 2020

This is a bit off-topic, but I'm curious: what happens if after you graduate all you can land are night shifts? This is a reality for the majority of new grads starting out.

meanmaryjean, DNP, RN · Feb 21, 2020

1 hour ago, Lacandela said:
I didn’t realize till few weeks before . I have children and I would not be getting any rest if I did a night time shift , therefore interfering with my mental health . There are lots of day time preceptors and it seems that I was one of the few that ended up on the nights . I do have a medical note clearing me from nighttime shift
I was just about hesitant since there is always a stigma attached to mental health , but again there are laws to protect so I think it should be ok , just wanted to know if anyone else had to deal with a similar issue while in nursing school capstone ?

Where do your children go when you have day shift clinicals? Wherever that is- make those same arrangements for your night shift placement.

Lacandela · Feb 21, 2020

before care and after care , overnight daycare is something I cannot afford

TheDudeWithTheBigDog, ADN, RN · Feb 21, 2020

16 hours ago, Mergirlc said:
This is a bit off-topic, but I'm curious: what happens if after you graduate all you can land are night shifts? This is a reality for the majority of new grads starting out.

That's not necessarily true. It depends on where it is. A lot of places that give good shift differentials have nurses competing for night shifts while days is the one that nobody wants to do.

DeeAngel · Feb 23, 2020

Others shouldn’t have to pick up your slack because you have children. Do your fair rotation through school, you’re not special.

Hoosier_RN, MSN · Feb 23, 2020

You are going through what many others have had to deal with. Unfortunately, I don't think you'll be able to skate around this. As another poster asked, what happens if all you can find after graduation is a night or evening shift job? Facilities generally will not make special exceptions because you are hired for what is needed. You may luck out and get a day shift job, but those occurrences are far and few in between