Missed my clinical day

lizmatt · Jul 30, 2009

My problem in the morning is realizing why it is so important to wake up - so I make a personal recording on my cell phone alarm (in addition to an extra loud alarm clock). I usually name my clinical instructor by name and say something like "Professor ____ is going to be so mad if you are late... You need to get up now. You cannot be late for clinical". So in addition to being woken up, my sleep self realizes that it is important to get up. worked for me.

That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Jul 30, 2009

My roommate would never wake up when he was supposed to. Soooooo I went and got a sonic grenade. Best investment ever

SnowRain7489 · Jul 30, 2009

I have an alarm clock that plays the radio when it goes off. I always raise the volume high. I think my roomate got mad (we have different rooms & live in an apartment), but I didn't care *oops oh well* :chuckle, because I had to get to clinical on time. This works every single time. There have been a couple of times that I was so tired it defaulted - it was my fault though - both times. My 1st clinical day I woke up late, I woke up but went back to sleep again:banghead:. I told my instructor that I woke up late & she was like, "you are not the first student this has happened to nor will you be the last." Then I had another incident w/ that same instructor. Again like a few months later, I woke up late. I woke up but went back to sleep again:banghead:. Luckily it was so icy outside and alot of ice on my car to the point where I couldn't even open my car door. So I called my instructor & told her that I couldn't get into my car because of the ice. So basically I was saved by ice:yeah:. She laughed when I entered the preconference room. I literally had to wait an extra 45minutes to be able to open my door. This wasn't something I could've rushed.

HeartsOpenWide, RN · Jul 30, 2009

Buy a new alarm clock. Put it on the other side of the room so you have to get up. Go to bed earlier. No one is going to give you sympathy when you show up to work late as a nurse and some one who worked a 12 hour shift has to work four-five more hours (most shifts start at 6, you got a call at 9..still have to get dressed and drive in) because you slept in; eventually you will get fired.

shescoolie · Jul 30, 2009

Also, radio alarms are not the way to go. I have overslept and had the BEST dreams that i was in a club, dancing with my friends, having a great time, and it was the radio alarm that I was subcounsiously hearing for an hour !!
It was great dream, but I was late for work. So ONLY buzzer alarms, and get a few of them quick !!!!!!
Good Luck

LOLOL I have sooooo done this before!!! Dancin and all!:dancgrp::dancgrp:

shescoolie · Jul 30, 2009

Oversleeping does happen, but it mustn't happen too often.
Not wishing to sound mean or offensive, you are supposed to be a grown up person, able to own up to your commitments...
P.S.
Whenever I have had to wake up on time for anything, one trick never fails; simply inform my mother to get me out of bed. Works like a charm regardless if I am two rooms away or two hundred miles away. No one knows how to get one out of bed better than mothers! Look at all the practice they have from the time their children are little until they leave for college! *LOL*

Really???

Just an observation... :clown:

NoviceRN10 · Jul 30, 2009

Geez, I can't even sleep the night before a clinical, I'm amazed you sleep so well you miss your alarm! I toss and turn all night looking at the time!

CrystalClear75, BSN, RN · Aug 1, 2009

Also, radio alarms are not the way to go. I have overslept and had the BEST dreams that i was in a club, dancing with my friends, having a great time, and it was the radio alarm that I was subcounsiously hearing for an hour !!
It was great dream, but I was late for work. So ONLY buzzer alarms, and get a few of them quick !!!!!!
Good Luck

HAHAHAHAHA!!!!:chuckle That is too funny.

:yeah:

avidhunter3 · Aug 1, 2009

I agree with everyone else about having 2 alarm clocks. I would actually buy the kind that has two different alarms on it. Then I woul set one to go off to loud obnoxious music and the other the buzzing/beeping alarm both set in five minute increments. If you have two different sounds your brain is more likely to respond versus only hearing the same sound. As far as someone else saying

"be a big girl" I dont think it has anything to do with being a big girl or anything like that, some people actually have a really hard time waking up the mornings no matter how early they go to bed. Good luck!

polka-dot, RN · Aug 2, 2009

Two alarm clocks? I would set four for clinical days (cell phone, iPod, alarm on the nightstand, alarm on the dresser), and then I signed up for wakeupcalls.net and ended up with five alarms. Yes...very paranoid about being late for clinical.

tankgrrl13 · Aug 2, 2009

I use to have a HUGE problem with sleeping in because of turning off my alarm-then falling asleep again for "just a few more minutes".

What helps me is to hide my alarm clock in a random spot, away from my bed, before going to sleep.

It really helps me-having to get out of bed to find it- by the time I turn it off, I'm awake enough to keep from going back to sleep again.

BabyLady, BSN, RN · Aug 2, 2009

This was the 2nd time I've missed my clinical day because I did not hear my alarm clock!!! It is so frustrating. It's considered "no call no show". my instructor woke me up at 9 and just railed me about it because this happened twice! no more excuses I can think of. I'm just so disappointed and frustrated with my alarm clock. Guys, what can I do about this? one more day of clinical tomorrow and I'm all done!! I just want to wake up in time to go to clinical tomorrow morning and be all done with it. anybody want to give me a morning call? jk lol

Understand that if you had been working as a nurse in a hospital, the second time it happend, they probably would have told you that you didn't have a job anymore.

I have NEVER in my life failed to hear the alarm. If you cannot hear the alarm, buy one of the extra-loud ones...you can get them at Walmart.

Put it across the room so you don't turn it off in your sleep.

Another trick..I have put my cell phone under my pillow at night and set it to vibrate as a back-up to my alarm.

Make sure you get an alarm that runs on electricity WITH a battery backup. Because if the power goes out...you are SOL.

You have got to find a way to fix this....in my school, two no-shows would have cost you your spot in the program.