Missing Clincials??

Nikki422 · Apr 21, 2007

Hey Jewels.. :)

Well, I can't speak for all programs but I know that mine didn't have saturday clinicals at all, not even for graduate programs. They were all during the week (some pretty undogly hours at times, lol) but not the weekends.

However, they usually have absence policies, ours was that you could miss one day of clinical with no repercussion, but if you missed more you had to make it up. I was sick for a week and missed two clinicals, and one previously before that after I managed to contract pink eye from my patient the day before. I just had to go in on two days that my clinical instructor had other groups and make up the missed time. I did have to miss a lecture to be at one of the clinicals but..everything worked out in the end.

Some clinical instructors can be real pains in the @ss..but, even they will be willing to work with you, most of the time.

Long story short, I wouldn't worry about it too much!!

Nikki

MikeyJ, RN · Apr 21, 2007

So, as I have posted previously, I just got into SFSU BSN nursing program and I start in August. (Yipee!!)
I am going to be a bridesmaid in my Aunt's wedding in October. The wedding is on a Saturday and I assume that we might have a clinical on a Saturday. at some point in the semester. I am afraid that if I have a clinical on the day of the wedding and I tell my instructor that I have a wedding I'm going to they might say "Tough. You can't miss any clinicals or we will fail you" (or something along those lines).
How do instructors handle it if you miss a clinical? I don't plan on missing many, but I am IN THE weding for pete's sake....I can't back out and I really want to be there anyway.
Thanks for advice in advance!

My school won't have Saturday "clinicals"; however, they do have Saturday assessment labs. I signed up for a Saturday lab, as it allows another day during the week to get some hours in at work.

allthingsbright · Apr 22, 2007

So, as I have posted previously, I just got into SFSU BSN nursing program and I start in August. (Yipee!!)
I am going to be a bridesmaid in my Aunt's wedding in October. The wedding is on a Saturday and I assume that we might have a clinical on a Saturday. at some point in the semester. I am afraid that if I have a clinical on the day of the wedding and I tell my instructor that I have a wedding I'm going to they might say "Tough. You can't miss any clinicals or we will fail you" (or something along those lines).
How do instructors handle it if you miss a clinical? I don't plan on missing many, but I am IN THE weding for pete's sake....I can't back out and I really want to be there anyway.
Thanks for advice in advance!

We have Saturday clinicals, and yeah, missing for a wedding would not be a good idea. We get ONE clinical absense per rotation and it has to be a pretty dire situation--like illness, death, etc--for you to have an excused absense. Check with your program and see if you can request a specific rotation--we go to clinical in 5 week blocks that all have different schedules so we can request ceratin dates and they will try to accomodate you.

As for not missing "many" clinical days, I would suggest you do your best not to miss a single one. Missing clinical is not looked up as a good idea and you could lose your spot in your program! GL! :) :)

SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN · Apr 22, 2007

you have the right idea to think an instructor will look at you crazy if you wish to miss a clinical for a wedding!!! think about it... what if you were a nurse and you did not show up to work or you left work because of a wedding????

anyway, the quicker you think nursing school comes first and foremost in your life, the better! don't be one of those students who thinks his/her life outside of nursing school comes first or you won't be graduating any time soon.

i'm missing a funeral (yes a funeral!!!) because i have a clinical rotation to complete and i cannot make it up because no other rotation is available. besides i already accepted a patient and accepted responsibility for the patient before hearing of the funeral. this is similar to working as a nurse and having taken report but choosing not to work at the last minute (at least according to my instructors).

on the other hand, i am sure i might be able to get one of my professors to allow me to make up my day on his/her private time because someone might feel sympathy for me and my situation (i am highly doubtful anyone would care about a wedding). however, i will also miss classes and i have no way of making those up (no professor will give make-up lectures and i do not trust the notes of others)! i also need to study for my skills exam (no one can do that for me) and attend skills lab (missing a lab will put me behind my clinical group).

i am sad about missing the funeral, but my family understands. fortunately i have had time to accept the fact that this person was dying long before it happened. if the situation had been different i would have gone to the funeral and would possibly be dropped from the program for failing one of the above. repeating first semester for me means i will have to reapply in a year and compete for a spot. there is no guarantee given to people who repeat first semester at my school.

welcome to nursing school!!! :welcome:

MB37 · Apr 22, 2007

In most programs it seems like 1-2 absences are allowed before you fail, and they may or may not offer make up dates. I'd be nervous about using one on a wedding, when you may be horribly ill, in a car accident, etc. I missed one day of classes - and not clinicals - for my OWN wedding the first time I started NS (then Katrina flooded my school) and it was hard to catch up.

AggieQT · Apr 23, 2007

Well this brings up a question for me... I am waiting on my acceptance letter so there is no for sure thing as of yet BUT I am worried about the same thing. Well except for the fact that I am going to be the bride. We have had this wedding planned for a long time and it lands on the second sat after the fall semester starts. Its too soon to worry, but what do you think they will say if I ask about missing a clinical for my own wedding?

txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN · Apr 23, 2007

there is no way i would miss clinical for a wedding ..even my own. clinical is weighted to heavy in nursing school. like someone said you usually are allowed one absence... i would save it for a emergency...but thats just me

Soup Turtle · Apr 23, 2007

We were told we could get away with missing one clinical day IF we had a perfect average. There are no make-ups and missing more than one day is an automatic failure. If you have a less than perfect average and miss one day, it's also an automatic failure.

lizmatt · Apr 23, 2007

It really depends on the school ... I would never miss a wedding that I was in for clincal .... I would present the date at the beginning of the semester, and I know my school would work with me to make it up at another time. We are students, but we still have to make some time for ourselves and our own lives. We have a strict miss policy at my school, 1 allowed before having to write a letter requesting to remain in the program - BUT I think a wedding that you are in is a good enough excuse. Hopefully this will be a non-issue and you won't have clinicals on Saturdays.

BTW, there are somethings that have to be missed - like I am missing my sisters bridal shower because there is a final the next morning and the 6 hour drive would be have me home after midnight.

donsterRN, ASN, BSN · Apr 23, 2007

In my program, I think you have to be dead to miss a clinical, and even then, I'm not sure that they won't fail you!

But lots of schools don't have clinicals on Saturday. So, don't sweat anything until you know the schedule. I also agree with the poster who advised that you might want to get used to the idea that school will be your priority in life until it's done.

lisabeth · Apr 23, 2007

I know I wont miss clinicals for anyone or anything. As another poster said, I wouldnt miss clinicals for my own wedding.