mommies and clinicals

AmyB · Aug 23, 2004

For my situation, I absolutely will not be flexible with my clinical times. I have been able to work my schedule so that I am home when my kids get home from school. My husband could possibly fill in in a jam, but due to his work schedule, I can't count on it.

We can choose to have morning (0630-1330) or afternoon (1200-1900) clinicals or a combination of the two. If I have been assigned an afternoon clinical, I will respectfully let the instructor know that I must have morning clinicals. I will be home when my kids step off the bus in the afternoon. I haven't had any difficulty with any professors yet. They have been very understanding.

Best wishes!

Altra, BSN, RN · Aug 24, 2004

Amy, sounds like your school is unusually tolerant and flexible, glad to hear that this has worked well for you.

Cnelle, you'll have to ask these questions of the individual schools you're considering - our experiences don't necessarily mean squat for your individual situation at your school. Just a thought though ... if schools allow "mommies" to dictate when they can and cannot attend clinicals, then they'll also have to allow all other students to do so as well. And this can quickly become unmanageable. I'm not the happiest camper on days when I cannot be at home to get my 10-year old off the school bus, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do. If this was unacceptable to me, I would have put off school until she was older. This fall I have clinicals from 3-11p twice a week for 4 weeks. This will be a real juggling act for me, as my husband works 9-9 several nights a week. But, it's what has to be done. Nursing school admission is competitive, as you know ... if I couldn't meet the requirements I'd have to wait until my circumstances changed so that I could meet the requirements.

Many hospitals that are used as clinical sites, particularly in larger cities, contract with more than one school. So dates and times are frequently limited.

Good luck to you. :)

jeepgirl, LPN, NP · Aug 24, 2004

For my situation, I absolutely will not be flexible with my clinical times. I have been able to work my schedule so that I am home when my kids get home from school. My husband could possibly fill in in a jam, but due to his work schedule, I can't count on it.
We can choose to have morning (0630-1330) or afternoon (1200-1900) clinicals or a combination of the two. If I have been assigned an afternoon clinical, I will respectfully let the instructor know that I must have morning clinicals. I will be home when my kids step off the bus in the afternoon. I haven't had any difficulty with any professors yet. They have been very understanding.
Best wishes!

and in my nursing program, they would respectfully laugh in your face. then they would tell you to leave the program if you can't attend the clinicals you've been assigned to.

i would say that in most cases, you have to be very flexible to go to nursing school... not the other way around.

i'm a mommy. i was an 18 year old mommy when i started my RN program. but i wanted to be there, and i did everything i could to make it work. you have to have back up plans for back up plans.

i'm 95% positive that if you needed a schedule change, you won't receive a positive reception if you state that "i have be the present when my kids step off the bus every afternoon."

babynursewannab · Aug 24, 2004

and in my nursing program, they would respectfully laugh in your face. then they would tell you to leave the program if you can't attend the clinicals you've been assigned to.

:rotfl: I have to agree. Those running my program would have huge, pleasant smiles on their faces as they held the door open for you and then kicked your rear out the door.

My experience is this: You have to be flexible actually means "Do NOT plan on anything in your own life. We own your time if you want to be here." See, its a give-and-take. You give your existence to them and they happily take it!

Seriously, though. Don't hold your breath for flexible programs and be sure you have 2 or 3 childcare options. Don't forget that some clinicals require you to go the day before to get patient info for those wonderful care plans that will keep you up most the night prior to your actual clinical.

My oldest was in school already and then went to the After School Program (ASP) until I, or someone else got her. Now, with the baby, its harder. Luckily my MIL watches her a lot.

Good luck.

Altra, BSN, RN · Aug 24, 2004

Jeepgirl & babynursewannab expressed it somewhat more succintly than I did ...

leraern · Aug 26, 2004

For my situation, I went to school part time. It was two semesters longer but easier on my family b/c I had clinicals on Saturdays and my lectures were only one day a week. The only time I had weekday clinicals were psych and then leadership/practicum, but that was at the end of everything. I would suggest looking into part time if your school has it. It is much easier on family life if you have difficulty with child care. I also had a baby while in school but was still able to finish and graduate on time b/c the part time program was less stressful than full time. I took my boards in June and passed the first time. So, I was just giving you a different perspective of things, something to think about.

JudithL_in_NH · Aug 30, 2004

In my program, offical clinical times are 7-3, however, often it's really 6:45-3:30 or 4:15, somewhat at the whim of the instructor--and you usually don't find out until the first clinical day. Often, the extended time was not due to a need, but rather to a lack of organization on the part of a particular instructor I had. Last year, my youngest got off the bus at 3:30 and I wanted to leave at 3 to make it home in time.

I made it clear from the first day that I needed to leave at 3PM, and the instructors were fine with it, though I did sometimes miss out on a portion of post-conference.

This year school ends for her at 2:15, and she'd be off the bus at 2:30--so off to the afterschool program she will go! They offer a "late bus" which will get her home at 4:30--so I'll have more leeway this year!

andre · Aug 30, 2004

Hmmmm.....flexibility. You mean like, after diligently arranging my babysitters' schedules to work with my Tues/Wed 7-3 clinicals (this took well over a month of interviews, checking references, etc...), then my nursing instructor called me one week before the semester started and said, "oops sorry, you have to do a 3-11 clinical because we had to hire a new instructor and that's her availability"???? When I pointed out to her how hard I had worked to make arrangements I was comfortable with, and that this wasn't nearly enough notice for me to make changes, she said,

"Well, it's all part of the flexibility that will be required of you in nursing. You'd best get used to it."

I was still trying to figure it all out at 11pm the night before clinical. Almost had to drop out.

(Hi Judith! How's that pharm studying going??? See ya this weekend!) :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire

Andrea

JudithL_in_NH · Aug 30, 2004

"well, it's all part of the flexibility that will be required of you in nursing. you'd best get used to it."

andrea and i attend branches of the same program and we hear this "flexibility" mantra pretty often. i've felt that the flexibility that's expected of us as students is mostly a flagrant lack of organization on the part of the program.

some changes and upsets are probably inevitable, but we are called upon to be "flexible" way too often! :chuckle

just off to work on pharm as we speak! also working the evening shift tonight, and hoping it's slow so i can study!

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Aug 31, 2004

and in my nursing program, they would respectfully laugh in your face. then they would tell you to leave the program if you can't attend the clinicals you've been assigned to.
i would say that in most cases, you have to be very flexible to go to nursing school... not the other way around.

Basically "mommies" are given the same flexibility that nonmommies get.

All of us have draws on our time, even if we are not mothers

sweetyjen · Sep 11, 2004

I guess I have been very lucky in my nursing program. We have a total of about 80 students and about 1/4 of us have children. Our faculty works around our schedules to the best of their ability. They usually give us a few different times to let us work with and we can usually pick. They take each of our situations on a case by case basis if needed. They understand that some of us do not have the resources that others have. Yes, they tell us we must be flexible, but they know that some do not have any extra money or help otherwise to be able to do what everyone is expected to do. They know that some of us need to finish school to make a living and are trying to help us out if they can while still holding us to our responsibilities.