1 month from pinning and devistated.

I've done about everything I know to do and I need more expert advise from anyone who can help. I was scheduled to be pinned, ADN RN, on Aug.2 and have finished all classes. I had 6 preceptor days and a couple of clinical days left. A few days ago, I reported to clinical on a floor at the hospital and was given 4 patients. I was only to have had 3 patients, but the "new" clinical instructor said I could take the fourth patient because she was going to be discharged that morning. It was 0630 and I checked the MAR on all patients and was to be responsible for IM, PO, SC, and non-IV push meds from 0800-1300. The extra patient I was given was to receive digoxin at 0730, and the RN did not give it to her. I asked the RN about it, and she said the lady was going home. I proceeded with the other patients and at 0900, the extra patient's MAR was not available. The patient was marked D/C on the nursing board and the chart was not in the file with the other patients. I made sure that the other patients had their 0900 meds, which I had to check off with the instructor. When I got through with the other patients, I asked the instructor about the woman who was being discharged. I knew that the RN had not given her the digoxin at 0730 and was trying to do the right thing. The RN and the instructor nurse looked at each other and the RN said, " Oh, well, go ahead and give her the meds." Now, the patient has already signed the discharge papers and was dressed, and her daughter told me she was going to get the car and they would go home. The RN had to go to the patient's room and get all but 2 medications which were home meds that were brought to the hospital with the patient. There was only Asacol, and Flagyl in the medicine drawer. To make this long story shorter, I was asked to give a discharged patient medication. The woman refused to take the Flagyl and another med, but I made sure she took the digoxin. The discharged patient said she would take the Flagyl when she got home, but she wouldn't take it then. I went back and forth with her, and finally she ended up taking the med home with her. She gave it to her daughter when they went to her car and the daughter came back up and asked if her mom should take the medicine now. I know I made a mistake and signed that the woman had taken the medication, but I have been given a failure for the entire Nur 221 class and will not be allowed to be pinned.

I need to say that the morning that all this happened, I passed a large kidney stone, and my garage was flooded by a broken water line. The next morning after all this happened I was hospitalized for 7 days. In the last 3 years, I have been through a divorce, a parent's death, the other parent's stroke and nursing home admission, I had Whipple surgery and spent 2 months in the hospital ( pancreatic blockage and divism), viral meningitis, raising a 6 and 3 year old, and going to school full time. It has not been nice.

I was in no shape to go in that morning, but I still say that I should not have been asked to give the medication to the patient if she has already been signed out and discharged. By the way, I had another patient who at 1300, was to receive meds. The RN for that patient signed the MAR that she had given the meds, and when I asked her about it, she volunteered that she had "not" given the patient rhe medication, she was going to. So, she signed that she gave it, before she did. Please give me something that may help. I am the only man in my class and I swear that it seems that several of the nursing department persons wanted me to fail, and its not just me saying that..other students said the same thing.

I had a nursing department person tell me that I would have been better not to have given anything to the patient. The only medication that was not the patient's home meds, and that was not taken in front of me was one Flagyl pill. If I had not been thinking about making sure the old lady got her digoxin, my world would not have come to pieces. I have passed OB/Peds, and psych. Some LPN transition students said I should be able to take the LPN boards. I think the instructor and RN know that they should not have told me to give the medications to the discharged patient and the nurse knew she had not given digoxin at 0730, not to mention the other nurse who signed the MAR and admitted she had not given the medication yet. Any suggestions for a guy in SC who is just about to loos my mind.

[HisTreasure, BSN, RN]

I've done about everything I know to do and I need more expert advise from anyone who can help. I was scheduled to be pinned, ADN RN, on Aug.2 and have finished all classes. I had 6 preceptor days and a couple of clinical days left. A few days ago, I reported to clinical on a floor at the hospital and was given 4 patients. I was only to have had 3 patients, but the "new" clinical instructor said I could take the fourth patient because she was going to be discharged that morning. It was 0630 and I checked the MAR on all patients and was to be responsible for IM, PO, SC, and non-IV push meds from 0800-1300. The extra patient I was given was to receive digoxin at 0730, and the RN did not give it to her. I asked the RN about it, and she said the lady was going home. I proceeded with the other patients and at 0900, the extra patient's MAR was not available. The patient was marked D/C on the nursing board and the chart was not in the file with the other patients. I made sure that the other patients had their 0900 meds, which I had to check off with the instructor. When I got through with the other patients, I asked the instructor about the woman who was being discharged. I knew that the RN had not given her the digoxin at 0730 and was trying to do the right thing. The RN and the instructor nurse looked at each other and the RN said, " Oh, well, go ahead and give her the meds." Now, the patient has already signed the discharge papers and was dressed, and her daughter told me she was going to get the car and they would go home. The RN had to go to the patient's room and get all but 2 medications which were home meds that were brought to the hospital with the patient. There was only Asacol, and Flagyl in the medicine drawer. To make this long story shorter, I was asked to give a discharged patient medication. The woman refused to take the Flagyl and another med, but I made sure she took the digoxin. The discharged patient said she would take the Flagyl when she got home, but she wouldn't take it then. I went back and forth with her, and finally she ended up taking the med home with her. She gave it to her daughter when they went to her car and the daughter came back up and asked if her mom should take the medicine now. I know I made a mistake and signed that the woman had taken the medication, but I have been given a failure for the entire Nur 221 class and will not be allowed to be pinned.

I need to say that the morning that all this happened, I passed a large kidney stone, and my garage was flooded by a broken water line. The next morning after all this happened I was hospitalized for 7 days. In the last 3 years, I have been through a divorce, a parent's death, the other parent's stroke and nursing home admission, I had Whipple surgery and spent 2 months in the hospital ( pancreatic blockage and divism), viral meningitis, raising a 6 and 3 year old, and going to school full time. It has not been nice.

I was in no shape to go in that morning, but I still say that I should not have been asked to give the medication to the patient if she has already been signed out and discharged. By the way, I had another patient who at 1300, was to receive meds. The RN for that patient signed the MAR that she had given the meds, and when I asked her about it, she volunteered that she had "not" given the patient rhe medication, she was going to. So, she signed that she gave it, before she did. Please give me something that may help. I am the only man in my class and I swear that it seems that several of the nursing department persons wanted me to fail, and its not just me saying that..other students said the same thing.

I had a nursing department person tell me that I would have been better not to have given anything to the patient. The only medication that was not the patient's home meds, and that was not taken in front of me was one Flagyl pill. If I had not been thinking about making sure the old lady got her digoxin, my world would not have come to pieces. I have passed OB/Peds, and psych. Some LPN transition students said I should be able to take the LPN boards. I think the instructor and RN know that they should not have told me to give the medications to the discharged patient and the nurse knew she had not given digoxin at 0730, not to mention the other nurse who signed the MAR and admitted she had not given the medication yet. Any suggestions for a guy in SC who is just about to loos my mind.

What I can offer are words of encouragement, not necessarily advice. I can't say that I have gone through even half of the things you have during your schooling. You have dealt with a lot of trauma and adversity and yet you still persevered. You will need that resilience, that perseverance, now in a time of great stress and disappointment. I know it must be difficult to be dealing with all of these stressors at a time when you should be rejoicing. But look to the future. You can take the course over again, and though it does not make the devastating blow of not getting pinned any less devastating, it should be reassuring that your time and effort put into the ADN program is not in vain. Your future career has not been thrown out of the window- this is simply a minor setback that most likely will prove to be a blessing in disguise. (((((HUGS)))))

[Mulan]

Have you appealed as high up as you can?

[Mulan]

You might get more suggestions if you can get this posted in the general nursing discussion.

[wonderbee, BSN, RN]

I read your post with great interest and I have nothing but compassion for your plight. I was not aware that meds were not to be given on the way out the door, but it makes sense. After all, you can't evaluate the effect. I have seen insulin given to a patient post-discharge by an LPN at a facility I work at without any second thought as I was wheeling her off the floor, and have seen daily meds given at the time of signing discharge papers routinely. As a middle aged student, I can appreciate that the disappointment is felt a bit more acutely. Many of us have achieved our student status later in life because of more than our share of life challenges. You certainly have been through a lot in a short period of time.

Were you aware that you should not dispense a med post-discharge? I know you were trying to see to the needs of the patient and that is honorable, but as students, we don't get the liberty to exercise that kind of judgment right or wrong. I can see why this was a dilemma for you and hope you can find a way to graduate with the rest of your class.

[grannynurse FNP student]

I am sorry for what happen to you. About giving the digoxin, I believe the RN was wrong not to give the medication. Medication should be given when it is ordered, prior to the patient being discharged. For example, I would give insulin,at 7:30AM to a patient being discharged but not an 11AM medication, if she were discharged at 10AM.

Suggest you appeal this decision, with your ezplanations.

Grannynurse :balloons:

[christvs, DNP, RN, NP]

Who have you tried appleaing to? I think it is very unfair for your instructor to fail you for something like this! You were basically told to give the med and I did not even know we're not supposed to give out meds to someone who is about to be discharged (maybe it is different in each facility, cuz I have seen some nurses on my clinical floor doing just that). I'm so sorry your instructor or chair person of the dept. is so horrible that they can't just tell you why you shouldn't have done it and then just say "Well now you know the reason" and leave it at that and let you graduate! That totally stinks! But If I were you I'd try to keep appealing it and explain you were told by RNs to give it and you did not know and it is not your fault. Good luck!!!! :)