I'm new to allnurses.com. I am an RPN student and about to start my first clinical placement. I have an issue with commuting to the location that I've been assigned to and I am dumbfounded as to how to handle it... or if I even have a choice anymore. I feel like my only option is to face the music of a dangerously sleep-deprived semester.
I liveand attend a practical nursing program in *******. Being punctual for my classes has never been an issue; however I knew that to be punctual for placement I would need somewhere more to the west. Several months before my clinical placement, I politely put in a request to my clinical coordinator to consider placing me somewhere in the west or at least central downtown; I followed up on this request in an equally polite manner one month ago to confirm. So late this evening I finally got an email from my assigned clinical instructor telling me that I will be working alongside her in a hospital in Scarborough and have a 07:00am start time... meaning I need to be there by 6:30am to prepare for my shift.
Nursing is also not about burning yourself out. You have to be realistic. To me, a 3.5 hour commute one way would not work. That time could be smartly reinvested into studying or preparing for clinicals. Personally I'd politely bring up these issues with the coordinator. Maybe she forgot and got distracted scheduling everyone else. Regardless if you don't speak up for yourself and try to take care of yourself, no one else will do it for you. They will just assume that things are fine and keep on using and abusing. I'm amazed by how many nurses have such a low sense of self-preservation. I'm not saying it's going to be easy, I'm just suggesting be practical and level-headed.
Welcome to the profession :)
You will ! When you've worked for decades with employers mandating lack of self care, or being written up for calling in- you either pay the rent, or take care of yourself. :) It's not right, but it's nothing new. And nobody wants an employee who says they have any sort of "need" that interferes with getting the bodies in the door...
You will ! When you've worked for decades with employers mandating lack of self care, or being written up for calling in- you either pay the rent, or take care of yourself. :) It's not right, but it's nothing new. And nobody wants an employee who says they have any sort of "need" that interferes with getting the bodies in the door...
Not to rock the boat or anything, but that is exactly why I can't see myself being in nursing for the rest of my life.
I'll ask and if I can’t be accommodated then I will just “buck up” and do my job. I really don’t want to generate any negativity and would prefer to maintain congenial working relationships.
I feel genuinely guilty for having to ask because I know how busy my coordinator is. I really wish I could make this situation work somehow.
Oh boy... I feel like I haven't even scratched the surface of nursing. I really love taking care of people. I just hope I can survive and find a happy medium without being completely devoured. I would love to have career longevity.
Thank you so much everyone for all of your advice and thoughts! I appreciate it more than you know :)
I've never seen an instructor allow anyone to change clinical sites unless another student was willing to switch. The hospitals only allow a certain number of students per floor so once the number is set you can't add another student unless one student switches out.
Also, they always want you there early enough for preconference (if your clinical instructor requires it) and so you can be ready to be up on the floor by the time the change of shift report is given from the night staff, which is usually at 0700 - 0730. Coming in late will never fly!
I see what you're saying. Well, I'll happily work at the placement I've been given if I have to... I'll do anything to accomplish my goal. Thanks for your insight.
I see what you're saying. Well, I'll happily work at the placement I've been given if I have to... I'll do anything to accomplish my goal. Thanks for your insight.
This sounds like the best approach to your situation. As someone who is on the other side (I was a clinical coordinator, trust me, it was not a fun job) and a clinical instructor, I can tell you what it's like on the other side:
As coordinator, I'd get a barage of e-mails from students, pleading their cases as to why they should be in the closest clinical site (job, kids, no car, no friends to commute with, childcare, elder care, and many other situations). Honestly, who am I to choose whose situation is more important than another ones?
I think my favorites were the evening students who did not want to take public transportation home from a specific hospital at 11pm. These are students who chose the evening program, and chose it without having a car! Some of these students live very far from the campus, and were coming from work (which may have been in a different direction). And the same students would complain that the commute would be way too long at that hour, when they needed to be up at 6am to go to work (the opposite of your situation). How am I supposed to respond to such a student? And what do I do if 10 of these students are in this predicament?
I really don't mean to sound heartless (as another poster generalized nursing instructors to be ), but no one has ever given me a free pass. I have a child who needs to get to school in the morning. On my clinical days, we have a major scheduling conflict. There is no bus early or close enough for her to take, and "early drop-off" at her school is not early enough for me to get myself over to the hospital, find parking, and chose patients for my students. (and my home, her school and the hospital are all within a 6 mile radius). Do I go to my boss and tell her my situation? NOOOOOO!!! because what would she tell me? She'll tell me that I chose this job, and that if I want to contunue in this field, I need to find a way to make this work. And she's absolutely right!
And suggesting that my clinical time be moved back is a bit presumptuous, even for me, the instructor. Students were told that the clinical was to meet at a specific hour, and have their lives planned around that. Last year, when my husband and I had a schedule conflict, I asked the students to make up time, a little bit (half hour to hour) each day. I had a student who had a class back on campus an hour after our original end time. Although he never expressed it, his attitude could have been "It's not my fault the instructor can't get to clinical on time, I have a class". Therefore I had to let him leave.
My point is, nursing school is all about sacrifices. Whether it be financial, sleep, social life or spending time with your family; you will get all of it back when you are finished.
In my school you get what you get and there are zero trades or special requests considered. Period. I just food out that I am switched to sat/sunday clinicals and I have 3 kids. I ave to be there 0630 -1430 both days. I had to smile and say ok. There are about 600 other candidates that want my spot. They don't care if I have to drive or if I ave to hire more help. Can you spend the night with a friend or rent a room closer to where you will be? U can do anything for 10 or so weeks.
I feel your pain, I commute to my school which is already an hour away. My clinical is currently 30 min further than my school with a start time of 6:30 so I have to leave my house around 4:30 to make sure I get there on time (you never know b/c of accidents & unexpected traffic jams) and I have to change into scrubs the hospital provides.
Once our clinical assignments are made we cannot change them even if someone will switch so I'm stuck.
I know that nursing school (and education in general) is all about sacrifices. I earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry before I entered this nursing program so I do have experience with post-secondary institutions... but I have never encountered so many administrative issues and abusive behavior as I have in nursing school. It seems excessive and unique to nursing programs! Why is that?
For example, the RN in charge of our clinical screening lost half of my health record documents that I submitted to her several months ago and instructed me to get certain tests done which I later learned from my dean were never required in the first place. My point is this... I am ultimately accountable for everything! even the errors of my faculty. It's my responsibility to replace the documents the clinical screening RN lost and let go of my anger over all the wasted time and money spent on unnecessary tests; and it's my responsibility to make it my clinical placement on time. By asking for a placement change I am trying to ensure that I make it to my clinical site on time so I do not let my patient's down or let anyone else down that is relying on me that day.
I cannot afford to rent an apartment because all of my money has been spent on tuition, books, uniforms, etc... I've already looked into carpooling and unfortunately it just couldn't work. I would be willing to sleep on someone's floor just to make it to the hospital on time, but again unfortunately it just couldn't be worked out. For this nursing program, I have already scarified financially; I continue to sacrifice sleep, social life and rarely spend time with my family. My husband and I have even delayed having children so that I can focus on my educational priorities. That was my choice to put nursing school first and I am happy to do so, but I still can't fathom why most students are never accommodated in my program. I do understand what it is all about. I would never, as another member insinuated, be so presumptuous as to expect the shift time to be adjusted for myself alone. I just happen to know that a lot of students in my clinical group are struggling with the start time already. They took students who live nowhere near our hospital site and placed us together. I've learnt that students have been placed randomly, so whether or not you live in an entirely different city is none of the school's concern.
I have no problem taking public transportation to and from my clinical site, but to suggest that I should just accept waking up at 2:30am and going to bed at 12am is kind of irrational. The reason I even asked to be accommodated is because I may not be able to reach the hospital in time because public transportation in my area doesn't run 24hours a day.
I have sacrificed everything for this program and while I don't expect my faculty to move heaven and earth for me... I wouldn't mind being accommodated a little considering a) I asked well in advance, c) I am a good student who, up until now, never asked for any favors and c) I am paying several thousand dollars in tuition alone.
As a student we pay a lot of money for this education, so some accommodation would be nice. Sometimes I feel like (some) members of the faculty feel as if they are doing students a favor by just showing up. Whatever happened to leading by example? How does this reflect everything we're being taught about building inter-professional and therapeutic relationships. It feels more dog eat dog to me.
Ultimately, I will accept whatever placement I am given because I am powerless and want to succeed in this program. I will do it with a smile on my face because I am professional, but I don't think it's a positive learning experience for anyone.
Sadly, you probably are just going to have to deal with it. They try to be as accomidating as possible, but it doesn't always happen. You might also have a lot of people in your area trying for same location...so it's possible that next clinical. You sill get first choice. I've seen people have to travel over 2hrs for a 6:30 start time!
Advice: don't complain to any of your instructors... They tell you before you even start the program you need to be ultra flexible, so you basically agreed to this :)
I know this may sound crazy as all hell .. But what about renting a motel room that is closer to the site, the night before? $30 to $40 ? Could you spare any extra money a week for that?
And there's no way they'd let you start later... I know my hospital site did their rounds a 7 and most do around same time. I'm so sorry this really sucks :/
), but no one has ever given me a free pass. I have a child who needs to get to school in the morning. On my clinical days, we have a major scheduling conflict. There is no bus early or close enough for her to take, and "early drop-off" at her school is not early enough for me to get myself over to the hospital, find parking, and chose patients for my students. (and my home, her school and the hospital are all within a 6 mile radius). Do I go to my boss and tell her my situation? NOOOOOO!!! because what would she tell me? She'll tell me that I chose this job, and that if I want to contunue in this field, I need to find a way to make this work. And she's absolutely right!
xtxrn, ASN, RN
4,267 Posts
You will ! When you've worked for decades with employers mandating lack of self care, or being written up for calling in- you either pay the rent, or take care of yourself. :) It's not right, but it's nothing new. And nobody wants an employee who says they have any sort of "need" that interferes with getting the bodies in the door...