need some advice before I go talk to my teacher?!

Trauma Columnist · Oct 2, 2006

This will definitely be up to your clinical instructor and the hospital policy. Good luck and hope you feel much better soon.

puggymae · Oct 2, 2006

At the school where I teach you cannot come to clinical if you have any restrictions - having to wear a mask would fall under a restriction. Talk to your instructor - with the time frame the program may be willing to work with you. Good luck.

jojotoo, RN · Oct 2, 2006

I think I would get some more clarification from my MD. I f Mono is only transmitted via droplets and you aren't planning on kissing or spitting on anyone, I don't think this should be a patient safety issue. And how long do you actually shed virus with Mono? (Another question for your MD.)

Find out what were his EXACT concerns about you being on the floor.

HIV nurses practice on the floor, as do a myriad of nurses with other infectious diseases.

Bottom line, I would bet that your nursing instructor is going to tell you that you cannot be on the floor for liability reasons. That's why this decision should be made between you and your PMD, not you and your instructor.

twinmommy+2, ADN, BSN, MSN · Oct 2, 2006

But if its droplets that we are worried about, don't we put pt's on droplet precaution where we can't come in 3 feet without face mask and other PPE?

I wish you luck and hope you feel better soon.

meownsmile, BSN, RN · Oct 2, 2006

I agree some questions need to be answered by your doctor first. It would be very difficult to work clinicals with a mask and gloves. It's not just your patients you dont want to expose. Concern by not just your patients that day, but other staff, visitors, other doctors etc. Droplet are passed through talking and other means of transport (throat clearing, coughing, sneezing, and sometimes the simple salvatory squirt) you know we all do things like this on a regular basis.

I hope your instructor can be creative in how this is handled. It would be very dissapointing for you to have to go through the semester again. But even so,, i would hope you would if it had to come to that. Good luck and feel better soon.

Antikigirl, ASN, RN · Oct 2, 2006

Yep...get to discuss a plan with your instructor and I would put it just as you did here! Impress upon her that you wish to have the clincial, but it is a matter of how to do it in a safe mannor.

We have people that will wear masks at work if they are not feeling well...so our hospital policy is okay with that on some matters. So it may also have to do with the hospitals look on it too, and not just the schools policy.

I think if you go in with a proactive stance, things may be better than if you just called in sick and said "so now what"...definately discussing this in a proactive stance with safety being a concern is exactly what a nurse would do :)...and realizing that it is a hospital and school call on what should be done and trying to work within that :)

Good luck!

ortess1971 · Oct 2, 2006

If the doctor thinks you won't be contagious, why say anything? Granted, you might be putting yourself at some risk(ie splenic rupture if you over do it lifting someone) but sometimes schools are not reasonable about these things. It was ok for one of my teachers to miss class because of Lyme disease but if a student missed more than 3 clinicals-look out. I say, as long as you aren't contagious. keep it to yourself. I worked fulltime when I had mono and was in school at the time-felt like crap, but it was doable.

MyEBee · Oct 2, 2006

Thanks guys!! A lot of y'all said stuff that calmed my nerves!!

I talked to my teacher and she said it was ok as long as I get a note from the dr. that said that I am not contagious.

It's kinda crazy how strict they are in school because she was like if you miss again there is no excuse you can't make it up and you have to w/draw from the course. I'm like ***??!! she goes it wouldn't be because of academics but because of health reasons so keep the paperwork im like okk y'all can't like have SOMETHING that would help people out, it's not our freakin faults we get sick! It made me wonder for a profession that's all about caring they surley don't care if you get sick, but they def. care if you get sick and miss a clinical. I get the point that you have to have so many hours and you have to get good experience but they need to make more arrangements incase stuff like that happens.

I wound up crying when talking to her and she was completely nice about it but acted like of course other students have cried and ok it was expected for me to do that. i'm like uhm ok!!! she was really sweet about it all but it just got me wondering ya know!!

thanks y'all again!!! :)

MyEBee · Oct 2, 2006

Thanks guys!! A lot of y'all said stuff that calmed my nerves!!

I talked to my teacher and she said it was ok as long as I get a note from the dr. that said that I am not contagious.

It's kinda crazy how strict they are in school because she was like if you miss again there is no excuse you can't make it up and you have to w/draw from the course. I'm like ***??!! she goes it wouldn't be because of academics but because of health reasons so keep the paperwork im like okk y'all can't like have SOMETHING that would help people out, it's not our freakin faults we get sick! It made me wonder for a profession that's all about caring they surley don't care if you get sick, but they def. care if you get sick and miss a clinical. I get the point that you have to have so many hours and you have to get good experience but they need to make more arrangements incase stuff like that happens.

I wound up crying when talking to her and she was completely nice about it but acted like of course other students have cried and ok it was expected for me to do that. i'm like uhm ok!!! she was really sweet about it all but it just got me wondering ya know!!

thanks y'all again!!! :) i

meownsmile, BSN, RN · Oct 2, 2006

The reason they are so strict about clinical attendance is that the program itself REQUIRES a certain number of contact clinical hours to graduate and be able to take NCLEX. Its not that the instructors or school are just being picky or rigid. There is a real concern because they usually are just cutting the contact hours of clinical at the limit, so if you miss you fall short and they CANT let you graduate. Dont blame the school, blame the requirements to qualify to take boards in your state.

hogan4736, BSN, RN · Oct 2, 2006

The reason they are so strict about clinical attendance is that the program itself REQUIRES a certain number of contact clinical hours to graduate and be able to take NCLEX. Its not that the instructors or school are just being picky or rigid. There is a real concern because they usually are just cutting the contact hours of clinical at the limit, so if you miss you fall short and they CANT let you graduate. Dont blame the school, blame the requirements to qualify to take boards in your state.

You are correct...

However, the instructor could make an exception...

I am a clinical instructor, and had a student w/ mono last year...She made up her clinicals (2 of them) on saturdays, well before the end of semester...

A Hitler-esque clinical "regime" does not a good nurse make...

She should have some sympathy...

I've allowed students to reschedule clinicals for various reasons...As long as they were honest, gave me enough heads up (NOT the night before for a family wedding), and gave me days that she could make up...

Things come up in life, period!