Need some opinions

[WanaBaNurse]

O.k., I need to vent alittle here...

We had our IV check offs today. As far as I know 6 out of the 9 people in my clinical group have failed it so far (not sure of the other 3 since I left before they went). Anyway, the evaluation went like this.... you get your MAR and check it against the physicians orders... then you look up you med for safe dosage, action, contingencies, calculation (dilution and safe admin. rate), and equipment needed. Then you have to draw up your medications and flushes....

Ok, after doing all that you simulate going into the patients room... checking the arm band... allergies.... performing any contingencies...washing hands... putting on gloves... then administering the medication and flushes. The total time to do the procedure is 20min.

So far all the people in my group have failed due to time (going over). The reason is because some of the meds giving have to be pushed no less then 5min. then followed by a 5min flush. That in itself takes 10min. The initial flush of 3-5mL must be pushed 0.4mL per 15 sec. soooooo that takes a few minutes... this leaves you with less than 8min to do all the other actions prior to admin. Via the reason we have all ran out of time...

After talking with the other clinical groups we found out that the other instructors are only requiring their students to do all the above except they don't have to actually admin their med for the full time. The instuctors just want to see that they push the med say for example 1mL every min. and then they tell them that's good and to go ahead with the next step... So that saves them a ton of extra time to get the produre finished.

Anyhow, we all really think it's unfair that we are not giving the same advantage as the other students. We have 2 more trys to get it right before were're booted from the program. The good thing is that we have to do the skill with another instructor next time. That will make it alittle easier, but our grade still drops to a B since we have to go on to round 2.

My question is, would you let this slide or would you talk to a higher power about the unfairness of the situation?

[ad_lpn09, LPN]

...my class will be doing the same thing in about a week...and now I'm scared we'll have a time limit too!! That's a lot of pressure. If it were me, I think I would speak on it- but knowing my school, they'd say 'oh well, get over it!'

[SixFive]

sounds ridiculous to push your flush that slow, but other than that, I have no suggestion. If every nurse on the floor took 20 minutes with every IV push, not much work would get done!

[NoviceRN10]

sounds ridiculous to push your flush that slow, but other than that, I have no suggestion. If every nurse on the floor took 20 minutes with every IV push, not much work would get done!

I agree with this point. I have watched nurses give IV pushes and they do not take a full 5 minutes, more like 3. But as a nursing student we aren't allowed to do that. I can't imagine IV checkoffs being time .