Hello everyone so after covid hit, everything transitioned online, including clinicals. I am going to graduate this December but I have a huge problem.
I HAVE NO HOSPITAL EXPERIENCE!!
The only clinical I went to was at nursing home where we didn't do much besides feeding the residents and taking vital signs. We did not get to pass any medication, look at documentation, etc. I have never done or observed any basic nursing skills such as administering IV, documenting, passing a med, IV push, foley, assessments, etc.
I feel like I know nothing and will be fired from my first job because I am completely clueless. What do I do ?
I am so surprised by your comment. I feel as though I presented a cogent argument of why clinical time is limited by a variety of factors: Magnet status, hospital census, number of schools requesting clinical sites. I presented the FACTS of clinical placement. Where did I show contempt?
I am so surprised by your comment. I feel as though I presented a cogent argument of why clinical time is limited by a variety of factors: Magnet status, hospital census, number of schools requesting clinical sites. I presented the FACTS of clinical placement. Where did I show contempt?
You did not show contempt. I chose not to explain why clinical time is limited to the group because I figured it would be a waste of time. I do not disagree with many statements, but I do find offensive blanketed statements about nurse faculty. It would be like me saying the older nurses are slow.
As mentioned before, this is not the norm and you can fault the for-profit nursing schools for this.
Please enlighten me what you are seeing of the norm. Community colleges always run 10:1 ratio, unless there is a loss of student retention. When I started it was 12: 1 in 1978. Would you give me your info why you said it was not the norm? I have NEVER had a ratio go below 10: 1. And I would know. Nursing schools are the most expensive to run and they do not have the luxury of lowering the ratio. I fault for-profit nursing schools for a lot of things but my state's nursing policy for educational programs is not influenced by the for-profit sector, as this has been my experience for a good many years.
Look, I respect your opinions on other matters. But I have said, time and again, anyone who attended a school feels they are competent to direct the future program. I listen to their opinions but usuallt their utopia
All the ratios are in the state's 'nurse practice act' and are very similar except for Florida -- Here is Florida:
Quote
The number of program faculty members equals at least one faculty member directly supervising every 12 students unless the written agreement between the program and the agency, facility, or organization providing clinical training sites allows more students, not to exceed 18 students, to be directly supervised by one program faculty member.
Is it any wonder the NCLEX passrates in Florida are the lowest of all the other 49 states?
We all want to create a Utopia for nursing education.
I am so surprised by your comment. I feel as though I presented a cogent argument of why clinical time is limited by a variety of factors: Magnet status, hospital census, number of schools requesting clinical sites. I presented the FACTS of clinical placement. Where did I show contempt?
I quoted the specific verbage that I found derisive. I am completely aware of the challenges of finding clinical placement for students but that does not mean that the responsibility of clinical education should be abdicated to the floor staff. You repeatedly keep describing the ideal situation that you practice in. Many, if not most of us are experiencing something entirely different. Primarily, absent instructors who are available only by cell phone after depositing their students on a unit. If you don't want to believe this is happening I can't make you and I'm not even going to try.
As mentioned before, this is not the norm and you can fault the for-profit nursing schools for this.
47 minutes ago, Wuzzie said:
. You repeatedly keep describing the ideal situation
I am an idealist but I also put a great deal of effort in making my clinicals flow. I enter the unit 1 1/2 hour ahead of time. I do this to connect with the staff .. many of whom I taught. I have worked very hard throughout my career to provide good learning experiences. I do have to work with quite a few 'repeat offenders' that can ruin any educational plan. Usually their attitude is these students are quite a disappointment to them, since when they were a student they : 1) had more dexterity with skills, 2) were much better with time management, 3) knew so much more when the they were students. Those are the ones I am desperate to avoid.
I guess I should add that I retired early after breaking my hip because I just couldn't move as quickly as before.
I don't know what you want me to say maybe "mea culpa." Some of my best clinical days were where staff were totally involved creating a good learning environment
I am an idealist but I also put a great deal of effort in making my clinicals flow. I enter the unit 1 1/2 hour ahead of time. I do this to connect with the staff .. many of whom I taught. I have worked very hard throughout my career to provide good learning experiences. I do have to work with quite a few 'repeat offenders' that can ruin any educational plan. Usually their attitude is these students are quite a disappointment to them, since when they were a student they : 1) had more dexterity with skills, 2) were much better with time management, 3) knew so much more when the they were students. Those are the ones I am desperate to avoid.
I don't know what you want me to say maybe "mea culpa." Some of my best clinical days were where staff were totally involved creating a good learning environment
No I don't want a "mea culpa" from you just perhaps an acknowledgment that just because you ran your clinicals as you describe does not negate what I and others have experienced. It's a problem and it's about to get much worse.
And I have to ask. You seem to be implying that I may be one of those "repeat offenders"? I'll have to check with the 30 students I had in preceptorships and see what they say about their experience.
You seem to be implying that I may be one of those "repeat offenders"
You are taking this too personally. I was not saying the spotlight was on you, infact that was never directed to you. Yes I am worn down by what I encountered on my clinical days...If I had new students, several staff members would say "Are you sure you want to do this'? totally demoralizing. It truly is a tough world out there but I never intended you to think my generalized comment were specific to you.
25 minutes ago, londonflo said:
There is so much conflict in current nursing education.
I am an idealist but I also put a great deal of effort in making my clinicals flow. I enter the unit 1 1/2 hour ahead of time. I do this to connect with the staff .. many of whom I taught
You may have done that, but I, and many on here, can assure you that many more don't. They bring the students and do a dump and run. When I was still an ICU manager, 1 in particular just sent students and never asked; there was no agreements for that particular ICU (SICU). The hospital cut ties with the school after that. Sad, because the med surg units and ICUs with agreements loved the students and they had done well
Specializes in Pediatrics, Pediatric Float, PICU, NICU.
30 minutes ago, londonflo said:
I am an idealist but I also put a great deal of effort in making my clinicals flow. I enter the unit 1 1/2 hour ahead of time. I do this to connect with the staff .. many of whom I taught. I have worked very hard throughout my career to provide good learning experiences.
This sounds wonderful, sounds like nursing needs more instructors like you. Unfortunately this has not been my experience that I see in the hospitals now.
When I was still an ICU manager, 1 in particular just sent students and never asked there was no agreements for that particular ICU (SICU).
Now that is particularly disruptive to all. Do you have some one in nursing service who confirms student placement including observation experiences. I don't know how large your hospital is. In my area we all got a copy of the units assigned and what outpatient, day hospital, OR, PACU were also 'set in stone' and off limits to other students except: I have had students scheduled for the OR and they were sent back to me because it was an interesting case and med students wanted to see. There is such a rigid heirarchy in health care education.
Now that is particularly disruptive to all. Do you have some one in nursing service who confirms student placement including observation experiences. I don't know how large your hospital is. In my area we all got a copy of the units assigned and what outpatient, day hospital, OR, PACU were also 'set in stone' and off limits to other students except: I have had students scheduled for the OR and they were sent back to me because it was an interesting case and med students wanted to see. There is such a rigid heirarchy in health care education.
I'm no longer in a hospital, haven't been for years. But yes, there was a coordinator. This particular clinical instructor knew where placements were, but thought she could do whatever she pleased. There was another instructor at the same time with that school who did as well. It ruined the relationship between the school and that hospital for a few years. Yes, placements are set in stone, it's why these 2 instructors were let go, and from what I understand, although the school does clinicals there again, the coordinator (on hospital's end) keeps a very tight leash, on all programs.
I want to add, I felt so bad for the students when they were dropped there, they were excited and just wanted to learn. But because of liability and placement agreements, I wasn't allowed to let them stay. I know that they were crushed and embarrassed. But I did end up hiring one such student, as she told me about it in her interview. She ended up being an excellent addition to our dept. And was still there when I left
londonflo
3,002 Posts
I am so surprised by your comment. I feel as though I presented a cogent argument of why clinical time is limited by a variety of factors: Magnet status, hospital census, number of schools requesting clinical sites. I presented the FACTS of clinical placement. Where did I show contempt?