No, no, no, I am getting a bad cold!!!

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We have been taking our lab class and theory class the past 6 weeks, but have a 2 week clinical class that starts on Monday. We are not supposed to go in if we are sick, but then we aren't allowed to have any absences or we have to make them up. They let us know up front that it would be very difficult to make up a missed clinical, but that they could possibly come up with one day to make up. Any more than that and we have to wait till the next semester to retake the class. I know I can't be the only one that has faced this dilemna. I will most probably go in sick anyway, but find this really frustrating. I don't want anyone to get sick from me, but I know odds are everyone will get sick at least once during the 2 year program if not many more times than that. How do you all handle illness? What's your school's policy? Any miracle cures for a cold?

Teresa

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Our policy is that if we miss more than 3 clinical days we are removed from the program. We have 2 clinical days per week. I am battling this right now. Yesterday was my first clinical and today I have a fever and feel like utter crapola! I am going to school tomorrow regardless. I think I am sick b/c the girl who worked on my patient the day before I did was sick but went in anyway. Everyone kept commenting on my patient feeling hot and not looking real good(temp only 96.2). I think she may have gotten it and then I got it from her. :(

As soon as I feel a cold coming on I start sucking down orange juice. It always seems to help me. What I have isn't a cold though. I have a fever of 99.2 which isn't very high but jeez Louise I feel like I have been hit by a Mack truck! Good Luck! I hope you feel better soon!

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Go get some zinc lozenges to suck on. The zinc somehow blocks the replication of the cold virus in the throat which might help to limit the infection. I find it works really well...I start sucking on them as soon as I feel a cold coming on and never really get the full-blown nasties.

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Load up on the vitamin C, echinicea (supplements, teas). REST! Hope you're feeling better!

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we (other nursing students and myself) always defined sick as vomiting and/or diarrhea profusely otherwise we went to clinical. our school had a very strict policy about absences and the make up assignments were horrible case studies that you wound up writing a 30 page paper about.

doesn't seem right that we were encouraged to be around populations that were immunocompromised. however, one seems to do whatever one needs to do in order to survive nursing school.

hope you get to feeling better. and remember, washyahands! :chuckle

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Lots of Vitamin C helps, our instructors allow 1 missed clinical. They encourage us to show up even when sick and to wear a mask during close patient contact, especially the really compromised ones. It has worked for me, and I will graduaute in March. We cannot make up clinicals. Good Luck..

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I had a cold...lots of congestion and sneezing , but I "FELT fine." I went to clinical and talked to my instructor right away. I felt that I could continue for the day, but I did ask that my patient assignment be changed because I was on the onc. unit and my patient was in really rough shape. I got a different patient and wore a mask during patient contact....and of course washed my hands about a million times in that shift!!

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Anyone ever thought how much you can learn when you're sick? All you do is wish you'd be tucked in in bed...

See I'm not in the US and our schools NEVER encourage you to come in when you're sick. And that policy just seems silly to me. It's not like it's your fault that you've got a cold.

Our schools do make you take the clinicals again next year if you miss a lot, meaning like 2 weeks...

Just two cents from a girl who cannot ABSORB any information when I'm sick...

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Specializes in LTC, ER, ICU,.

ah, a nasty cold! i pray you feel better soon.

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Specializes in Case Management, Home Health, UM.

After my last cold in November 2001, I started taking multivitamins. I don't know whether this is just a coincidence or not, but I haven't had a cold since!:)

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Specializes in Adult Med-Surg, Rehab, and Ambulatory Care.

I had to do a clinical day in a daycare...been sick ever since. :(

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Specializes in critical care; community health; psych.

I can't absorb anything with any type of febrile illness. Is nursing school just a little bit like the Marines?

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