NP clinical experience disrupted by COVID-19?

jenna88x · Mar 14, 2020

Yes, I am running into many problems with my clinicals. I am supposed to graduate in May and am currently at 430 hours. I have already lost two out of my three sites for the semester. So far the school has not made any changes to the amount of hours needed to graduate. I know many of the students in my class have also lost most of their sites as well. Very unsettling, we are nervous about if we will be allowed to graduate or sit for boards since we will not have the 500 hours.

I am going to school in the Boston are, not sure how this is playing out in other states.

barcode120x, RN, NP · Mar 15, 2020

Will be happening all across the country. Many clinics here including mine in SoCal are suspending students/clinicals for NP. I would imagine this is happening across all healthcare fields. My director said that our program is trying to get in contact with the BRN as they are the ones that regular clinical hours to see if there can be some sort of clinical hour reduction for upcoming graduates. He said as of right now, everything will just need to play out by ear as this uncharted territory that the world is going through. I'm pretty positive graduating classes this year for healthcare professions will be on hold.

NICUmiiki, DNP, NP · Mar 15, 2020

22 hours ago, jenna88x said:
Yes, I am running into many problems with my clinicals. I am supposed to graduate in May and am currently at 430 hours. I have already lost two out of my three sites for the semester. So far the school has not made any changes to the amount of hours needed to graduate. I know many of the students in my class have also lost most of their sites as well. Very unsettling, we are nervous about if we will be allowed to graduate or sit for boards since we will not have the 500 hours.

I am going to school in the Boston are, not sure how this is playing out in other states.

Have the accrediting boards announced any exceptions? If they let you graduate without the minimum number of hours, I'd think that you wouldn't be able to get certified and licensed in most states.

Margo37 · Mar 16, 2020

We’ve just been told that our program is cancelling clinicals for the Spring quarter. This is my last quarter before I graduate so I am freaking out! They said they’re working on a plan to get us our hours virtually but I’m very concerned with what this means for the clinical hour requirement for boards. From what I understand these need to be hands on hours, so I’m worried that virtual patients won’t count.

melbelleshell · Mar 19, 2020

Boston-based RN and NP student in final semester here. All clinicals have been cancelled for the rest of the semester at my school but we have been told we will graduate on time by seeing virtual patients. Per the director of my program who spoke with AANP/ANCC officials, they will not change the minimum requirement from 500 hr given what's going on- but virtual hours count and that's how we're all planning to finish the semester. Wondering if anyone has in mind any creative ways to go virtually complete clinical hours?

renzlao, MSN, APRN · Mar 20, 2020

I’m in LA. Clinicals cancelled. I’m in my last semester too but our program requires close to 800 hours before we can graduate so we are fine for the boards. I’m currently at 750 hours. I think we are also doing virtual for the remaining 50 hours or so.

Angie Wiele Mueller · Mar 22, 2020

South University FNP student here - supposed to graduate in May. I have 651 clinical hours, but my school is telling me I need to complete all of my hours to graduate ( I have 129 left). Basically they want me to take an incomplete and do the rest of my clinical hours with the next rotation, so I wouldn't graduate until July. Considering contacting a lawyer..... What is everyone else doing? I hear that quite a few schools are waiving the rest of the hours if you already have over 500.

barcode120x, RN, NP · Mar 24, 2020

On 3/22/2020 at 11:06 AM, Angie Wiele Mueller said:
South University FNP student here - supposed to graduate in May. I have 651 clinical hours, but my school is telling me I need to complete all of my hours to graduate ( I have 129 left). Basically they want me to take an incomplete and do the rest of my clinical hours with the next rotation, so I wouldn't graduate until July. Considering contacting a lawyer..... What is everyone else doing? I hear that quite a few schools are waiving the rest of the hours if you already have over 500.

I don't think hiring a lawyer would solve ANY problem at this time in the world...

Cassie23 · Mar 28, 2020

On 3/22/2020 at 2:06 PM, Angie Wiele Mueller said:
South University FNP student here - supposed to graduate in May. I have 651 clinical hours, but my school is telling me I need to complete all of my hours to graduate ( I have 129 left). Basically they want me to take an incomplete and do the rest of my clinical hours with the next rotation, so I wouldn't graduate until July. Considering contacting a lawyer..... What is everyone else doing? I hear that quite a few schools are waiving the rest of the hours if you already have over 500.

I am in the Bronx and I need about 120hours to finish the semester. They are considering online simulation and currently in contact with the BON to see if this is an option. Would be devastated if my program told me I needed to finish the hours the following semester as this is my graduation year- but this is a realistic possibility.

Margo37 · Mar 28, 2020

Originally my program was going to have us do online simulation as well, but the certifying groups (ANCC, PNCB, etc) have said this isn’t allowed for the 500 hours minimum needed to take boards. If you’re over that and just need some more for the school’s graduation requirements it seems like that is OK, but if you’re under 500 it won’t be. I graduate in the Spring too and am at 480 hours. Haven’t heard what our school’s updated plan is yet for us yet.

https://www.pncb.org/sites/default/files/resources/2020323_Final_Statement_NP_Students_and_Clinical_Hours.pdf

medic9872 · Mar 29, 2020

I chose to stop my clinicals for now due to the staff at my clinical site openly stating to patients and among themselves that this is all a hoax and will blow over quickly. No gloves, no masks in use. No triaging of patients to separate the well vs the sick visits. Did I mention this is a pulmonary office? This continued up until the last clinical I did on 3/11. I worked in the ER on 3/13 and 3/14 with several covid rule outs and lots of respiratory crap. I got sick on 3/15...not completely sure it was covid, but that's my assumption. Both me and my husband have been sick since 3/15. Severe fatigue, coughing until short of breath with chest/rib pain, slight congestion, body aches, low grade fever. I took him to urgent care on 3/16 (he has no pcp) and they dx bronchitis, gave him clarithromycin, prednisone, and tessalon perles. He developed a fever three days later (and yes, he was taking the abx as prescribed). Both of us basically spent a week in bed with this and we're still coughing, though not nearly as bad. No one will test us. I called my work - they say to call my pcp. I called my pcp - they said since I don't have enough symptoms, they won't test. It's insane. My state doesn't have any sort of widespread testing and I would be shocked if they do anytime in the future. I have another month of school, now completely online. I'm honestly considering a travel contract once school is out. Many in my class hadn't found a clinical placement prior to covid exploding and I don't see it feasible to get a new placement at this point. They were talking about pushing our clinical requirements out into the Summer or seeing if there were any other options that don't include direct patient care. I'm lucky in that this is my first clinical rotation and I'm not graduating this semester. I can put my schooling on hold for a semester or two if needed...and I think it'll be needed. My husband is out of work until who knows when. This is a giant mess.