Passing meds after day 4?

[meghan91]

hey guys, i was talking to some of my classmates who are going to different schools than me and a few people going to a community college near me said that after 4 days of clincals which clinicals start apparently the 1st day of classes they are allowed to pass meds. maybe its just me but that seems a little soon. i just wanted to see if i got the info right just outa curiosity. thanks everyone!

[tothepointeLVN, LVN]

At my school the first term we were not allowed to pass meds.

[ParvulusPuella]

I went to a CC, we started med pass the 2nd week of clinicals (second week of classes), but ONLY po meds. And of course, had know the meds we were giving down inside and out, our instructer asked us all sorts of questions on them before we could even pull them with her.

[LoveMyBugs, BSN, CNA, RN]

We could pass meds only if we passed the test in the skills lab first, and at least at my nursing school there would be a ton of errors for our pretend patients.

So pass the skills test, then you had to be able to stat what the meds were for and what they did and interactions/side effects to the clinical instructor before we were allowed to pass any meds and then the instructor was there the whole time and you could only pass meds with the instructor present, of course that was first term by the time I made it to preceptorship a whole new game

[ParvulusPuella]

Good point on passing a test: We had to pass our first math test before we were allowed to pass meds. 1st semester there were 3 tests total, then it dropped to one a semester after. If you failed, you were given a second, and if needed, a third chance to pass with a 90 or higher. If you still didn't pass, you were failed from the program, because it counted as a clinical competency.

[BigButtNurse]

On day 1 of clinical, we shadowed a nurse. On day 2, we passed meds. Of course, we had to know the drugs, why they were being given & any interactions to expect. During the begining of the semester, there was a math test and if it wasn't passed, you had one more chance to take it during the end of the semester. No matter if you failed or not, you could still pass meds:nurse:

[himilayaneyes]

In my program, we passed meds during our first semster of clinicals. However, we had to pass a medication calculation exam. Plus, we had to actually look up every single drug we were passing.

[jadedjane, ASN, RN]

We were able to do med passes in first semester on the second day of clinicals. Like the others, we had to know the meds up and down including clinical indications, and associated labs. Early in the semester, we'd pull and pass with our instructor. Later on in the same semester, we could do it with our RN. We were also allowed to draw up and administer injections - mostly heparin, insulin, and vaccinations. Of course, we are students, so two RNs had to sign off on the insulin.

I know this seems like a lot in first semester, but we'd gone through three weeks of clinical "boot camp" before we ever set foot in a hospital. We also have med calculation exams (every semester) that require an 85% to pass. By second semester, we were starting IV's and hanging IV meds with our instructors or RNs. Again there was a lot of skills labs, practice, and research involved before we did anything - and even more research for IV meds (preparation, y-tube compatibility, push rates, drip rates, usual doses per indication, side effects, and associated labs)

[That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

Passed meds at the first clinical that was 2 weeks into the program. Gotta do it at some point.

[turnforthenurse, MSN, NP]

Depends on the school...and the instructor. We passed meds starting the 2nd week of my very first clinical rotation, but only PO meds. We actually didn't start doing IV stuff until our third (junior) year

[KimberlyRN89, BSN, RN]

We didn't start passing meds until halfway through the semester. In order to get into the program we had to pass a Dosage Calculations class, and we had to pass a dosage exam in skills to be able to pass meds in clinical. I'm glad we didn't start passing meds immediately..by the time we started, we were also halfway through our pharmacology class, so we were familiar with a lot of the medications we were giving.

[Bhebe55]

We started passing meds on our very first day of clinicals. We had to be checked off on all forms of delivery in a skills lab and pass a med math test before we went to clinicals. Our first week I gave PO, IM, IV, NG, Sub Q, and some peg tube medications. I also started an IV and did a lab draw. We of course had to know each and every drug we were giving up and down. My teacher is really awesome though. Some of the other classes did not do near as much. Our teachers philisophy is," Your going to be nurses so you will do what nurses do." Made for a lot of great experience. We are out for the summer, but I cant wait for school to start up again in August.