Patient Abandonment by Student

[masstudent]

I needed to post to get some feedback from other nurses/students. I had clinical yesterday and was really happy with it until an hour after I left I learned some papers couldn't be found. These papers are supposed to be transferred from nurse to nurse and one is an official document. I also failured to give report to the staff nurse that I was leaving so I am being told I abandoned my patient. I won't find out my punishment until next week, but it may be a written warning which I guess we can get two (I haven't had any). I am super stressed because I try to be very conscientious. I think what happened is I got distracted when I went to give the nurse report, my instructor made me come back and do post conference. By the time post conference was done 45 minutes after my clinical was supposed to be done I had to run to my own doctor's appt that 45 minutes away. I got the call when I arrived at my doctor's appt and while I was tempted to turn around and go back I ws very upset that I couldn't drive and I had waited two months to be seen by this doctor due to my schedule

I was positive I had left the papers at the hospital and they found them next to the unit's xerox machine where I had quickly gone to xerox something for my instructor so no one should hav eseen them who didn't have clearance. As soon as I was back in town I went over the hospital and only then did I learn they had found the papers. My instructor says she was going to call me after her shift. I just started crying right then my third time since getting the call. She told me we will deal with this at the next clincial but that is a week away and I don't want this hanging over my head. I have this fear that I might fail the course or be kicked out of school although I have been told that is unlikely at this point.

Some suggestions I have for and myself since she wishes we were done by 12:30, one would be a way how to review everyone's charts in a faster manner. This was my first week filling out the paperwork since I did it with a team member last week. Also, the two papers that just float around should be placed in a binder or somewhere safe so the papers can't be set down easily, ie all the patient's have binders at the desk and a chart outside their room. Perhaps the forms could always be returned to one of these two places to be specified so the nurses know where to look for them then to know they are someone on the big table.

I don't know if making a list of everything I need to do before I leave clinical will work for me that I put check marks next to would help or what. I have a feeling for me it might not since I don' do well with lists.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

[barbaratruth, RN]

I'm in my third semester of nursing school and I'm refining my daily routine to keep me as organized as possible. It is a process.

I make a to-do list the night before clinicals and check it before I leave clinicals (RN AM report, check patient, check chart, VS, pre-conference, AM care, meds, patient care, RN PM report, post-conference). It seems to me that the moment I set foot on the clinical floor, there are constant interruptions and chaos. I have to make myself a plan for the day.

I would be honest with the school administration about what happened and ask for their suggestions and feedback.

Take care.

[onyx77]

I'm sorry to hear about your experience. We all have one that changes they way we do things. Consider it a great learning experience and be honest about what happened. You have already thought of ways to change things so it doesn't happen in the future. That in itself shows that you have learned from your experience. Making a list of what needs to be done during clinicals will help keep you on tract with all the interruptions that occur doing clinicals. Even if you don't do well with lists, you may find that if you have a list somewhere on your clipboard that you can referr to before you leave clinicals, that you're not forgetting things. I hope your meeting with your instructor goes well. Try your best not to beat yourself up over this.