Practicum/Capstone Clinical Question

Nursing Students General Students

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I was just curious if other students had been told their hospital facilities do not allow them to do any IV pushes, lab draws from central lines or any access to central lines, opioids, sedatives, warfarin/heparin, hypertonic solution, KCL or neuro blocks even with a preceptor present guiding them on their final clinical. It's a hospital wide policy for all nursing students. I understand why some of those drugs aren't given but Im not sure when I'm supposed to learn some of this stuff. Some floors might not be affected by this but I am going to be on an ICU unit and I'm concerned I will not possess the basic skills to work on this unit when I am done if I'm not allowed to do these things when I imagine it's quite common for ICU patients to be on these drugs or have central lines.

is this a normal thing?

Full disclosure: this practicum I have been selected for is a transition role where they offer you a job at the end and it's designed that you stay/sign a contract to work in that unit which is why I'm ultra confused at why they wouldn't want to train me if I'm staying on after

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There honestly isn't a lot of skill involved with the skills you described not being allowed to perform, so I don't think it will impair your ability to graduate/ perform as an RN and will easily be trained once you graduate.

I think the policy for students to not give those medications/ those skills are because those medications have severe consequences if administered incorrectly. You are after all a student and still learning. You learn so much in your final preceptorship and being in ICU will only increase that learnering curve, I wouldn't be concerned about not being able to do a few things. Know how and why they work, know when you would give them and potential side effects so you can discuss them with your preceptor. My other though is for medications like 3% NS, neuroblocks and such, those patients are likely to be too unstable for a student to take care of. EST of luck in your preceptorship

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