1st Clinical Warning

Scottishtape · Feb 20, 2017

If you get there again and are unable to access your patient information for any reason, call your clinical instructor right then and there to get further guidance.

Having the patient information the night before is how you are able to educate yourself on what's happening with your patient and prepare yourself to actually care for them. It's a very important part of the process.

Good luck.

rachaelofcourse · Feb 20, 2017

If you get there again and are unable to access your patient information for any reason, call your clinical instructor right then and there to get further guidance.
Having the patient information the night before is how you are able to educate yourself on what's happening with your patient and prepare yourself to actually care for them. It's a very important part of the process.
Good luck.

In my program, we don't get any information on our patient before clinicals. You don't in the real world either, so I don't think it's that important.

OP, email your instructor before the next clinical day and get your login information. 45 mins one way is a long drive to just have to go home empty handed.

jtboy29 · Feb 20, 2017

So today I got my first clinical warning and had to be sent home. I feel so dumb and I know it was my all my fault. What advice can y'all give on this?
Background:
I'm a sophomore nursing student. I'm generally a B/C student. And I had to take Pathophysiology and Microbiology twice and therefore fell I am "behind" a year. I now have a great support group though and before today felt I could really do a good job in this field.
The Warning:
So my program requires us to access our assigned pt through a special program that is only at our hospital the Sunday before each clinical. So I did drive out the 45+ minutes oneway this Sunday to get my information. I did meet my patient. But I couldn't access my account to view their records because I had the wrong information. So I went home assuming that if I could find the information to login and just show up 40 minutes early I would be fine. WRONG. So because I didn't have my prep, and didn't tell my instructor I'm no going to have to repeat todays clinical.
Result:
I feel like an idiot and am really hating myself for this. I know it's a big deal because of safety issues. And I guess I just wanted to know if there is any hope for me? I already used an extra year to retake classes. I can't afford to waste anymore time. All advice welcomed. I just want to be a good nurse and help people.

Learn from your mistake and next time let your clinical instructor by email, phone or text to let them know that you are unable to get patient information from the hospital. Everyone makes mistakes and you can only go as far as correcting it and not making that mistake again. The fact you want to be a good nurse and help people does not play a factor in your not being prepared for the clinical day. I know when we did clinicals on a Med-Surg floor and a SNF we got our patient information before the clinical day as a class. Don't worry too much into this because this doesn't mean you won't be a good nurse it just means that being prepared and going to the right resources to troubleshoot should be done in a timely manner. You'll be fine.

SaltySarcasticSally, LPN, RN · Feb 21, 2017

is this a geographical thing, reviewing the chart the night before? Just curious! I got to a fairly reputable school and we aren't expected to go beforehand to review information. Our clinical largely lines up with that semester's reading content so we are expected to already know the general details of each patient's condition before we even know which patient we have...

emmjayy, BSN, RN · Feb 22, 2017

is this a geographical thing, reviewing the chart the night before? Just curious! I got to a fairly reputable school and we aren't expected to go beforehand to review information. Our clinical largely lines up with that semester's reading content so we are expected to already know the general details of each patient's condition before we even know which patient we have...

Reading the chart beforehand is common in my area. You get assigned a pt, then you have to look up the chart on your own time and put together very detailed paperwork with info you pull from the chart, including the patient's nursing orders, a write-up on all their meds, all their lab values for two consecutive (or close to consecutive days), description of pt's history, procedures/diagnostic tests they've undergone.... the list just goes on and on. It takes several hours. I've heard that second level students don't have to do this in as much detail but it's a good learning tool I think. Because of it, I've learned to quickly be able to anticipate and provide rationales for many different order sets and to understand abnormal labs and measures that should be taken to fix them. It also helps to be able to put together the complete picture - e.g., knowing the patient's condition + what meds they're on can explain abnormal lab values.

SopranoKris, MSN, RN, NP · Feb 22, 2017

In my program, we don't get any information on our patient before clinicals. You don't in the real world either, so I don't think it's that important.
OP, email your instructor before the next clinical day and get your login information. 45 mins one way is a long drive to just have to go home empty handed.

I agree. The school I graduated from did not allow us to access any patient information before our assigned clinical time. In fact, if we logged in even a minute early, we were in serious trouble. They wanted us to learn how to take a patient just like we'd get them in the real world.

Now that you've had this issue with not being able to access pt info, you know not to let it happen again. Stay on top of your work. Make up this clinical day and move forward from here. Part of being a professional is learning how to speak up with something isn't right. The next time you run in to any kind of snafu whatsoever, communicate with your instructor. Then you've covered your bases.

andrea3434 · Feb 22, 2017

is this a geographical thing, reviewing the chart the night before? Just curious! I got to a fairly reputable school and we aren't expected to go beforehand to review information. Our clinical largely lines up with that semester's reading content so we are expected to already know the general details of each patient's condition before we even know which patient we have...

Wait...does this mean you don't have to do CARE PLANS?????

Our first two semesters we had to go the night before and meet our patient, look up their chart and get all pertinent information, and then take 2-4 hours to create a care plan for the next day. Thank god that is over now that I'm in third semester. Now we just arrive about an hour early to look up the information.

jtboy29 · Feb 22, 2017

Wait...does this mean you don't have to do CARE PLANS?????
Our first two semesters we had to go the night before and meet our patient, look up their chart and get all pertinent information, and then take 2-4 hours to create a care plan for the next day. Thank god that is over now that I'm in third semester. Now we just arrive about an hour early to look up the information.

That's how it was during the 2nd and 4th terms of my LVN program. We looked up information the day before and got to meet our assigned patient then we head back to campus and work on our clinical paperwork which we had to get done before the next day and this included the patient's diagnosis, signs and symptoms resulting in the diagnosis, medical history, medication sheet and a care plan. I must say the Nursing Diagnosis Handbook I bought helped me out a lot in writing an exceptional care plan. I say "exceptional" because care plans can change after an evaluation.

Orion81RN · Feb 22, 2017

In my program, we don't get any information on our patient before clinicals. You don't in the real world either, so I don't think it's that important.
OP, email your instructor before the next clinical day and get your login information. 45 mins one way is a long drive to just have to go home empty handed.

The difference is that this is a learning environment. Gathering the whole picture and understanding the pathophysiology. OP is still learning these rudimentary skills, whereas nurses in the real world are expected to know the history and pathophysiology right when getting report at start of shift

rachaelofcourse · Feb 23, 2017

The difference is that this is a learning environment. Gathering the whole picture and understanding the pathophysiology. OP is still learning these rudimentary skills, whereas nurses in the real world are expected to know the history and pathophysiology right when getting report at start of shift

I understand what you're saying, but just wanted to put it out there that not every program does this.