To drop out or not to drop out?

Nursing Students General Students

Published

A member of my clinical is trying to decide whether or not to quit, she is 2nd semester (near the end of 2nd) and has been written up for throwing insulin stylet and saline flush syringe in to the garbage rather than sharps, in addition the instructor said she "did not flush saline lock prior to hooking up IV, did not scan (computer based MAR0 in the lidocaine for a potassium bag (RN working with her witnessed that it was lidocaine but policy is scan before use) and leaving an edematous arm in the wrong position for 3 hours.

After all this she feels she isn't cut out for this and is scared she may hurt someone.

What do you think, should she drop? or stick it out?

One other thing she thinks if she is dropped for clinical reasons she will be black balled in all the other nursing schools.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LDRP.

If she feels like nursing isn't for her, then yes, she should drop.

If anything, she should have a long talk with her CI about how she can improve--specifically! She needs to accept responsibilty for her actions and work on safe med administration--maybe go back to skills lab. She can always offer to write a paper on the subject--instructors like that sort of thing.

If she fails clinical, then she will have to decide if she wants to retake or not.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

There is no "skills lab" for these skills, there is no paper writing for errors like this either.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

She might need to study more and observe more if she wants to make it. She should also be encouraged to ASK about anything that's unclear instead of acting.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Geriatrics, Cardiac, ICU.

That would be up to her. All students and RN's alike are going to make mistakes, we just have to hope and pray that they are not harmful to the patient.

She may need to slow down and go over the steps is her head BEFORE doing anything.

I forgot to get rid of the air bubble in the flush before flushing an IV once before. I did it ONCE, the instructor pointed it out, and I have never done it again. Then again, I was working with this nurse and I expelled some of the fluid so there was no air bubble and she asked me why I did that. I told her and she was like it doesn't matter, that was not enough air to do any harm, so go figure. ( I do it like the CI taught my BTW)]

Anyway, it sounds like she may be nervous and rushing and just needs to slow down.

I would not advise her to drop out. No body's perfect. Now if she went in and administered potassium IV push or something...

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Geriatrics, Cardiac, ICU.

After all this she feels she isn't cut out for this and is scared she may hurt someone.

QUOTE]

BTW being scared you will hurt someone is sometimes a GOOD thing. Keeps you on your toes.

If it paralyzes you to where you can't function, that's another thing.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

well, since you've asked, here goes. . .i've never been accused of holding back my opinion.

first of all, whether this person gets dropped from nursing by the nursing program or voluntarily withdraws on her own she still has to explain the circumstances of her leaving the first nursing school at her next nursing school admission interview. on the one hand, if she gets booted out of the nursing program she looks like a doofus. on the other hand, she looks like a quitter if she voluntarily leaves the program on her own. and, don't think another nursing school isn't going to think that way.

secondly, throwing an insulin stylet and saline flush syringe into the garbage rather than a sharps container is a pretty serious safety issue. that alone, she should feel scared about. was she taking a nap in class on the day of the lecture about universal precautions and needle safety?

however, i'm not a total witch. if you learn from making a mistake the first time and it wasn't a serious mistake (as in nobody was injured or killed), then you go on your merry way. most of us learn a lot of things this hard way. it's not always a valid reason to drop out. feel bad about it, you bet! because you really fubar'd, but not to drop out. my feeling is this. . .if she wants to be a nurse bad enough, she should stick with it, thank whatever god she believes in that she hasn't already been tossed out of the nursing program for the mistakes she's made, learn her lesson, try very hard not to make the same mistakes twice, and keep on putting one foot in front of the other. it ain't over until the fat lady sings. the fat lady is singing when she gets called into the dean of nursing's office and the dean says "i'm dropping you from the program." until then, she's still a registered nursing student and those places are hard to come by. tell her to just pick up her pride, dust it off and get back into clinicals. as my dad used to say when i fell off my bike and started to cry, "quit crying and get back on. you never learn to ride unless you get back on and keep trying." i'm a little nicer. i say, have a good cry, but get back on and finish the ride. it's amazing how you forget about all the bumps and bruises you got learning how to ride that doggone bike once you get to be really proficient at riding it. mostly, you feel a lot of pride at how well you're doing at riding it! the same will happen as she gains experience in nursing procedures. but, seriously, she needs to understand that she can't keep making the very same mistakes over and over. if she's not learning from her same mistakes then she is a menace and a danger to others.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
A member of my clinical is trying to decide whether or not to quit, she is 2nd semester (near the end of 2nd) and has been written up for throwing insulin stylet and saline flush syringe in to the garbage rather than sharps, in addition the instructor said she "did not flush saline lock prior to hooking up IV, did not scan (computer based MAR0 in the lidocaine for a potassium bag (RN working with her witnessed that it was lidocaine but policy is scan before use) and leaving an edematous arm in the wrong position for 3 hours.

After all this she feels she isn't cut out for this and is scared she may hurt someone.

What do you think, should she drop? or stick it out?

One other thing she thinks if she is dropped for clinical reasons she will be black balled in all the other nursing schools.

what is an insulin stylet?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

The stylet is the thingy you poke the patients finger with, that's what our CI's call it anyways.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

i presumed that is what you meant....but that is not correct terminology...it is a lancet.....in this particular case, is it a stand alone piece of equipment or part of a pen? if stand alone does it permanently retract so that it is not posssible to stick anyone with it? (some are, some arent) i have been curious if the ones that do , could be disposed of in reg trash? and some places actually throught the flush syringes in the trash...sans needle of course....however, you still have to go by the expectations of the CI and unit....

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in MICU/SICU.

I think she should stick it out if this was the first and only time she made these types of mistakes. She is, after all, a student. If she kept doing the same thing over and over, then, perhaps, nursing isn't for her. We tend to forget, don't we, that we're students and don't do things perfectly the first time.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LDRP.
There is no "skills lab" for these skills, there is no paper writing for errors like this either.

You guys didn't learn fundamental skills on med administration in a lab? WE can always remediate if we screw up and put some time in practicing our skills. And in my program you can write a paper on pretty much ANYTHING--all ya gotta do is volunteer.

Anyway, you asked so I was just giving you some feedback. Hope everything works out...

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment