That happened to me too. This is my story...

When my instructor left me to pull out my medications, I pulled out the meds and at the middle of my checks, my patient’s bed alarm went off. I picked up all the meds thinking I cannot leave all of them there sitting at the ADU(med cart). So I went to the patient’s room to cancel her bed alarm and check if she’s ok. I told her I will be back because I am pulling out her meds as we speak. But she has to go to the bathroom. I told her I’ll check if someone can help me. Then I peeked out the door and I saw my CNA (she’s probably on her way to cancel the bed alarm too). I went outside and asked her if she could help our patient to go to the bathroom because I have to finish checking all my meds. That was the time when my instructor was approaching us and overheard me delegating to the CNA. She asked me whose alarm went off, and then I said it was my patient and she needs to go to the bathroom. She said why we can’t help her instead. I said “I thought you want me to check meds with you” in the ADU. Before I can even explain to her that I haven’t done my complete checks yet, we went to my patient’s room. We changed her linens and have her use the bathroom. Then after everything was done, she was waiting for me to log in and do my checks for the right patient. I scanned the lovenox, because I know she will need to watch me on all the IV meds including shots. I asked her "what about this one?" while holding on to a glucagon kit.  She asked me what is it. I said it was glucagon. Then she asked me what is glucagon and I said it helps to raise her blood sugar. Then it occurred to me her blood sugar is 225. I caught myself. By the way, my patient is not diabetic, she got admitted for hypoglycemia due to a reaction from a medication. 

She said she will give me an unsatisfactory grade for the day which I expected. Then she changed it to an unsatisfactory grade for the class momentarily. This unfortunate incident would not have happened if I had the chance to check the meds with her in the first place. I could have caught myself before we went to the room. I believe it is why we have the checks, to verify if the nurses are giving the right meds to the patient. A nurse could have dispensed two more meds by accident. Accidents happen but with 3 checks it could be minimized. And I didn’t have that chance to do the checks. Everything got simultaneously caught in the situation when the patient needs assistance right away. It snowed ball from there. My first instinct was to delegate since the CNA was already in the hallway and because I am in the middle of my med check. Also, to change the linens later on in the day because it was not my priority and I have the patient the whole day! 

I was expecting that as a 4th semester (last semester to graduate) student, to delegate some of the things to my CNA, so we could quickly and effectively meet the needs of the patient at that particular time. I truly think it is the right thing for me to do and definitely not any form of laziness on my part. I prioritized the tasks necessary to assist the patient.

I know that I don’t have to give the glucagon when her blood sugar is already high. I even answered her question on what is glucagon for. It just happened that I dispensed it together with all her meds.

She said that "Giving glucagon to a patient with an elevated blood sugar clearly poses a hazard to the client." that's why she failed me. But I wasn’t unsafe, I caught myself and I didn't give it.

I even researched about glucagon if given by mistake, to a patient who is not hypoglycemic, buy rather hyperglycemic, will not cause any harm to the patient.

 Was the decision to fail me right away is a fair decision? Never had a warning either.

Well for people who don't believe that the imposible can happen in nursing school. My first semester in clinical, myself and another student (who had her BA in psych) were older and the clinical instructor hated us. She was so hateful, wouldn't look me in the eye, cussed me, said things to other nurses about me (they treated me like crap), gave me the hardest patients (which I loved, because it was a challenge but we connected). It was HELL! The other student and I rode together and she screamed and cussed for an hour on the trip back. You can't imaging. I attended all my classes and clinical only to have her fail me at the very end. She never gave us a CTT or CARE PLAN back for 5 WEEKS of clinical either. I went to the nursing supervisor (who thank God retired), my nursing advisor and they said it was me??? Well the other student was going through it with me but she wouldn't say anything for fear of failing too. She ended up dropping out. So sad that we had to go throught this and there is nothing you can do. THAT IS WHAT NURSING SCHOOLS KNOW! THEY CAN DO WHATEVER THEY WANT TO.

This instructor had agism we thought but I just called the Missouri State Board of Nursing and this school has an 82% pass rate for 2010!!!!

They have to have an 80% for accredidation but I'm not the one that didn't pass my NCLEX but they take it out on students in the next semester. I can't wait to see what the pass rate for my old class is because one girl at lest cheated her way through the whole second semester, she admitted it to me. No telling how many others but the school doesn't care as long as they pass NCLEX. You can't  cheat on NCLEX though, so I don't get it but I know other horror stories from this RN school.

What one lady said though is what you have got to focus on. If you love nursing and believe your "called" to it then you'll get through, somehow. Like another lady said, she lost a year getting her LPN but bridged into another school and got her RN. That is what I'm going to do. I believe with all my heart God wants me to be a nurse unless He proves to me otherwise. At least I will KNOW THIS STUFF ; ) at some point !!!

God Bless us all who have gone through the wringer, it will only make us stronger and better nurses for it.