advise fo nursing placement

[lisathoms1983]

Hi i am a 24 year old nursing student. i wanted to ask for some advice. i am being seen by a cardiologist due to reacurrent faints. i have had an echocardiogram  ecg which came back fine i am now to have a 24 hour holter and tilt table test. the cardologist believes  fainting is just due to low blood pressue.. i have been refused my nursing placement due to these faints even though i was cleared by occupational health. they were advised to do a risk assessment of each placement o check dangers risks to me . as a result the placement has refused to take me as they feel that there is to much risk the thing is i dont faint all the time oinly nowing again i usually can prevent most attacks using by tensng muscles or sitting down making sure i dont get dehdrated ect . i to meet with the university on Friday to discuss where we go from here do you have any advice on how i show them that  i should be able to go on placement after all fainting is common in nurses.

[momtofourboys]

I agree you are a risk factor, however there are many many nurses and doctors that are out there with medical issues that could cause them to injure a patient or themselves. like diabetes if they for someoreason drop their sugar. pregnant ladies could get sick while transferring. there are nurses that I know taht are prone to seizures, they are all suppose to be controlled bymedication but the danger is still there

I think in your case however there is no answer and even though you have been cleared abd these things are still happening you have no medical evidence that there are being taken care of. I was refused to nursing school due to the fact that I have tumors in my foot and I can not lift proprerly posing a high fall risk factor. I did fall with a patient wheen I was a LNA just simply transfering them with a gait belt on and transferring her from a regular chair to her wheelchair.
good luck and I can see both sides of the issues.
michelle

[maggiemag]

Hmm, this is certainly a different question!  I tend to agree with them about not approving your placement until the cause is known.  Sorry!  :-)   If you were helping a patient, for instance, transfer from the bed to a wheelchair and then fainted in the middle of it, the patient could get hurt.  You don't say exactly how often it happens but if you can't prevent ALL of the fainting, then it could be a risk.  And btw, I have been an RN since 1970 (ack!), and I have never seen a nurse faint, so it is not common at all!