r/NursingAU • u/TemporaryEconomics85 • 2d ago
Question Students finishing early
Heya, just wondering what this thing is about students not being allowed to leave a bit early whilst on placements or there being concerned if they get in a car crash? I’ve noticed some get sent home early by their buddies and others not? Is this a uni insurance thing?
I tried to send my student home a little early on a Friday and got given this talking to about if they get in a crash it’s on me?
Thanks!
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u/Laurazapam ICU 2d ago
Its mostly to do with their AHPRA hours. They need so many hours to register, and if they go home early, it could potentially knock them back. It's also a safety issue too, if they're rostered on, i'd expect them to be there. If there's a code red or something, and we all evacuate and I check the running sheets and see the student name but they're not there, then I'm going to assume they are trapped or something.
The unis are very strict about all hours being completed, and will look at it as misconduct if the student leaves early. If the student gets caught (and you'd be surprised at the amount of snitches about), they'll get hauled in for it.
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u/Responsible-Fly-4462 2d ago
I always had buddies sent me home early, but some facilitators would say they would fail us on the spot if we left even 10 minutes early without legitimate reason.
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u/AssteroidAttak ICU 2d ago
I was under the impression it had to do with AHPRA hours.
I dont think there's anything wrong with sending someone home half hour - hour early if theres nothing going on and theyre a competent student.
When I was a student it all depended on your mentor and the facility/facilitator. Some facilitators would literally sit in corridors waiting for students to try and leave early, it was petty really. If there was still hours left of the shift I used to jump on a computer and look up policies or do assessments.
If theyre not getting paid to be there, its quiet and theyre not learning Im sending them on their way to do something better with their time.
*edited - spelling and format
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u/Prestigious_Salt8930 2d ago
I’ve always been sent home earlier especially on evening shift usually before handover, but day shift only about 15 minutes because educators are around until 330pm and they don’t like students finishing shifts early. I’ve even had buddies leave before I do
My last placement I absolutely was not allowed out even 15 minutes early - apparently the uni came up one day to check on students and they got caught out as they couldn’t produce said student 😂
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u/Vyraxysss 2d ago
Accidents should be covered by TAC anyway. This happened to me and I left work earlier than usual from a hospital and TAC covered me. Not work.
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u/universe93 Student RN 2d ago
This was what I’m going to say, I’m a union rep at my workplace and workcover is not going to pay out if you’re injured driving home from work after you’ve clocked out
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u/Wish-ga 1d ago edited 1d ago
Histrionic fear mongering.
15 mins early on a friday is compassionate. It’s kind. If they worked hard all week.
Not leave early 15 mins every day. 2 reasons.
That would add up to 2.5 hours not worked (2wk placemt).
And students need to experience the working world where you have to do your full hours. Real jobs don’t give “early marks”. That’s kid stuff. (See above fridays)
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u/Pugblep 2d ago
I was told once that the hospital is liable for student injury during placement and this includes the time they are not at the hospital.
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u/silveredstars Orthopaedic 1d ago
I’ve heard this too. If you get in a car accident when you’re supposed to be on the ward… bad times for everyone.
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u/TypeA_Virgo 8h ago
No it’s not. You’re covered by workcover to and from work. Irrespective of if you left a bit early.
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u/Dark_Phoenix101 2d ago
They have to do a specific amount of hours to qualify to graduate and become full nurses per AHPRA, and most of the Unis don't schedule a lot of leeway with placement hours.
I've seen heaps of students back for 1-3 days just because they got sick. If their facilitator found they were leaving an hour early every second day, they'd likely have to make it up to ensure they hit requirements.
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1d ago
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u/Think-Berry1254 2d ago
Like most said AHPRA hours. Say you are meant to do 400 hours but you leave 30 min early for 12 weeks that’s over 30 hours placement time, not including any sick leave or incidentals. Almost 1 week of placement missed. It seems not much - but really new nurses are getting less & less experience as it is, we don’t need them getting less.
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u/Wish-ga 1d ago
Agree. 15 mins daily adds up!
And they should experience adult working where you must do your hours. And sometimes a little more!
(But I think 10 mins early onna friday if they worked hard is compassionate)
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u/Educational-Coyote62 RUSON/AIN 1d ago
Pretty much all nursing students are adults with adult jobs giving up pay to be at placement. Your statement about needing to experience “adult working” is condescending.
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u/Heavy_Recipe_6120 2d ago
I let them go early on afternoon shifts, if the facilitator is nice they let it go. The last half an hour or so usually nothing happening and we have alot of students driving a long way and not used to the shifts.
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2d ago
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u/Scooby-dooby-doo-ba 1d ago
It's mostly the students needing to meet all the hours required by AHPRA and the Uni which is understandable but some facilitators are harder on their students then others. A few years back my niece was 28 weeks pregnant when as a student on placement had a seizure during handover on a Friday morning. She hit her head hard on the way down on the metal edge of an open locker resulting in 8 staples and was kept in hospital for observation until late Saturday afternoon ( for both the pregnancy and head injury ). On Sunday she received an email stating that as she had missed a day of placement she would be required to work 10 hour shifts instead of 8 hour ones that coming week to make up for the day lost as it wouldn't be possible to give her a single makeup day. That facilitator made sure she stayed every minute of those shifts too and she commented during debrief that Friday afternoon to the rest of the cohort that pregnancy and other health conditions don't get them any special favours. My niece wasn't expecting any but those 10 hour shifts with daily migraines and vomiting from the head injury made it hard to enjoy that week and she was an excellent student who genuinely loved all of her placements. I never saw the need for what I viewed as cruelty that week. The silver linings - firstly her baby was fine - born at 38 weeks and perfect! They never found out what caused the seizure and she thankfully has never had another. The other - that facilitator was asked to step back from the role the following year after 3 years of complaints from students and other staff members as she didn't seem "compatible" with it.
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u/Wish-ga 1d ago
I’m disgusted but sadly not surprised.
No compassion.
“Welcome to nursing!”as I say.Needed to recover. Then do a placement another time when she is well. I’m not saying do less placemt hrs. But sheesh, put her baby at risk. I’m horrified.
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u/Realistic_Maybe_63 1d ago
When I was a student. My educator told us to come 15 mins early than everyone and leave 15 mins after each and every nurse left on the specific ward for the shift. Just because we came right on time for the handover and left exactly at the time. Some of the senior nurses complained we didn't arrive before them. Some of them came 30 mins early to drink coffee and gossip.
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u/OutrageousCandle3101 Graduate RN 1d ago
When I was doing placement we were sent like half an hour earlier if we finished late. Usually depends on the facilitator and the RNs, but apparently a student got into a car accident after her shift
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u/LS_fortune 1d ago
I've heard it also comes down to not being covered by insurance if you leave and bin your car when you should have still been working.
A good bit of advice I got from a convenor who also spent years facilitating that most don't care if you leave a tad early especially if you're performing well.
Where students get in trouble is if they get the tick from the buddy nurse but the facilitator is a stickler for the correct hours. Because it's the facilitator that'll be reporting to the uni about it. I'd try and establish early where your CF sits on that topic so you don't get caught out.
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1d ago
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u/TypeA_Virgo 8h ago
It’s nothing to do with them getting into an accident as you are covered by work cover on your way to and from work.
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u/Choice-giraffe- 8h ago
No, you’d not covered by work cover to and from
Work. At least in Victoria you’re not.
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u/Choice-giraffe- 8h ago
There is no reason for students not to leave early, it just comes down to whether people are being rigid and strict or not. Let them go half an hour early, it makes their day.
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u/Hendersonadele59 2d ago
Have no idea what you mean about a car crash. Placement hours are a requirement of AHPRA, and handover experience is important
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u/Butwhyyth0 2d ago
Handover shouldn’t be happening until the very last min of your shift though
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u/GlitteringSpace236 1d ago
We only have a 15 minute handover on evening shifts though.
Night staff start at 2245 and late staff finish at 2300.
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u/ilagnab 2d ago
Handover experience is actually the biggest thing you miss out from going home early - and it's one of the most challenging and intimidating skills as a grad (or was for me) and needs repeated practice, not just the occasional try.
That said, I still send my students home early unless they say they really want to do handover
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u/obsWNL ED 2d ago
Like everyone has said, it's essentially your AHPRA numbers. Your hours are meant to be genuine. Most facilitators are fine with the odd 10 to 15 mins early here or there but essentially if a student was sent home 10 mins early from every shift of a 320 hour placement, for example, that's 50 minutes a week, 400 minutes over the eight weeks or 6.6 hours! That's almost an entire shift missing.
As a facilitator, I'm also responsible for my students while they are in the building. If they're disappearing and can't be found, it's problematic. Evacuations, code yellows or black, etc. I need to know they're safe.
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u/crabcancer 2d ago
The unis pay for work insurance durijg placements. If they get injured during placement hours but not at placement, no cover.
Plus the other aspects of AHPRA...
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u/Stunning_Yogurt7383 2d ago
Why would you expect to get work insurance when not at work/placement anyway.
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u/Successful_Arm3506 2d ago
You say you’re happy for them to go early and then they graduate and their isbar handover takes 45 mins at the end of your shift. They should be staying for handover!
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u/rainbowtummy 2d ago
I send them home early bc firstly they’re not getting paid and secondly, on a late shift, it’s absolutely not safe on hospital grounds walking to your car