Cheating on the nclex??

U.S.A. Florida

Published

I may be wrong, if I am then i need some sort of explanation please. Over the last three years I have come in contact with dozens, maybe more, of "nurses" who don't speak a lick of English. How is this possible that they pass the nclex? When I say they don't speak English, I mean I cannot even have a basic conversation with them (hi, how are you? Do you know where the bathroom is? The simplest terms....)

Please don't take this post in any racist manner because I mean no harm at all, these people I am referring to come from all different backgrounds, Hispanic, Haitian, African and I find it very hard to believe that with such limited English they were able to sit and pass the nclex.

I sat through orientation today with a lady who didn't know basic fundamentals of nursing, the presenter had to explain things 2 and 3 times for her. I can accept an older nurse forgetting things but this woman told me she just passed her nclex last month. I asked her what school she went to and she told me Dade medical (lol that made me feel a little better about this situation because we all know that school is a joke, and knowing the right people anyone can graduate) but I couldn't help but to think did she pay someone to take her nclex for her? does she know someone with the test bank and memorized the answers? Because there is no way I can believe that this woman or many others I've come across took the same nclex as me and passed.

OrganizedChaos, LVN

1 Article; 6,883 Posts

Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.

I just... test bank? Testing for them? I just... wow.

ANMpreN

46 Posts

. I asked her what school she went to and she told me Dade medical (lol that made me feel a little better about this situation because we all know that school is a joke, and knowing the right people anyone can graduate) but I couldn't help but to think did she pay someone to take her nclex for her?*

You seem to be very cinical and prejudice about the whole situation... Just because someone has a different background and culture doesn't mean they can't have the same resources or education as you. I mean you act like these people just climbed out a river hole and jumped right into their career. No, there are no freebies in life to this profession.

Everyone should be given the opportunity to advance in life and make a career for themselves, as what you are doing for yourself. How would you feel if someone said you couldn't sit for the Nclex because your English wasn't up to par even though you worked your but off to get to that point. Just try to put yourself in there shoes, maybe you'll feel a little more empathy.

So if you are currently a nurse or is in the process of becoming one, then I seriously hope you can make your patients feel very welcomed even if they can't speak English at all.

Because there is no way I can believe that this woman or many others I've come across took the same nclex as me and passed.

Yeah, because each individual gets to choose which Nclex exam they want to take. They made have even took the easiest out of the two.

caleb2015

40 Posts

Dade Medical's NCLEX passing rate is 38%

Top registered nursing (RN) programs in Florida | NursingSchoolsAlmanac.com

Effective February 27, 2014 the Florida Board of Nursing has placed the Dade Medical College – Miami Lakes Campus ASN program on probationary status for failing to achieve the required NCLEX passing rate.

Nursing AS

blackch3rry

24 Posts

Again please understand by no means was I trying to be prejudice against anyone, I myself do not come from this country and I personally know the struggles of achieving "the American dream". However, there are many areas of South Florida, Miami especially, where no one speaks English. I once had a nurse in Westchester hospital who had to get a translator to speak with me. Again, please do not take this as I am being stereotypical but I am referring to those who don't have basic English skills.

In response to the person who put up the statistics of Dade medical's passing rate, please look at their statistics on a whole. Look at each campus passing rate and also look at the amount of people which make up that percentage. Each quarter they are barely sending 2 and 3 people each time, if you compare that to previous times where maybe 10 or more tested their passing rates were at times 0%. For the most part they have maintained passing rates below 20%. Now if you are personally familiar with this school, then you know in certain campuses, they don't even teach in English, which is why I say that school is a joke.

Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

Consider this: Carrying on a conversation in a foreign language is an entirely different animal than reading and writing a foreign language. Conversation is full of idiomatic expressions and native speakers have a variety of accents. Conversation is situational and on-the-fly, compounding the complexity of it.

Whereas reading and writing a language you have previously studied is, in fact, easier. For example, we have translators who interpret Spanish for us. We got a patient from Spain - and our Latin American Spanish translator had a very hard time with that.

All that to say this: There's Spanish, and then there's Spanish. There's English and then there's English.

Specializes in Geriatrics, Home Health.

Maybe they read English better than they speak it? I live 2 hours from Montreal, and I learned French on and off in high school. I can read a French newspaper story, but can't discuss it in person or comment about it online.

NICU Guy, BSN, RN

4,161 Posts

Specializes in NICU.

I sat through orientation today with a lady who didn't know basic fundamentals of nursing, the presenter had to explain things 2 and 3 times for her. I can accept an older nurse forgetting things but this woman told me she just passed her nclex last month. I asked her what school she went to and she told me Dade medical (lol that made me feel a little better about this situation because we all know that school is a joke, and knowing the right people anyone can graduate) but I couldn't help but to think did she pay someone to take her nclex for her?

She may have passed NCLEX last month, but when did she graduate and how many times did she take it? She may have gradated a year ago and took NCLEX 5 times before passing.

Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
Maybe they read English better than they speak it? I live 2 hours from Montreal, and I learned French on and off in high school. I can read a French newspaper story, but can't discuss it in person or comment about it online.

This.

I can read Latin-American Spanish very well; speaking it would need a translator.

Who knows if they needed many times to pass the NCLEX, or took it in once; unless one is directly looking at their nursing care and can witness unsafe care, then everything else is speculation.

JoseQuinones

281 Posts

Please drop the apology about racism. There is nothing racist about worrying whether your coworker speaks enough English to provide excellent care to their clients.

My first concern before going to nursing school was to learn English, and learn it well. I wanted to take the NCLEX, and I knew that it was in English. If you were to be a nurse in my original home country (the Dominican Republic) you would have to demonstrate the ability speak Spanish well. Why? Because the people speak Spanish. English ability should be a requirement to practice nursing in the USA for the same reason. It is not racism, it is patient justice.

I swear, this political correctedness is going to kill us all.

blackch3rry

24 Posts

Thank you!!!!! Someone who finally understands my point.

cfcm800f

51 Posts

I don' t speak English almost, and there are so many people in the same situation. Some of them hold a master from their countries, some were the bests graduated in their promotion year, and came here running out of time at 40 or 50. They have the courage to retake almost the whole program, while learn English

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