Failing

Trauma Columnist · Oct 15, 2016

Moved to general nursing forum

caliotter3 · Oct 15, 2016

I don't recall any extra credit in my nursing classes. I do remember certain prerequisite courses would have some extra credit, usually involved with getting certain questions correct on exams that the majority of the class missed. It all depends on the instructor and how they run their course and that probably is influenced by the policies of the school and program.

Double-Helix, BSN, RN · Oct 16, 2016

While I can't say a class with 50% attrition is typical in nursing school, it isn't unheard of. Some programs even like courses like that because they ensure that the students who are passing have a solid understanding of the material which in turn increases their NCLEX pass rates.

Have you gone to the instructor for assistance? Tried to figure out why you are failing and how you can better prepare for the exams? Unfortunately, the time to do this was as soon as you realized you were in danger of failing, not right before the final exam. I suggest partnering with the students who are passing because they seem to have the best grasp of both the material as well as how to answer the types of questions on these exams. Good luck!

Zooey72 · Oct 16, 2016

Sounds like a bad instructor to me. If YOU, or a FEW people are failing you can chalk that up to something other than the instructor. If 1/2 the class fails despite the fact that to make up for her poor teaching she gives out extra credit (which I didn't know they could do) than that is on her/him.

There is a difference between a class being hard, and the instructor just not doing their job. My first day of A&P my prof said 3/4 of you will not make it through, because the people there had no idea what they were getting into; and sure enough most people dropped by the end. If you are that far along in nursing school and he/she is constantly failing people who have demonstrated a work ethic and prof. to get that far than that is all on the prof.

I am at a CC that has a 90%+ graduation and NCLEX pass rate; policy is no extra credit and if your grade is .000001 away from passing on your last test on your last year you still fail and have to retake. If her class alone only passes 1/2 the people I would think the school's graduation percentage must be horrible.

tthaker · Aug 27, 2017

This is such a late reply but I would like to update you guys on the outcome of that original situation. I did end up having to repeat the course. I did really well only because I remembered so many of the bogus questions from before. (She reused questions maybe even the whole test)z I actually purposely answered the wrong way a few times because I remember arguing about the answer with the professor about it the first time around. For example one of the questions was about why would an IV pump alarms sound.

A. Occlusion above Pump

B. Occlusions in Pump

C. Occlusions below Pump.

I work in a hospital and 90% of the time when the IV pump alarm sounds, the pump says "occlusion on patient side". So the first time around I chose "occlusion below Pump. I got the answer wrong so purposely chose an answer that I knew was not correct but right to the professor.

My original class started out with 42 people and 8 graduated together with a total graduating class of 12 (people that got held back for one reason or another).

It just so happened that the BRN what making their rounds at the nursing schools the following semester and that instructor has sense been releaved of her lecture duties and is strictly an instructor

for simulation. The graduating class for this winter is over 45 students.