Need some advice?

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Jun 30, 2006

This is something that only your school can answer, as every school's policies are different.

In most schools, you must pass ALL portions of the course to pass the course. There is "partial" credit given for parts passed vs. the whole course. Just like anatomy, history or english, you do not get credit for passing one section and failing another.

shock-me-sane · Jul 1, 2006

at my school, people are allowed to just retake the lecture component. but the lecture and lab are also distinguished with different course numbers and individual grades.

but you need to find out for your specific school

Laughs-a-lot, RN · Jul 3, 2006

at my school if you fail the lecture you ust retake the lecture, lab, and clinical, one girl I know had to wait a year to get into her class. Are you able to get a job meantime where you can use your skills. I work at a hospital, just started as a nurse tech, you are eligible after passing your first med surg, you basically do "aide "work, but you can also do drsng changes, insert foleys and NG tubes,etc. You can't do IV, DR orders, or meds. But they pay decent, I'm making $14.41 for part time and I have benefits. Maybe you should see if there is something like that available in your area, so that you could work and use your skills while you are waiting to get back into your classes.

RNursingStudent · Jul 3, 2006

I can't believe 40 people failed it and no one thinks anything is wrong with this at the school!? How many are in the class total? We only have 80 nursing students accepted into the nursing prog, so that would be half the class!

As for you question, I don't have the answer as someone else stated best to ask your school.

LoriAlabamaRN · Jul 4, 2006

I can't believe that 40 failed and noone is looking at a problem with the class itself! I would definitely go to the dean and speak with them about it. It's hard to believe that 40 just didn't put in enough effort. What was the reason behind the mass failing?

In my school, if you fail any portion of a class you have to retake the whole shebang. In medsurg 2, I had to retake all of it because my witch of a clinical instructor failed me in one clinical because I missed a day when my grandfather died and she stated she never got the message when I called to inform them I would not be there. She didn't tell me this until after I had completed the entire course, including the final exam, with a B. Because of this I had to retake the entire course, along with all of the clinicals required for the course- 40 hours at a nursing home, 8 home health, 8 hospice, 8 ER, 40 ICU, 8 with a local shift coordinator, and 40 medsurg. It was a rotten deal, but them's the breaks.

LatinGirl · Jul 12, 2006

I've talked to the dean and anyone else that would listen at the school to no avail. They don't want to hear that there is something wrong with their school and the instruction that the students are receiving. They pawn it all off on the students, saying that if we had better study habits, we would have passed. I am so frustated about the whole situation that I literally have gotten sick.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Jul 12, 2006

The local school here had so many people fail they opened up a special section for them this summer. They all had to take both the class and the clinical component over. (I think it was an abreviated section because they understood that if so many people failed the problem was with the class, the school and insturctors and not necessarily the students.)

I'm sorry you're going through this. Good luck to you and your classmates.

cardiac.cure03 · Jul 16, 2006

At my school, we take lecture and clinical that both equal to 7 credit hours. Lecture is a grade. Clinical is pass/fail. If you fail lecture, ya gotta re-take both.

If you wait it out (which I definitely think you should... Or possibly check into a different school and see if credits transfer), don't worry so much about not using your skills. They'll easily come back to you after you start doing them again. And if you retook this class, you will have already studied the material which would make it that much easier.

I've got a couple friends that failed lecture and ended up re-taking it. I remember specifically my one friend saying that now that she's re-taking OB, she doesn't have to study nearly as much to retain all the info. If you can cut down your studying time (the memorization part), then you have more time to really think about and apply the information you're learning.

Good luck! And hang in there... It'll definitely be worth it.

Trauma_Queen · Jul 24, 2006

I've talked to the dean and anyone else that would listen at the school to no avail. They don't want to hear that there is something wrong with their school and the instruction that the students are receiving. They pawn it all off on the students, saying that if we had better study habits, we would have passed. I am so frustated about the whole situation that I literally have gotten sick.

Ah..yes..someone that finally feels my pain...LatinGirl you're not alone..I was supposed to graduate this past May as well and ended up failing by 1.8 points. Now our program didn't have 40 fail..we had 13 but that's still a lot.. And I can understand your pain when talking with the dean...I basically failed because of a make up test situation..I was told that I HAD to take 2 make up tests in one day, only to find out that other students were allowed to take 2 tests on different days..kinda a "don't tell anyone we're doing this for you" situation...Basically came to find out that our main instructor had gotten a negative opinion of me by another student saying nasty things about me and they weren't willing to "help" me with anything...We took my case to the dean who admitted that things were not handled as they should have been and not in a manner that would have seen me graduate, but "rules are rules" and they were not willing to make up for their mistake..I even had to sit through the pinning ceremony and actually got pinned (our school is a little messed up with pinning...everyone is required to attend right after our final exam and you can find out two days later that you actually did not pass..as in my case..)

Okay, now that's out of the way...My mother and I were told by my main instructor that I would only have to repeat the lecture class that I didn't pass since I too passed clinical and trends & issues with flying colors...But then I received the "official" letter in the mail that said otherwise..The instructor said she didn't remember telling us the "wrong" info (no surprise there!)..So here's what we are required to do..We were given two options..First we are all required to take 3rd semester lecture over again even though we've all already passed it..but no repeating of clinical...But in addition to lecture one day a week we had the option of sitting for LVN boards and then required to work 400 hours in a med/surg setting...or take a pathophysiology class with the lecture course..I chose the 2nd option because my job pays more than an LVN's rate so it would kinda be pointless IMO...But then come 4th semester, we are required to repeat lecture and the clinical which I already made an A in...In addition to all that, our class was the last to be admitted without having to take the HESI entrance exam..so now to fulfill the "requirements" that were given to the class below us, we are required to take the HESI entrance exam by November....I looked into transferring into other programs in the area (I live in Dallas so there are at least two other programs close by), but these programs will not accept a transfer just for the final semester..I think that my program knows this, so basically I'm trapped into repeating an entire YEAR, when I didn't "pass" one class....

I'm surprised that 40 failed in your program..We've always been told that if too many students fail, then they can lose their accreditation (sp?)

I understand completely what you are going though emotionally..I had my life "planned" and certainly didn't plan on failing..Most of my classmates were shocked that I didn't pass because I was always the one they called on for help..Guess I worried about others, without focusing on myself first..This certainly made a dent in all my plans..Had my job secured, was building a house and have lost all that..I'm now over the shock of everything and have realized that some good will come from this...What you have to repeat will be easier the second time around..And for me, this gives me the opportunity to be "recruited" for a job...I didn't allow myself to look at other options the first time and I guess I settled for a job on the unit I was working..I have since figured out that the hospital I was at is not the place for me anymore since they basically "punished" me for not graduating...

Try to keep your head up! Everything happens for a reason and like I said it should be easier the second time around..If this is truly your dream, then what's one more year? It will go by so quickly and May will be here again before you know it! If you ever need anything, I'm here!