Some people should just QUIT!!!

[nurse4theplanet, RN]

I am the personality type that consistently roots for the underdog! I can't stand to see a student fall behind, especially when they are great in clinical yet are poor test takers. It's even worse when you see someone who struggles with a ligitimate (sp?) learning disability, and you know how frustrating it is for them to study, study, study and come up short. I have gone out of my way for two students who struggled, to spend one on one tutor time to help them pull up their grades.

With that being said, I have to get THIS off my chest. We have a person who has failed out of a previous nursing school attend our program. She started out in my class one and a half years ago, failed the first semester, repeated (barely passing), nearly failed the second semester so she withdrew so she could come back, then failed second semester. They would not let her attempt the RN program again, but they let her into the LPN program! This woman has had several close calls in clinicals. The only one I am personally aware of is that she drew up 3cc of R Insulin instead of 3 units. I have heard rumors of others (but a rumor is just a rumor.) She does have some learning disabilities and she is accomodated for those through a student services organization.

To be honest, I really don't think she is cut out for nursing. I certainly would not want her as my nurse. I understand that sometimes people have to repeat, and that is not a true reflection upon their nursing ability...however, this situation is quite excessive IMO. The worst part is that I feel like this woman is being taken advantage of by the school who keeps taking her money semester after semester when it is obvious she can't make the cut. And another thing...I have seen other students dismissed from the program with more potential than this woman is displaying.

[LisaCRN05]

I am the same way! I root for the underdogs and will often help them. When I was in nursing school, there were two students like that. The instructors told them to consider another field. I felt bad and comforted them when they were crying but I had to agree. It's too dangerous. Sometimes I think personal lives get in the way which I felt was one reason for the examples I gave and some are just not cut out for it but have the compassion which is what we are supposed to be but cannot be taught. Compassion alone isn't enough.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

There should a limit to how many times a person can repeat. I agree, she sounds like she isn't cut out for nursing.

[NaomieRN]

At my school, a student can only retake a nursing course once. After the second time, the student is dismissed from the program.

[Gompers, BSN, RN]

At my school, a student can only retake a nursing course once. After the second time, the student is dismissed from the program.

That's how it was where I went to nursing school. Students would be dismissed after failing two nursing courses. If readmitted to the program, they would be dismissed again if either they failed two more (different) courses or retook one of the previous failed courses and failed it again. Once dismissed twice from the program, that was it, no more tries.

[allthingsbright]

We have the same rule--1 repeat. But we do have an LPN program and I think if someone makes it through that they can try to enter our RN program as a bridge. The thing is that I DOUBT they would make it through senior level stuff if they failed out so many times. The CI's at senior level in my program WILL get rid of you if you aren't cut out for nursing. Half the time they get rid of people who ARE cut out...they really work you over.

It is always my hope that if the school doesn't weed them out, the NCLEX will...

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

You have to remember that every student's file is confidential, so you really don't know the whole story about any of these students. And, they don't know the whole story about you. That's as it should be. There are many elements that go into the making of a "nurse". There are many factors that go into the information you've given. How much is gossip? How much did the people running the program of nursing actually know the student did wrong? How much was documented? What is there about the student and their application and acceptance into the nursing program is unknown to you?

When I became a manager I learned some very serious lessons about the power of gossip and the value of witnesses and documentation. Gossip, or hearsay, can work two ways. When it is positive in nature it can prevent bad situations from coming to light faster. When it is negative it can make bad situations worse than they may be. When an ultimate decision is up to you, your judgment has to be based on information that is as objective as possible. This is what instructors strive to teach you about clinical nursing. Stick with facts--objective facts, first hand witness facts. That applies to interactions with other people as well. Try to keep that in mind. Also, you don't know that the student wasn't admitted to the nursing program as part of some federally or state funded program that the school cannot renege on once the student is enrolled. You don't know that supporting special programs that allow students like this in to your nursing school might also keep your nursing school going financially.

This may sound harsh, but my advice is to worry primarily about your own progress and standing within your class and let others worry about themselves. No one is stepping on your toes here. It is the job of the universe and people in charge to take care of things and administer any justice due.

[nurse4theplanet, RN]

This may sound harsh, but my advice is to worry primarily about your own progress and standing within your class and let others worry about themselves. No one is stepping on your toes here. It is the job of the universe and people in charge to take care of things and administer any justice due.

It certainly doesn't keep me up at night. But it does bother me when I see her, so determined, walking to class...knowing the history. Everything bit of information in my post came directly from her or I saw with my own eyes. Yes, there have been rumors but aside from that the information that is objective fact is enough to question why she is still able to pursue nursing. My impression is that the school is going to let her keep pursuing until she flunks out of the LPN program because they are accomodating her disability. I understand their legal plight, but I feel for this woman and sometimes I just want to sit her down and tell her she should seek out another major. Its sad really.

[Lisa CCU RN, RN]

All I have to say is she was gonna give three CC's of insulin instead of three units..... :o :trout:

[mani3433]

I just want to sit her down and tell her she should seek out another major. Its sad really.

All i wanna say is mind you own business:trout:

[StudentNurseSteph, BSN, RN]

yeah theres only so many times you can screw up that big.. my nursing program here you can only fail one nursing class to be allowed back..

[SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN]

it certainly doesn't keep me up at night. but it does bother me when i see her, so determined, walking to class...knowing the history.

i have to agree with the others who are saying that this is none of your concern. you are not in the position to evaluate her so this is none of your business even if she told you about her situation. thinking about her performance will do nothing to help you grow in a positive direction. it will only eat away at your soul.

there is a student who is in her first semester at my school who has absolutely no critical thinking abilities. she also struggled through pre-req sciences with bs and cs and had lousy test scores.

her inability to think like a nurse was apparent in pre-nursing courses when we took science tests that required critical thinking skills. she received 40% on two exams i recall while i and others who were rejected this fall received as and bs. the only thing i could figure at the time is she got in because the weight on co-req completion is so high at my school and most of those who applied last january did not have very many courses finished.

anyway, i was angry when i thought about her or when i saw her in class after my rejection. after i realized my feelings were an indication that i took her performance personally, i stopped thinking about her negatively!!! she was and is none of my concern. i am a student, not a nursing instructor.

the only reason i know she is struggling in the nursing program this semester is because others i know who are angry she got in have kept up with her progress. i suppose if she fails some will feel justified in his/her feelings that she should have never been accepted this past fall.

i personally do not care and wish her the best. if she fails, it will do nothing for me because it is none of my business. by the way, i started thinking positive about her situation before i received my acceptance letter to start in january of 07!