At what point is the failure rate unacceptable?

[JenniferSews]

I'm in my fourth and last semester of a 2 year program. The program has a reputation for being very tough, and has a 100% NCLEX pass rate. The fail out rate is about 65%, and that number is reached by 3rd semester and "everyone does very well in 4th semester" per our instructors. The problem is that 1/2 way through, 72% of the class is failing. I'm still passing, but am not feeling comfortable since students much smarter than me are failing!

The instructors believe that we just aren't doing the work, not reading, not studying, and that this is a sign that we really just "don't get it, and if we don't get it by now we never will." I can honestly say I have read the book assignments (twice for the last test!) listened to the lecture, and done as many NCLEX questions on the subject as I can find. That's in addition to my regular studying. None of us are slacking off, or are too stupid. I'm angry and frustrated, as is the rest of the class. I bought yet another book yesterday to help fill in the gaps. Hopefully it will cover what they don't teach and isn't in our textbook but they are still testing on.

I guess I don't have much of a point and am just complaining. :chuckle Any advice is welcome. I see the course evaluation just arrived in my email box while I was typing this post. I can only imagine the reviews they are getting! Can they really graduate a class of 8 students of the original 40?

[wife&mommyRN]

I think this is a problem with many nursing schools. There are some whose goal is to keep all of their students and help them pass the NCLEX & then there are others like mine that try to minimize that batch in order to get a higher passing score. We r literally teaching ourselves in this program, some classes are better than others, it all depends. But to answer ur question yes, I do believe they would graduate only 8 ppl & not think twice about it, there is no logic in that to me. I know a program that admitted 50 ppl, by semester 3 they were down to 16 ppl in the program. I can tell my program is shrinking bc we started out in a lecture hall & now we barely fill up a classroom. Just try to survive, bc thats all u really can do. Good Luck.

[Rylee2008, ASN, RN]

The school I attend did graduate a class of 7 out of 30 several years ago. They have made changes and last year it was about 20 out of 40 that graduated. My school indicated that if we can't pass the tests and the classes in the program, we won't pass the NCLEX and that is a waste of everyone's time. To me, the instructors have to be accountable when the whole class is fllunking. I have always heard that 3rd semester is worst and most schools have students drop or flunk out.