I currently attend a private college in the northeastern portion of the United States. I am one term away from graduating with my ADN, BUT myself and entire class have run into a major roadblock. We are one week away from this term ending, and the entire class has failed all three exams and are subsequently failing the class. Not by a little, but severely failing. Our grades range from 56% to 74% in the class and we all know a 78% is key to success.
Our teacher and other educators such as the DON, ADON, etc. continue to tell us WE are the problem, WE do not know how to study, and these tests are so easy a LPN student can pass them! Our college seems to care less that literally not one student will be in the next term due to entire class failure... I find it hard to believe that we have no one who is trying to "fix" this problem.
Our teacher will not curve the grades whatsoever, we are told we do not know how to take tests. It's quite funny when the majority of us are working LPNs but we are not "real nurses" and do not know how to read a test. I have spent countless hours studying like any "prudent nurse" would do... I am not looking to be handed my RN, BUT I also feel that there needs to be a fair shot, not be told after almost a year into this program passing all classes that I have "poor test taking skills"... shouldn't I have run into that issue awhile ago?
ANYWAYS... Has anyone run into this problem during nursing school? How was it resolved? If we all fail, who can we take our issues to? The dean of the RN program also says we are the problem too, so it is pointless to address this with her. I can speak for my class when we say we are past the point of feeling defeated... we are losing the love of nursing due to this college.
Any advice and/or comments are welcome... but please no negativity. I am not sure how much more my mind can handle!
There must be something about LPN-RN programs because my program has the same issue and the faculty, for whatever reason, seems to not like this program (we are completely separate from the traditional program). Last year only 7/40 students graduated. My class is doing much better, we graduate in April and have only lost a few but after last year their pass rates were awful and BON got involved. So I suspect they have made things a tick easier but they still treat us awful. Wish I had advice for you, hope everything works out.
This school will not have a graduating nursing class then? I would think they would not want that kind of publicity. Read your student handbook and go up the chain. Something is very wrong.
From the sounds of it yes! We are rounding home base here on week 10... class average is about 67-70% when the answer from the DON, "Do more NCLEX questions, we are working on it". This should have been a red flag, in my opinion, when our entire class failed, and by failed I mean bombed, the first test 7 weeks ago. Our subject courses are those we know about already; DM, Cardiac, Resp, etc. But when the tests are written by the professors, it comes down to what I feel like is an opinionated answer than one I can chose as a priority or the best answer. I know how how to NCLEX test... I have taken the LPN NCLEX and passed with the lowest score possible and on the first try. Granted I am sure it is not the same level of RN knowledge, I understand how to read the questions, prioritize, and if I do not know the answer off hand at least I am able to narrow them down.
We have used our student handbook and chain of command, but we are in fear of speaking out because we might happen to fail the class if we do speak out. It is one of the most sickening feelings I have ever had in my life these last few weeks.
I'm wondering is this for-profit is intentionally trying to avoid staying in business/ making it look like the student's fault when they DO close their doors?
The whole concept-based curriculum is troublesome to a degree (it's the flavor of the day in poorly organized programs it seems), and to introduce it in the middle of a program is just plain wrong.
Concept Based Nursing is ridiculous. Yes I understand the concept of "perfusion" but that does not mean I automatically know every disease process that is involved in perfusion aka all of them
Tough situation. Question though - how did you all fail 3 exams.. was there any corrective action on your end after the 1st or 2nd?
No corrective action was done on anyone's part, rather myself and the class were ignored the following class when we all miserably failed the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd test. I wish I knew how I failed all 3 exams! I'd like think I'm not a total idiot but the 3 times I have asked to review my test and meet with my instructor she has blown me off and said she had a class to teach EVEN though I have arrived at the times she told me to be there. I can fly though questions about the subjects we have covered in this class and get them right but when I take the tests these teachers wrote it comes down to what the teacher thinks is right rather than what we think, even if we have a rationale as to why we thought that way or chose that answer. If I was the only failing student, I know that it is 99.9% a ME problem... but I'm in the 100% of the class that is failing
You should have every right to review your tests. I have found on two exams so far the professor actually had the wrong answers and they threw those questions out.
I know this is a stupid question, but, has anyone gone to the teacher and asked for any remediation? Study tips? Gone over previous tests?
No stupid questions! We on all the tests, but she insists it is us who are wrong and even if we prove ourselves right, she is still the right one. I have personally attempted to go over the tests with her but she has blown me off 3 times...
So we had something similar happen thing semester in a local CC based program. The school changed their testing procedure and the questions were not reflective of what was being taught. The effects were felt school wide, where after the 2nd exam less than 1% of the ENTIRE nursing program (all levels) had a passing grade. It broke everyone's confidence. We ended up going up the chain of command all the way to the Chancellor of the community college requesting statistics on the exams be reviewed. In the end, we as students, made suggestions to the faculty as how we felt we could improve our scores - I.e. Learning strategies, more time for testing (were being given tests with over half the exam being sata or alternative style questions), so on and so forth. After it was all said and done the faculty did adjust our grades on the previous exams based on stats - any question where more than 80% answer wrong full credit was given, and they also met us half way on our requests. It was stressful to say the least.
Concept Based Nursing is ridiculous. Yes I understand the concept of "perfusion" but that does not mean I automatically know every disease process that is involved in perfusion aka all of them
Specializes in Pedi; Geriatrics; office; Pedi home care..
It sounds like the school (teachers/professors/instuctors; cirruculum; etc.) is at fault. Everyone should not have failed. It all sounds fishy. New concept of teaching may mean that the instructors may not like the concept; and, set you all up for failure. If that is found out/proven to be the case; I would hold the school and (main) Dean of Students responsible.
As someone else said, it would be a shame if the information that everyone failed got out.
You probably should check with & notify your state nursing board.
but the 3 times I have asked to review my test and meet with my instructor she has blown me off and said she had a class to teach EVEN though I have arrived at the times she told me to be there. I can fly though questions about the subjects we have covered in this class and get them right but when I take the tests these teachers wrote it comes down to what the teacher thinks is right rather than what we think, even if we have a rationale as to why we thought that way or chose that answer. If I was the only failing student, I know that it is 99.9% a ME problem... but I'm in the 100% of the class that is failing 
SaltySarcasticSally, LPN, RN
2 Articles; 440 Posts
There must be something about LPN-RN programs because my program has the same issue and the faculty, for whatever reason, seems to not like this program (we are completely separate from the traditional program). Last year only 7/40 students graduated. My class is doing much better, we graduate in April and have only lost a few but after last year their pass rates were awful and BON got involved. So I suspect they have made things a tick easier but they still treat us awful. Wish I had advice for you, hope everything works out.