Dismissed for Adult Prac Program

greygooseuria · Dec 23, 2015

Except to get into medical school you need to already have a stellar undergrad GPA and pass the MCAT.

We shouldn't lessen our standards for NP school more than they already are.

elkpark · Dec 23, 2015

I do NOT think that struggling in school means you will be a bad provider.

Of course not, but you do have to pass.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Dec 23, 2015

Of course not, but you do have to pass.

True...and not only do you need to pass the classes, you must earn fairly good grades in grad school ('B' grades in all courses).

The 'C' = degree mentality that some people had in undergraduate studies simply will not cut it in MSN and DNP programs if they want to progress to a provider someday. 'C' grades may sink the grad school GPA below 3.0, which prevents graduation in most reputable programs.

A&OxNone, MSN, RN · Dec 23, 2015

Oh, I totally agree you have to pass. And who said anything about lowering anymore standards? None of this is anything I said.

What I'm saying is **** happens and life happens and people have learning disabilities (which doesn't mean they wouldn't make capable providers). What greygoose was saying is.... do you want somebody to be an NP that (essentially) isn't smart enough to keep up their GPA? I'm just saying that statement sounds... wrong. Incorrect. Very smart, capable people fail out all the time. It doesn't mean we should just give them degrees, no, but it also doesn't inversely mean that the best NPs have the best GPAs. That sounds like the attitude of somebody that needs to be knocked down from their high horse a little.

I'm all about understanding that the real world isn't pretty and people go through stuff that blows their ego, but it's still okay. What this poster needs on here is support and encouragement, not somebody saying "well, you didn't deserve to be an NP anyways". The whole tone of it was nasty.

greygooseuria · Dec 23, 2015

I did not say that they shouldn't be an NP because they can't keep up their GPA. I said if they were not passing a course nor meeting the bare minimum requirements to stay in their program, that would be a red flag.

Also, I have a learning disability. I mentioned I have ADHD. It affected me all throughout NP school until I was finally treated starting near the very end of my program. A prudent student would make accommodations and adjust as needed. That's what I had to do.

I also realize that smart people fail out of school. Academics isn't for everyone, nor is it a gauge of how smart someone is. But to become an NP, it is a requirement for licensure. What happens when these NP schools graduate these people that repeatedly failed classes and they can't pass boards? They'll feel even more screwed for having wasted more money. And I NEVER EVER EVER said that the NPs with the best GPAs make the best providers. NOWHERE did I say that. I was speaking about minimum competence, and those with self-image problems read it the way they wanted to.

The poster doesn't need sugarcoated fairy tales. They need the truth and all options. I never said she didn't deserve to be an NP. However, if she is finding the coursework insurmountable, maybe it isn't for her at this point in time, or maybe there is another avenue in nursing she could pursue that would suit her best. I would probably fail miserably as an ICU nurse, for example. It's just not in my natural skill set. And there's nothing wrong with that.

But I'd hate to be an ICU nurse that repeatedly messes up and being told that I just need to try harder and I'll turn out great. I'd rather be told "nope, this isn't for you. Maybe you should try another area of nursing."

A&OxNone, MSN, RN · Dec 23, 2015

Support and encouragement doesn't mean sugarcoating and lying. It can be a simple,"People fail. It doesn't mean you are a bad person or nurse. You still have other career options." All of those things aren't sugarcoating, but that ARE more helpful than "do you really think you should be diagnosing and prescribing if you can't even pass?" It's just not helpful, and as I said, nasty.

allnurses Guide · Dec 23, 2015

This is an important and lively topic to debate, please remember, debate the topic not the individual.

In my experience in educating student NPs both in the clinical and didactic settings I have seen students that (who I think) would have made good providers fail classes and even be dismissed from the program. I have seen students pass that, in my opinion, won't make good providers. It's not a perfect practice,but on the whole, it is effective to set minimum score requirements. It saves the student money. It saves the tax payer money. It protects the school's reputation.

The truth is being academically smart is only part of the equation, but it is also an important part of the equation. You don't have to be a genius but you do need to be able to process, recall, and apply a large amount of information.

greygooseuria · Dec 23, 2015

Yeah, the clinical component is another piece of it too. There are two ways to weed out students, and med school does it the same way: academics and clinicals. You need to be at least the minimum competency in both to pass. That's why pre-med classes are known as the weeding out classes, especially gen chem and orgo.

Elan84 · May 5, 2021

Hi, I know its been years since you post this. But I am in a similar situation and I would like to know what was your outcome or if you found any solution?