This is really just me venting but I'm getting annoyed with all the second, third, fourth, etc.. chances. Nursing school is preparing us to fill a role where could literally kill someone if we make a mistake. Why are we allowed so many chances to retake classes, retake dosage tests, retake nclex, and other things.
In my five semester program, I have a classmate who has been there for 5 semesters but is only in 2nd semester because he keeps withdrawing and is allowed to try again. If it takes that many tries, I don't think you have what it takes. I see posts on here all the time about people retaking classes and retaking nclex and I know sometimes people make mistakes and need a second chance but it's seems excessive.
We have to take a dosage exam before we go to clinicals and we have to score a 95. If you dont get it the first time, you can take it two more times. If it was real, you could've killed a patient by then! It's very basic math. There's no reason to fail.
I'm so frustrated because I work hard to get things done right the first time and people who have to redo something two more times end up in the same position. I don't know why I bother sometimes.
Again, I never said people were withdrawing because they were failing. I said people withdraw for multiple reasons. I'm not judging anyone.
Your opinion is that students should be given multiple chances. My opinion is they shouldn't. I think if you fail a class in the program a second time, you shouldn't have to start over.
I was talking about those med calc tests and performance tests. I think multiple attempts are okay, within reason. 2-3 tries on those tests seem reasonable.
I agree that if you fail a class the second time, you should not be allowed back because seats and resources are limited. But withdrawal doesn't equate failing, that's what I meant.
Sometimes people do poorly, not because they're incompetent, but because they need to get their act together. If they come back with a new and shiny attitude of motivation, I'm ok with that.
If it was real, you could've killed a patient by then! .
but it's not real. You are in school to LEARN. This is where you are allowed to make mistakes so you can learn from those mistakes and gain knowledge and skills.
I have a classmate who has been there for 5 semesters but is only in 2nd semester because he keeps withdrawing and is allowed to try again.
I read a quote that says "I have learned the hard way to mind my business, without judging who people are and what they do"
People come from all walks of life. Unless you know them personally and know their story, don't be so quick to judge. Maybe they are doing the best they can maybe they are not but until you know their story you cannot begin to write their book.
But getting back to your question..... The program I'm in you only can fail one nursing class. If you fail twice they kick you out. I don't believe they have a policy on withdraws but if you withdraw it will only prolong your time in school.
This is really just me venting but I'm getting annoyed with all the second, third, fourth, etc.. chances. Nursing school is preparing us to fill a role where could literally kill someone if we make a mistake. Why are we allowed so many chances to retake classes, retake dosage tests, retake nclex, and other things.
In my five semester program, I have a classmate who has been there for 5 semesters but is only in 2nd semester because he keeps withdrawing and is allowed to try again. If it takes that many tries, I don't think you have what it takes. I see posts on here all the time about people retaking classes and retaking nclex and I know sometimes people make mistakes and need a second chance but it's seems excessive.
We have to take a dosage exam before we go to clinicals and we have to score a 95. If you dont get it the first time, you can take it two more times. If it was real, you could've killed a patient by then! It's very basic math. There's no reason to fail.
I'm so frustrated because I work hard to get things done right the first time and people who have to redo something two more times end up in the same position. I don't know why I bother sometimes.
Why does it matter to you how many chances someone else gets? I understand you have the right to feel this way. I too read some of the stories on here, and shake my head in disbelief. Seriously, it doesn't take away from the hard work that you do. You haven't even graduated, and still a student in your program . You might need a second chance. You never know.
Students fail/withdraw from a class or program for a variety of reasons. Yes, some students fail due to bad grades, but not all. Death, illness, injury, financial and family are well known issues that cause students to fail too. Just because a nursing student was able to pass all of his or her classes without any issues, and nclex on the first try, DOES NOT mean he or she will be a competent nurse.
NO NURSE is above an error.
Your best bet is to worry about yourself, passing your own classes & nclex on the first try .
I also think if you fail too many times you should be out, period, and there should be a max on the number of times a person can take the NCLEX.
Yes, sometimes even people that fail do well, sometimes it was just a fluke they failed, blah blah blah... and sometimes it's because they don't have what it takes to be a nurse.
I have one of those working with me now. Didn't do so hot in school, took more than one try to pass NCLEX, and she sucks. I'm sorry, but she does. Most often they give her the easiest assignment on the unit or just let her resource now. It's awfully nice that they haven't let her go, but she has more than two years of experience at this point so she should be performing at LEAST a little better by now, but she isn't. We've been so short for so long that management doesn't want to get rid of anybody. It's awful. It would have been a better situation for everyone, especially the patients, if she had been allowed to fail and hadn't gotten far enough that critically ill patients have their lives in her hands.
Wow. I think its so arrogant not to understand that people may have chances. I am one of those people that had a second chance. I passed my med calc exams first try but I don't think its bad for others not to do the same.
Nursing school is SCHOOL and so you are allowed to learn and grow from your mistakes so that in the real world, you don't
make those mistakes. If it makes someone be a better nurse, then they should be given chances.
Wow. I think its so arrogant not to understand that people may have chances. I am one of those people that had a second chance. I passed my med calc exams first try but I don't think its bad for others not to do the same.
Nursing school is SCHOOL and so you are allowed to learn and grow from your mistakes so that in the real world, you don't
make those mistakes. If it makes someone be a better nurse, then they should be given chances.
I don't think anyone is arguing that people will get chances. For me, I think it's ridiculous when people are given multiple attempts at the same thing. And not necessarily dosage calculation. I'm talking repeated attempts at the same test/class. And people who have to take boards 3,4, even 5 times. Yes, it is school and you will learn from your mistakes. But there has to be a limit.
Okay madam perfect, hopefully you will never need a second chance at anything in life. I'm not sure what type of schools you have in your area, but the reputable schools around here dont allow mulptiple chances for everything. Most here , allow you to repeat a class once and a second failure is grounds for dismissal from the program. I dont think nursing school gives too many chances, in fact the good ones are very strict.
My school allows for one withdrawal while attending their ADN program. I withdrew and dont regret retaking it. I made a mistake with time management, but my grades were doing fine. But inside, I just wasn't happy with how I was learning the information but have learned what not to do again so I will be better prepared once I am back in the Fall. My issues a really related to learning problems, and a lot of people who arent in that position, will not empathize with them, and that is a big trait nurses should have for others who go through their trials. I could see it being unfair however if they didnt pass and got a grade curve just to give them that 1 point they needed to pass. We all see this differently, but if you think about it, some programs are more rigorous, and more students might haveto redo something versus schools that arent so tough...who knows?
I dont think you can logically equate English exams to the added stress of a nursing exam. We are all imperfect, and make mistakes. Just because you make a 95 or above, doesnt mean you cant or wont mess up in a real scenario on the floor. Plus, why should we be allowed to even make a 95 in that case? the one question you got wrong to make that 95 could be what kills the patient also? why have any reason at all to get less than 100? They do it to try to give some leeway because we all make errors. Our class can take a practice version prior to the real test. Take the real thing but fail and but remediate for the second official exam but have to make at least a 90 to pass. Everyone's school requires different scores as well, though they are around the same, in the A category, they usually all allow us to make an error and pass. There are so many nurses who saved lived not making it the 1st try.There are also many who have made life-threatening mistakes and got perfect scores and passed their first try; I think that says something, dont you?
Again, you hit the nail on the head :) We learn about making these types of assumptions in the fundamentals of nursing. We are not to draw assumptions but the facts. I wasnt failing when I dropped. Matter of fact, I was doing well without much effort in my fundamentals class, but wasnt happy with how I was learning in pharm, so I am returning this fall. Very good that you use the good traits of a nurse on and off the floor :) Go you!
Okay madam perfect, hopefully you will never need a second chance at anything in life. I'm not sure what type of schools you have in your area, but the reputable schools around here dont allow mulptiple chances for everything. Most here , allow you to repeat a class once and a second failure is grounds for dismissal from the program. I dont think nursing school gives too many chances, in fact the good ones are very strict.
. You might need a second chance. You never know.
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umbdude, MSN, APRN
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