Failure rate of nursing schools.

jenhen82 · Sep 16, 2009

Just a thought here, but I often attribute the increasing failure/dropout rates to the admission process (or what it has become over the last several years). At this time, it seems that the majority, if not all nursing schools, adhere strictly to admitting based on GPA. However, I don't think GPA is always the best indicator of a students interest or likelihood to succeed in nursing. It may indicate that the person is great at studying the material, but not that he/she will perform well in nursing clinicals. There was a time when experience as paid or volunteer work counted for something in the application process. I think that some exposure to the field is important. I would have hated the idea of having to get experience before applying when I was straight out of high school bc it would have been one extra thing to take care of to apply, but now I realize that some are afraid of needles, others afraid of stool, others afraid of vomit--and somehow some people think that, as nurses, "there must be someone else who takes care of this."

Not that it matters too much: I didn't have a great GPA. I have no idea what mine was after my first college-somewhere in the 2.0's. I had been an early admit with a gauranteed spot if i maintained a certain gpa, but after 1.5 years I knew I could not quite pull it off with one semester to go until clinicals began, so I transferred (only to discover that admission was tough everywhere and I was coming from a 4-yr university to a community college). There are just so many applicants. In the end I've transferred 5 or 6 times since high school and taken the long route CNA to LPN to RN and now to BSN. I never had the highest GPA for gen ed prereqs--I had to move 1,000 miles away from my hometown to find a school that would accept me. I did maintain one of the highest GPA's in clinical courses--anyone who's transferred knows that your clinical grades don't follow you to the next school or level of education. They always look at your gen ed grades b/c clinical classes (and, therefore, grades) don't transfer. I've noticed one or two schools have lowered their expectations. I look at job openings in the area and can only attribute this to larger demand for nurses in those areas with fewer applicants.

For anyone interested in the statistics: I believe we lost 1/10-12 students in CNA class. We lost 16 out of 31 in LPN school. Lost 25-30% of RN class. Those that did not finish either failed or dropped out due to lack of time available to devote to the work.

harleyridingirl · Sep 16, 2009

Our ASN class started with 30. Now as a senior, we have 7 that haven't failed a class. The last senior class got 100% NCLEX passing grades.

tthor5220 · Sep 16, 2009

When I was in nursing school in the early 90's in Michigan, we had probably 5 drop out of a class of 35 or so. Of those I don't believe anyone failed the boards.

AZMOMO2 · Sep 16, 2009

I know we have to take the NCLEX_RN once we finish the ADN program but I had no idea we had to take the NCLEX-RN for the BSN program (I am already an RN and I am going for my BSN now) but the program made no mention of having to retake the boards for the BSN portion

As far as I know there is no such application of the RN to BSN process that requires you to retake the NCLEX-RN. Its only if you were direct entry into a BSN program that you are eligible to take the NCLEX-RN upon completion of the program.

Of course anyone correct me if I am wrong.

morte, LPN, LVN · Sep 16, 2009

As far as I know there is no such application of the RN to BSN process that requires you to retake the NCLEX-RN. Its only if you were direct entry into a BSN program that you are eligible to take the NCLEX-RN upon completion of the program.
Of course anyone correct me if I am wrong.

nope, only have to pass that sucker once!

phill_rn, MSN, APRN · Sep 16, 2009

I attend Drexel and wouldnt recommend it to anyone!

MaritesaRN · Sep 16, 2009

Is it the school's fault for not teaching what it's supposed to? Somewhere there is a failure in the system. Maybe the schools need to have more prerequisites before getting in so the failure rate is not so high. My school doesn't even require pharmacology or chemistry. Maybe there should be 8-wk courses you can take for the year you are going into., teaching some of the fundamentals of the hardest sections. How about nursing tutors?

:twocents:

I believe that whatever category you are going for , certificate, BSN , or MSN nursing , somehow , the basics must be taken such as the anatomy , chemistry, micro, algebra etc..... get those science and labs done first before going to the nursing clinical program ------ you will learn more since you are not cramming, not to mention your life is doable. Whatever you aspire for , like MSN if you are thinking of administrators, but there are some programs of which you have a choice of specialty such as masters w/ a research , teaching , or a generic MA. Different schools have different specialties w/ their masters. It is good to hear that nurses are getting their "higher" education, but are we going to be depleted of floor nurses or on hands nurses because of this? :eek:

kittykittykitty · Sep 17, 2009

It was a given that first semester was a time for weeding out those not suitable for nursing. How many dropped, I don't remember. My understanding for the high drop rate now is that public schools are required to admit a certain number of students whether qualified or not. All of the instructors were not of the same high quality. That goes for all schools, not just nursing, however. In spite of this the school had had a 100% pass rate for ten years. Everyone in our class passed boards also. It must have been an outstanding program because the same standards held when my daughter attended the same school with the same pass rate.

djmaryme · Sep 17, 2009

Not all of the blame is on the school, sometimes it's on the students. But I would agree that a good school needs a good teacher, in order for the students to learn well and pass in the exams. So for those nursing schools having a low rate of passers, I think they should hire competent nursing professors and clinical insructors that will surely teach great knowlege with regards to this course.

whitedoginwi · Sep 17, 2009

Failure rates in nursing schools depends on the type of program. Some programs admit anybody who passes minimumn requirements. Those schools have higher failure rates. Other schools, 4 year college programs, have lower rates because they are able to pick the top students that apply for nursing school. They require excellent acedemics, essays and interviews.

Our local tech school, accepts 80 students per semester and graduates between 20 and 30 students. The Universuty programs accepts 24 students and graduates 24 students.

Alvindudley · Sep 17, 2009

I feel really sorry for all of you. My school is excellent. There is some disorganization and communication issues (I am in an accelerated BSN) but for the most part our instructors are amazing and our clinical instructors know thier stuff. I just took a huge exam today-3 hours, 145 style NCLEX questions and I did really well because I had tons of support. We have 82 in our class and I think we will have a 100% pass rate. I can't think of any of my classmates who won't be amazing nurses.

MaritesaRN · Sep 17, 2009

Not all of the blame is on the school, sometimes it's on the students. But I would agree that a good school needs a good teacher, in order for the students to learn well and pass in the exams. So for those nursing schools having a low rate of passers, I think they should hire competent nursing professors and clinical insructors that will surely teach great knowlege with regards to this course.

:eek:

Oh yes , I can identify to the bad schools, bad teachers -- I have first hand experience with this. Got all of my pre requisites, even took a nursing aid course as a kudos since there is some kind of a point system. Got in the school in that community in spite of a long waiting lists ( I took all sciences, and labs before applying) . Then I had a teacher that just seemed to have a personal vendetta of me. In peds rotation, I finally had it w/ this unbecoming instructor :banghead: .....I walked out of tha rotation because of the pressure she gave me--- and I do not know why because I was a good student ! When others asked me questions in the rotation , and I shared my knowledge , and she will right away assume that I was the one asking the others instead of the other way around. If not for the nursing director( she saw what was going on and very supportive of me) in that school, I would have quite completely . The nursing director :redbeatheencouraged me to go to the LVN and finish it in one semester instead of a year......reluctantly , I did because she was right, that I have too far to call it quits. ( I wanted to drop nursing for good !)

That was the best LVN class I ever attended, and I got the best teacher in the world!!! :loveya: We learned so much under this one gentle and smart teacher. She made learning even fun and exciting without the BS the other one did. What a difference !!!! :smokin: :yeah: :coollook:

Future teachers , remember this when you are w/ your students. If you want to flex your ego muscle , do it in sports or w/ your therapist and not w/ your students !!! You could really mess up somebodys life and future , and I do not think that you would like to carry that Karma around !!!! :no: