University changing cirriculum mid year HELP!!

Nursing Students General Students

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A good friend of mine called last night madder than h***. She is getting ready to take the final in peds and was ORDERED to go to a manditory meeting on the 15th or she won't get her grade. Her final is on the 12th.

It appears as though the School of Nursing is requiring ALL nursing student to take the Assessment Technologies Institute test and PASS before they can go to the next course!! :angryfire

My friend is one semester away from graduation and has earned A's in ALL her classes. So my question is, can a school change the courses w/o prior notification? I graduated from this school last year and we were not required to take this test. If I understand right, they are replacing the HESI with this one.

Is this legal? Can they change w/o informing the class? If they can't who does she need to talk to about this?

Thanks!!

____________________________________

In His Grace,

Karen

Failure is NOT an option!!

Specializes in OB, lactation.

I am curious about this, too - whether a school can change what is outlined in the catalog as required for graduation. I didn't think they were supposed to change things until a new class and hence new catalog came in.

That said, my school of nursing has done it several times. I think it is wrong. People make plans for the years of their schooling based on what the catalog describes. Changes are fine, just start it with a new group of students and put it in their catalog so they may plan accordingly.

Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.
I agree with Suzanne. This is not a change in curriculum. Schools have a bulletin which outlines the order or number of courses needed for graduation. Each course is amended as new information comes around. A different assessment tool is no different than a new bit of information to be learned. You must pass that assessment/test/exam/procedure before you can advance. That's the bottom line.

Agree. Curricula can and should change when appropriate. My school also required NLN tests at the end of each term. I don't know anyone who studied specifically for them - they were standardized tests of our accumulated knowledge up until that point.

Best wishes to your friend as she continues her studies. :)

Specializes in OB, lactation.

I think content of a course should certainly change as new information is available, but adding a whole new requirement for graduation is different.

Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.

Yes, they can do it. At my school we are to sign a waiver that says that they have the right to adjust the curriculum at anytime.

Specializes in OB, lactation.
Yes, they can do it. At my school we are to sign a waiver that says that they have the right to adjust the curriculum at anytime.

Would they be able to if you didn't sign a waiver though?

I don't get the big issue. If they changed the final exam for a course or added a different type of project, it would be the same thing. I don't see why they can't change courses as they see fit to best prepare their graduates. That seems to be the most important thing.

Specializes in OB, lactation.
I don't get the big issue. If they changed the final exam for a course or added a different type of project, it would be the same thing. I don't see why they can't change courses as they see fit to best prepare their graduates. That seems to be the most important thing.

At my school, they added ERI tests as a requisite for graduation, that are not really part of the courses (you just take them after each appropriate class is done of course because you just learned the material). My school has done other things too, like for example, adding a required NCLEX review course (hundreds of dollars and a full week of every day instruction that is difficult for part-timers, that was not planned for). Another example that has been very difficult for me, is my school really recruited me by touting how friendly it was for distance and part-time learners, but has since changed many of the virtual courses to on-campus courses, and has also made some classes have more clinical days - VERY difficult when I live 110 miles away, (one-way) and I chose that school based on those things that were in place and promised when I applied and started.

From reading this thread, it seems like students are more bothered by this issue than teachers or people who are already out of school. Would it be a fair comparison to think about it this way - how would you feel if your place of work violated the contract or conditions under which you were hired for your job? (I know there's no perfect comparison but I'm trying to think of something).

Even if it is considered legal, I don't think it's good business practice (just as it may technically be legal to hire someone for a job and then change things that were promised, but then that business would probably not have a good reputation). I am mostly happy with other aspects of my program at school but I would not recommend it to someone else based on this. My 2 cents FWIW.

Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.
My school has done other things too, like for example, adding a required NCLEX review course (hundreds of dollars and a full week of every day instruction that is difficult for part-timers, that was not planned for).

Even if it is considered legal, I don't think it's good business practice...

REQUIRED you to take an NCLEX review course? This is insane! What in the world did you pay tuition for, if your own school doesn't have confidence in the abilities of its graduates to pass NCLEX?

I am not convinced that mid-stream curriculum changes are legal. I would consider consulting an attorney if my school did this to me. Fortunately, I graduated 20 years ago, and knew no one who wasted money on an NCLEX review. And our class had a 97% pass rate.

At my school, they added ERI tests as a requisite for graduation, that are not really part of the courses (you just take them after each appropriate class is done of course because you just learned the material). My school has done other things too, like for example, adding a required NCLEX review course (hundreds of dollars and a full week of every day instruction that is difficult for part-timers, that was not planned for). Another example that has been very difficult for me, is my school really recruited me by touting how friendly it was for distance and part-time learners, but has since changed many of the virtual courses to on-campus courses, and has also made some classes have more clinical days - VERY difficult when I live 110 miles away, (one-way) and I chose that school based on those things that were in place and promised when I applied and started.

From reading this thread, it seems like students are more bothered by this issue than teachers or people who are already out of school. Would it be a fair comparison to think about it this way - how would you feel if your place of work violated the contract or conditions under which you were hired for your job? (I know there's no perfect comparison but I'm trying to think of something).

Even if it is considered legal, I don't think it's good business practice (just as it may technically be legal to hire someone for a job and then change things that were promised, but then that business would probably not have a good reputation). I am mostly happy with other aspects of my program at school but I would not recommend it to someone else based on this. My 2 cents FWIW.

I think part of the reason I feel this way is because I have had things changed on me at work, like most people probably have (and in school too). If tomorrow they decide it will be nurses and not RTs to draw the blood gases, I'd have to do it. I couldn't say "That wasn't part of the original deal so I refuse!". If they decide I have to wear hospital scrubs instead of my own personal scrubs, I'd have to do that too. If they decide to mandate I get ACLS to work in NICU, I'd have to do that too even if I think it's stupid. I think it's kind of silly to require that I have basic adult CPR to work in NICU, but I do have to have it, so that's that. The requirements for employment do change after you get hired sometimes, just like school requirements can change.

To me, it seems like they are using this test like they would use any final exam and I don't see that as being completely unreasonable. Schools have final exams. I don't think you know as a student the exact course outline of every class before you start school and I don't think you necessarily have to.

Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

From reading this thread, it seems like students are more bothered by this issue than teachers or people who are already out of school. Would it be a fair comparison to think about it this way - how would you feel if your place of work violated the contract or conditions under which you were hired for your job? (I know there's no perfect comparison but I'm trying to think of something).

Even if it is considered legal, I don't think it's good business practice (just as it may technically be legal to hire someone for a job and then change things that were promised, but then that business would probably not have a good reputation).

My two cents, FWIW ...

Things change. My employer doesn't exist for the sake of employing me, or any other employee, under the exact conditions which existed on the day I agree to take the job. It exists to provide patient care, however it decides to do so, within the parameters of accepted medical practice, the health care market/economy & all applicable federal, state & local laws. These parameters change, frequently. I have absolutely no doubt that if I remained in my current position for the rest of my working life (approx. 30 years), my responsibilities, tasks and practices would change drastically, and repeatedly, in that time.

Fergus' example about a specific task, drawing ABGs, is a good one.

I am by no means a legal expert, but I disagree with the notion that a college catalog published on a certain date constitutes some kind of contract with students. I think that the attainment of a degree is not a contract which is negotiated by 2 parties.

To the OP: I hope that the substitution of the ATI exam for the HESI doesn't turn out to be too traumatic for your friend, and that she moves on to a successful career after graduation. :)

Specializes in OB, lactation.

Oops... it keeps reposting...

Specializes in OB, lactation.

I do agree that there will always be change, like I said I think changes should certainly be made to keep courses up to date. And I think schools should change as needed in general, just certain things are not appropriate to change midstream, they should be done for the next matriculating class.

And the ABG's, etc. is a good example in the work place, but after a certain point I think it eclipses the reasonable, expected sorts of changes. ABG's and small stuff like that are not really contractual type items (and admittedly adding one screening exam may not be, either... not sure where you draw the line). I guess it's just a big thing to me because my school has done a lot of this and it has seriously had a huge effect on my life for the last 2 years (lifestyle & finances). If it was just one test or some small things here and there maybe it wouldn't be a big deal to me either. ABG's is one thing, but I'm sure everyone has a point at which change would be unacceptable.

To each his own :)

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