Why are so many people dropping out or failing Nursing school?

Nursing Students General Students

Published

I have heard of classes starting with like 60 students then only 15 graduating at the end.Why does this happen? Whats the harderst thing about Nursing school and how can You successfully finish Nursing school?

Specializes in Emergency, Outpatient.

I think the hard part of nursing is other nurses. We make it so hard on each other. My friend's husband is a physician. We graduated together with a MSN. He said that in medical school you learned and you tested and what he had seen with his wife was that you had to jump through hoops with busy work. I am now almost finished with my post master's and totally agree with him, most of the work I have done is just busy work.

Specializes in Urgent Care.

It is alot of work. If one falls behind, it becomes that much harder to catch up. There is alot of information to retain, as well as learning the skills. Sometimes people can't keep up, other times life gets in the way, things happen. All I can say is keep afloat and keep on top of the assignments from the beginning. Stay focused and you'll do fine!

Specializes in Emergency, Outpatient.

and the way to get through it is one day at a time, just plow right in and do it one day and one assignment at a time.

The hardest thing for me is the fact that I speak my mind most of the time. The thing that you will learn in a BSN program is that most nursing instructors are a "breed of their own". They do things by the book, which isn't the way it really happens. I find myself realizing that my instructors are literally pissing the nurses off on the floor, because they're intense. You just have to go home at the end of the day knowing that you know your stuff, despite how stupid your faculty can make you feel at times. You sort of have to play the game, so to speak, if you can't do that then you're not going to get through the first semesters of nursing school.

Also, you have to keep up with your work, and really know that you want to be a nurse. I think most people drop out of nursing school at first because the first few semesters can seem practically stupid. You want to be learning how to do all the cool stuff, like IVs, meds, etc. Instead they teach you how to make beds and give baths...basically CNA stuff (no offense). It does get better you just have to stick it out. Like someone else said, most of it is busy work, but that's how a BSN program is different. You won't think you need it at the time, but most of the stuff I thought was busy work has come back to help me at times. Nursing school isn't hard as long as you have the motivation and desire, that's just my thoughts!;)

Sometimes students get on the wrong side of someone or several someones who have power over their progress in their respective programs. It is hard to believe, but there are occasionally instructors who develop personal issues with certain students, or this can develop in the clinical setting with staff nurses and preceptors, and the student is doomed. My school had at least one of these instructors and the wise students learned to avoid her like the plague (she had observable mental problems). Sorry to say that things like this happen, but sometimes people fall victim to these circumstances.

Our past entering class of fundamentals students started with 45 and now I think there are around 15 left. Our school is just really hard- you have to know everything! Plus that class started in the summer which is automatically harder b/c less time for same amount of info. I think the hardest thing about nursing school is the exams! Our entire grade hinges upon them. We get pass/fail in all the other work we do so it doesnt factor into our final grade. Therfore- one bad test and you are done for (80% is passing). So I am not sure how they do it at your school but the first thing you should do is look at the syllabus and see what grades carry the highest percentage. There have definetly been some projects/papers I could have spent more time on but why should I when it's pass/fail? It was better to spend my time studying for the exams.

Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg, Peds, ICU, Tele.

My nursing class had very few dropouts, and only one failure. I agree on the nursing instructor bit. Some of mine were totally out of touch with bedside nursing, I have a feeling they fit into the catagory of "Those who can't do, teach". One instructor was literally a dumb blonde who was the sister of the head of the program who had gotten the job after her doctor husband had dumped her. At least she was nice though. We had a snotty young traveler who did our first semester clinicals who was a real piece of work, she was viscious toward this one young girl who was morbidly obese, for no apparent reason, since the girl was extremely competant. That instructor's behavior reminded me of highschool bullying.

Its suprising for me to hear that many of you have poor instuctors. Our instructors are all really nice and know what they are doing. So far (1 semester left) they have all been amazing. I wouldn't say our failing rate had anything to do with the instructors; it is just hard material.

I have heard of classes starting with like 60 students then only 15 graduating at the end.Why does this happen? Whats the harderst thing about Nursing school and how can You successfully finish Nursing school?

I started with 60 students and at present we are 31 strong. Why almost half the class gone..lots of reasons. Some "thought" they'd like to be a nurse but when push came to shove, they were out of there quick. a couple had personal/medical issues that made it near impossible for them to be at class all the time and they failed out due to absenses. Quite a few just didn't apply themselves w/their studies. Instead of studying for that test they knew they didn't have a full grasp on, they went out partying the weekend before the test, or just didn't study. We lost a few due to grades that COULD have been at passing level IF they had done the assigned work! Some really just couldn't "get" the material no matter how much they tried. Some to clinical and being very unsafe or not practicing at the level expected. And a few due to financial reasons. I have to say, most of those that are no longer a part of my class, failed due to THEIR choices not by the hand of instructors.

They way to succesfully finish? Well I can only tell you how to plod along since, I'm half way through my LPN schooling. :lol2:

Specializes in being a Credible Source.

I believe that part of the NS attrition problem is that the selection criteria are not sufficiently rigorous.

Many schools require only a 3.0 and admit using a waiting list or a lottery. For some schools, that 3.0 can include the ability to repeat core subjects in order to earn the necessary minimum grade. Some feeder programs give students many weeks in the class before they're committed to following through.

The statistic that I recently read in the Sacramento Bee said that in California, approximately 30% of the matriculants graduate on time, another 45% graduate late, and about 25% do not graduate at all.

There is a move in the California legislature to require all public schools to use merit-based admissions rather than waiting lists or lotteries. I believe that will help the attrition problem.

I'm curious, has anybody seen statistics about attrition in merit-based programs versus minimally-qualified programs? I'm also wondering about comparisons between ADN, BSN, and DEMSN programs.

Because it's just so damn hard

+ Add a Comment