Help! Has anyone been kicked out for failing technical standards

interestedparty · Nov 16, 2013

I have been doing fine on the academic side but just got a letter that they are concerned about my ability to meet technical standards of behavioural emotional communication. They say I get things wrong and annoy them.

Mainly they think I had been nitpicking when they mark my answers wrong when I can prove they are right. I tend to be a perfectionist and really get upset when I am treated unfairly.

Can they dismiss you for not being able to meet these "professional qualities" of sucking it up when you get treated unfairly? I see my perfectionism is creeping them out. Obviously, I will try to lay low now. But there will be a second warning letter coming from a fourth teacher, so am I in danger?

How many of these warnings before they can kick me out? Has anyone had these?

DatMurse · Nov 16, 2013

they can find a reason to fail you, maybe its the way you are presenting yourself?

I am not aware of your personal behavior, but they can always find a reason to kick someone out

springchick1, ADN, RN · Nov 16, 2013

I have been doing fine on the academic side but just got a letter that they are concerned about my ability to meet technical standards of behavioural emotional communication. They say I get things wrong and annoy them. Mainly they think I had been nitpicking when they mark my answers wrong when I can prove they are right. I tend to be a perfectionist and really get upset when I am treated unfairly. Can they dismiss you for not being able to meet these "professional qualities" of sucking it up when you get treated unfairly? I see my perfectionism is creeping them out. Obviously I will try to lay low now. But there will be a second warning letter coming from a fourth teacher, so am I in danger? How many of these warnings before they can kick me out? Has anyone had these?[/quote']
Getting upset and nitpicking with an instructor will get you no where fast. Especially if you are arguing over a test question that only a few people missed. I would ask your school if you can be dismissed for these things. I would also do what you said and lay low for a while and don't get upset when you feel you are being treated unfairly.

interestedparty · Nov 16, 2013

Thanks both, yes, I will lay low now. But - are two warning letters involving 4 teachers enough to get me kicked out anyway? I thought that you had to fail classes.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Nov 16, 2013

Nursing is more than book learning....if they feel you can't function technically in the field yes they can fail you.

Lay low....ask them for specific behavior modifications and how you can improve. Be humble and follow their advice. You have plenty of time to practice your own way when you graduate.

krisiepoo · Nov 16, 2013

quite honestly, they can fail you if they want to. It's too bad it's gotten to this point, but I would sit down and talk about how you can modify the behavior they're worried about. be proactive

boogalina, ADN, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN · Nov 16, 2013

Nursing school is quite a shot to the ego - especially for people used to having their abilities rewarded through grades. (Been there.) Does your school have a student counseling center that can offer you someone to bounce these issues off of? Or is there an EAP where you work (if you have outside employment)?

Nursing school is hard because it is the training ground for working as a nurse. Sometimes as a nurse you will be put in a position of apologizing to a patient or family member, even if you didn't technically do anything wrong. You may have a discussion with a colleague that you feel is not centered on your perspective. These are just a few examples of nursing situations that require a different way of relating with others. I hope things work out, do avail yourself of resources that will help.

SopranoKris, MSN, RN, NP · Nov 17, 2013

Thanks both yes, I will lay low now. But - are two warning letters involving 4 teachers enough to get me kicked out anyway? I thought that you had to fail classes.[/quote']
2 warning letters involving 4 teachers? Maybe you should be looking in the mirror before pointing the finger at your instructors. No one wants anyone to fail out. Nor do programs specifically look to fail students. They want their pass rates to look good.
But if you've been warned twice and several instructors have been involved, you need to take a hard look at yourself and figure out how you may be coming across in your verbal communication. Remember, there may be several answers that are technically "correct", but critical thinking & nursing questions want the "most correct". Arguing with your instructor will get you nowhere.
The best thing to do is take a new direction in how you approach things with your faculty and think carefully about what is being asked on your test questions before answering.
Good luck with the rest of your semester. :)

OCNRN63, RN · Nov 17, 2013

Thanks both, yes, I will lay low now. But - are two warning letters involving 4 teachers enough to get me kicked out anyway? I thought that you had to fail classes.

The only people who can answer this question are the admin. of your school. Anything said here would be speculation.

morte, LPN, LVN · Nov 17, 2013

the pass rate they care about is NCLEX.... and if they want to fail you, they will find a way, and yes it does happen.

2 warning letters involving 4 teachers? Maybe you should be looking in the mirror before pointing the finger at your instructors. No one wants anyone to fail out. Nor do programs specifically look to fail students. They want their pass rates to look good.
But if you've been warned twice and several instructors have been involved, you need to take a hard look at yourself and figure out how you may be coming across in your verbal communication. Remember, there may be several answers that are technically "correct", but critical thinking & nursing questions want the "most correct". Arguing with your instructor will get you nowhere.
The best thing to do is take a new direction in how you approach things with your faculty and think carefully about what is being asked on your test questions before answering.
Good luck with the rest of your semester. :)

lwhatley · Nov 17, 2013

I feel bad that everyone is leaving you hanging...so here goes,

Short answer: yes, but not in the ways you're probably thinking.

Mainly they think I had been nitpicking when they mark my answers wrong when I can prove they are right. I tend to be a perfectionist and really get upset when I am treated unfairly.
Can they dismiss you for not being able to meet these "professional qualities" of sucking it up when I'm treated unfairly? I see my intensity is creeping them out.

I'm going to be completely honest with you, you sound like a nightmare for a professor. Before you get defensive about that, let me first tell you that I can only say that statement with such confidence because there was a time in my nursing school career where I could arguably have been accused of the same stunts....

Even the way you explain your side of the crisis makes you sound like you're not even genuinely acknowledging your role in this issue, you are kinda trying to take the route of a victim, but I get it, you're probably scared...

While I can't speak for certain because I do not know where you are going to school and institutional standards vary from place to place, I do know that prior to entering in the program, you in some way were prompted to "agree to the terms and conditions" of the program. Kinda like a student handbook you know? In other words, just by paying the tuition, probably, you were thereby agreeing to their terms and conditions, which include expectations of behavior. Realistically, the chances of them actually pursuing this potential "void of contract" in an effort to expel you is actually really slim. Just the legalities of such an event would be a mess, and with the way you have portrayed your "tenacity", you'd be just the person to probably make it a nightmare for them to proceed...but I'm getting side tracked.

Every clinical and course you take in school will have a syllabus that outlines course objectives that have to be met in order to pass the class, and I'd be willing to bet that every course syllabus a nursing student has ever had has included an objective r/t "professionalism"...guess what? Your attitude toward the aforementioned "professional qualities" with descriptions like "..of sucking it up" indicate an alarmingly apparent failure to meet the objective...which could cost you your right to pass the course...failing courses leads to being terminated from the program.

Deep breath, you've only received a warning...which means you're in the hot seat, but they're giving you a chance to shape up. USE THIS CHANCE THEY'VE GIVEN YOU TO ACTUALLY SHAPE UP AND CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE.

So here's a few suggestions:

1. You need to start SERIOUSLY choosing your battles, because not all battles are worth it, regardless of if you're actually the victim or not. You absolutely can NOT raise a fuss over every single scenario that MIGHT have questionable "fairness" qualities. Life isn't fair, and your nursing career won't be fair 100% of the time either. Deal with it. Raising hell over every issue of fairness (as determined by you) is seriously unprofessional. That's basically equivalent to adult-toddler tantrums, no boss wants to hire or deal with an adult-toddler.

2. Kind of related to the first suggestion, but start taking constructive criticism! It will help you! I promise! You kinda sound like you get defensive when you're evaluated and you really have to put a stop to that. Take evaluations for what they are, and opportunity to hear from an observing party about your strengths and weaknesses...don't fight their perception of your weaknesses...just listen, and develop a plan to either better yourself, or better represent that perceived "weakness" if you believe the observer was actually wrong (which will sometimes happen)...it simply just means you have to present the quality in a different way as to not be misinterpreted.