Help. Is my outrage justified?

[fairandbalanced]

Is my rage justified. My friend just flunked out of her first semester at Charity with a 76 average. 77 is the cut. The failing question (and I don't know it word for word, but here is the general gist of it): An african woman who lives in Africa has an intestinal bug. She believes that by eating pumpkin seeds, the bug will be eliminated. Is this a : religious belief, a cultural belief, is she correct, and few other choices. My friend answered, a cultural belief. As per the teacher: WRONG. First of all, regardless of the question or answer, how is this question even relevant to Nursing? Upon doing her homework and research, she could prove it very much IS a cultural thing. She appealed the question. The woman who wrote the question refused to budge and the committee sided with her. So boom. My freind is out. Never mind she is an excellent student. I am outraged. 44 people apparently missed that stupid, trick, unfair, irrelevant question. When teachers result to trickery on exams, it is so unfair and the students will never win. What can be done about this? This is a power issue and the teacher is getting off on it. People like that have got to go. I am beginning Charity in January. If I wasn't sufficiently terrified before, I certainly am now. Feedback, please.

[evolvingrn, BSN, RN]

Actually, while there may very well be African traditional healers who advocate chewing of pumpkin seeds for various ailments, it is a recognized health food, effective for gastro-intestinal ailments, and alternative health care practitioners do recommend it for expelling worms. So the student is wrong; it is not an African cultural thing.

I do agree, though; it is a bit of a catch question. I would be interested to know how much alternative medicine is being taught in nursing schools today.

I was going to say, im somewhat in to alternative medicine and I have never associated eating pumpkin seeds with african culture its something that is promoted for parasites and overall GI health. the problem is those are NCLEX style questions, there are some you can argue until your blue in the face but those questions are meant to make you go 'huh" they prepare people from the test they have to eventually have to pass.

[lifelearningrn, BSN, RN]

Perhaps I'm stuck in the 'old' way of looking at grades.. but in my little world I always thought that:

F= epic failing

D= sub-par/failing

C=average

B=above average

A=excellent

I realize that in NS we have to do 78 or better to be considered passing. I've kind of assumed that was because they don't want the lower side of average (and below) students moving on. Leaving the C+ (high average) and above to move on. They have the right to keep standards wherever they wish.

BUT- I personally think calling a C+ student academically challenged is a little insulting. (I've made a couple C+ in my college career)

I've seen a lot of elitist (you should be able to make As all through or you shouldn't become a nurse/graduate/be allowed to live) comments on here and I must say I find it ridiculous. Straight As are simply not a possibility for many, many otherwise well qualified and equally bright students.

It's easy to say, "YOU SHOULDN'T BE A NURSE IF YOU CAN MAKE A 90 or 99.9 or 95" or whatever ridiculously high value you want place on passing students if you were a straight A never had a blip kind of student. Good for you.

For the rest of us, there are a more reasonable guidelines (high C+ and up). Thank heaven someone in the nursing school world realizes that the ability to memorize and regurgitate mountains of information for test purposes isn't the ONLY measure of a good nurse.

[GHGoonette, BSN, RN]

I was going to say, im somewhat in to alternative medicine and I have never associated eating pumpkin seeds with african culture its something that is promoted for parasites and overall GI health. the problem is those are NCLEX style questions, there are some you can argue until your blue in the face but those questions are meant to make you go 'huh" they prepare people from the test they have to eventually have to pass.

As I mentioned in my last post, I would like to see the question in its entirety as well as the study material provided to the students. I would also like to know what the "correct" answer is. Pumpkin seeds were used by Native Americans as traditional medicine, so from that aspect it may be viewed as part of Native American culture. It is not a part of African culture or religion. So what is being claimed as the right answer?

I really wish the OP could give us that information, I'd love to know what the instructor was trying to get at with this question.

[klone, MSN, RN]

Perhaps I'm stuck in the 'old' way of looking at grades.. but in my little world I always thought that:

F= epic failing

D= sub-par/failing

C=average

B=above average

A=excellent

I realize that in NS we have to do 78 or better to be considered passing. I've kind of assumed that was because they don't want the lower side of average (and below) students moving on. Leaving the C+ (high average) and above to move on. They have the right to keep standards wherever they wish.

BUT- I personally think calling a C+ student academically challenged is a little insulting. (I've made a couple C+ in my college career)

This reminds me of an argument I regularly have with my 8th grade son (who has a genius level IQ, but ZERO motivation). "But mo-om, Cs are 'average'!" "I don't care, you're capable of better than 'average'."

My personal opinion is that if one is struggling with Cs in the nursing program, they're either a) unmotivated, or b) just don't grasp the material. I personally would not want either type as my nurse.

In school (as an adult learner), I've always been an overachiever. I would consider it an epic fail to get a C in any class. If my grade in any class starts to get below a 92%, I start kicking myself. If that makes me 'elitist' so be it. But I know I'm capable of As (even with three children and a fulltime job) so if I get less than an A, I know it was because I wasn't trying hard enough. And BTW, in my graduate program, a C = failing. You need to maintain at least a B average to stay in the program.

P.S. I'm an awesome clinical nurse, as well. So book smarts and real-world smarts are not mutually exclusive.

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN]

Perhaps I'm stuck in the 'old' way of looking at grades.. but in my little world I always thought that:

F= epic failing

D= sub-par/failing

C=average

B=above average

A=excellent

I realize that in NS we have to do 78 or better to be considered passing. I've kind of assumed that was because they don't want the lower side of average (and below) students moving on. Leaving the C+ (high average) and above to move on. They have the right to keep standards wherever they wish.

BUT- I personally think calling a C+ student academically challenged is a little insulting. (I've made a couple C+ in my college career)

I've seen a lot of elitist (you should be able to make As all through or you shouldn't become a nurse/graduate/be allowed to live) comments on here and I must say I find it ridiculous. Straight As are simply not a possibility for many, many otherwise well qualified and equally bright students.

It's easy to say, "YOU SHOULDN'T BE A NURSE IF YOU CAN MAKE A 90 or 99.9 or 95" or whatever ridiculously high value you want place on passing students if you were a straight A never had a blip kind of student. Good for you.

For the rest of us, there are a more reasonable guidelines (high C+ and up). Thank heaven someone in the nursing school world realizes that the ability to memorize and regurgitate mountains of information for test purposes isn't the ONLY measure of a good nurse.

I completely agree.

The poster that said 99.99999% or above though I took as sarcasm to the original post of saying 95 or higher.

I average B's in my nursing program with a couple of C's. B's are 85% and 2 of my C's were 84%. Yet I have gotten nothing but wonderful feedback and praise at all of my clinicals. I have no doubt that I will make a great nurse even with my "sub par" grades. Very rarely are A's even made in my program as an overall grade for that class. Shoot I got an 84.3% in my pharm class which is a C but got a 98.9% on the Pharm HESI.

[roser13, ASN, RN]

No, if all the students work hard and are able to score at least 90% on the tests, then they'll all become nurses.

ETA: Okay, I see we're arguing percent/percentile semantics. I'm talking about PERCENT, not PERCENTILE.

Try convincing JacobK of that! I give up.....

[hiddencatRN, BSN, RN]

The poster that said 99.99999% or above though I took as sarcasm to the original post of saying 95 or higher.

Yes, thank you. I thought all the decimals would make it clear that I was being sarcastic. Because the 95% and up to pass post made me seriously LOL and reminded me of the thread about how much reading everyone has in nursing school that became a micturating contest.

ETA: Okay, I see we're arguing percent/percentile semantics. I'm talking about PERCENT, not PERCENTILE.

Percent and percentile are two different things- it's not a semantics argument. Perhaps the original poster who brought percentile in to the discussion wasn't aware of the meaning, but a 90th percentile is not the same as earning a 90% on a test.

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN]

Yes, thank you. I thought all the decimals would make it clear that I was being sarcastic. Because the 95% and up to pass post made me seriously LOL and reminded me of the thread about how much reading everyone has in nursing school that became a micturating contest.

.

I thought of that same post when I read your post and assumed it was connected. That whole "my fish is bigger than your fish" thing. lol I almost posted that in our program you have to get 100%. Granted that is on Dosage Calc but still

[Blackheartednurse]

My friend had the same thing happen to her in 4th semester and like your friend her appeal was denied. My friend however became extremely depressed, stopped speaking to any of her friends in the nursing program and started doing hard core drugs. She died of an overdose 4-5 months later...... I was completely shocked, she had been a bubbly happy person before this happened. You never know when someone might hit their breaking point...

Wow what a sad story however I really dont think that failing nursing school would cause her to start doing drugs.

[Blackheartednurse]

Actually, while there may very well be African traditional healers who advocate chewing of pumpkin seeds for various ailments, it is a recognized health food, effective for gastro-intestinal ailments, and alternative health care practitioners do recommend it for expelling worms. So the student is wrong; it is not an African cultural thing.

I do agree, though; it is a bit of a catch question. I would be interested to know how much alternative medicine is being taught in nursing schools today.

I always though that seeds can cause inflammation of the appendix

[GHGoonette, BSN, RN]

I always though that seeds can cause inflammation of the appendix

Gee, I hope not...I love my pumpkin seeds!

Haven't checked to see if they dewormed me though...

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN]

Gee, I hope not...I love my pumpkin seeds!

Haven't checked to see if they dewormed me though...

Pfffft, who needs an appendix anyway, they take them out all the time.