how many classmates dropped in your first semester?

NSALVADORE · Nov 10, 2009

We started off with about 32, by 2nd semester had 24. Third semester we have only 20. I think the first semester is hard because it's a whole new way of studying/thinking and also it definitely weeds out those who aren't willing to work to work their butts off!

becky5438 · Nov 11, 2009

we started with 40 and are now down to 36, with 4 week to go in the first semester. I know the two people from my lab group were doing good. They realized nursing wasn't there cup of tea. I know of one other person who failed out, and the last one, I don't know what there issue was. It seems like, in my program at least, most who leave just realize nursing is not for them. we'll see what happens toward the end with comps and finals and ati testing and all, who knows, I may be out by the end(really hope not though)

guiltysins · Nov 11, 2009

Though I'm not in the program, I hear about 1/4 or so usually drop out/kicked out/failed in the first semester from my friends. I wouldn't say the first semester of nursing is easy because every program has different classes. Our school has Pharmacology, Medical Calc, Pathophysiology all in the first semester with the Fundamentals class which includes a 7 week clinical.

In our case though, we're not surprised at the amount of people that don't make it. Some students have a VERY distorted view of what a nurse really does and for some nursing wasn't their first choice. They were Pharmacy and other health science programs majors and switched because they got rejected from those other programs. Also our school only allows you to repeat one nursing course and you have to take Exit Hesi's at the end of every semester which some people couldn't pass.

dinah77, ADN · Nov 11, 2009

University of St Kates Minneapolis, MN:

We started with 90 last September in 1000, of that original cohort, there are about 36

this is kinda of a guess cuz we have 45 now, but several of those people are re-sequnced people from other groups

ShortStackRN · Nov 13, 2009

My class started with 40 and ended with 34...then we lost 4 more last semester...we are in 3rd semester and have 30 of our original classmates...and may possibly lose some more this semester...first semester isn't ALWAYS weed-out time

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Nov 13, 2009

We started with 50, we are down to 47 but the semester isn't over yet and I have heard rumors that their are about 8-12 students that are borderline with passing Pharm and we have 2 exams left and they have less then a 10 point margin, so won't know for sure how many we lose until we show up next semester. So far no one has left on their own accord.

I have a friend that works in the admissions and records office and she said their are a lot that didn't pass Med/Surge in second semester and a lot that don't pass in 3rd or 4th either. I really hope I don't lose anyone I am close to, we have promised not to let that happen to each other though so hopefully we can help each other enough if it gets close.

Carrie_MTC · Nov 15, 2009

I'm in an ADN program and we started with 110. After the first year we were down to about 80. Starting second year we added about 20 LPNs. Now down to 79 and I heard another 5-6 will drop before the end of the quarter. Our dean said she only anticipates between 50-60 of us making it to graduation.

ashleyisawesome, BSN, RN · Nov 17, 2009

we started with 70, lost like 2 the first week, lost about fourteen to a math quiz in which you have to get at elast a 90 percent or you are automatically kicked out, and maybe 5 or so dropped since then, and i know a number of people that have less than a C average... its depressing. my clinical group started with 10 and were down to 7 now. =[

FLmomof5 · Nov 17, 2009

I am in the EVE/WE program, so I have no info about the days folks. That being said....we lost 3 the first semester....they all failed Pharm. Second term we had 1 temporarily drop (had a baby right after finals of term 1) and she came back half way thru term 2. She will have to be recycled to pick up psych. We lost another one because she no longer had the heart for it before psych even ended.

So out of our original 24, we have 20 still going on! We are now in Med/surg and the instructor stated that there are always a few who fail. We'll see. :sniff:

1234student · Nov 17, 2009

Yeah, We are down from 50 to 35 in the first sem. Several people i think will not come back for 2nd semester because "its to hard" or because they can't make studying work or because they fail out due to their poor test grades.....

FeeFiFoFum · Nov 17, 2009

Nursing schools know exactly (plus or minus a few people) how many students they will eventually be graduating. They adjust the number of questions on exams (ie "throw out questions") in order to eliminate a certain percentage of students. No matter how hard someone tries, no matter how much someone studies, if they are in the bottom percentage they will be eliminated from the class. It's sad, but it's true. When a school tells you during the first semester that they "hope everyone here makes it to graduation," well, they aren't exactly being truthful. They simply aren't allowed to graduate the number of students that they admit. They admit MORE students in order to receive funding from the government, but know darn well that a certain percentage will be thrown out.

RNMeg · Nov 17, 2009

I'm not sure that's true of every school, Fee. I'm in my senior year, and we still have 19 of the 20 we started with (we picked up another along the way, so we total 20). I haven't experienced any "weeding out" or "grade adjustments" to fail the bottom students.