Need advice

BrainMomNurse83, LPN · May 28

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Now, as I near the end of my journey, I'm facing a major roadblock. Before we can officially complete the program, we have to pass a nursing exam. So far, our class of 15 has taken it three times. Only one person passed on the second attempt. The first and third times? No one. Not a single one of us. It's frustrating and confusing because it makes me wonder—did we not get the level of knowledge we needed? Are we just not ready?

The school has postponed the next test for a month to give us more time to study. If we don't pass, we'll get two more months. But after that... if we still don't make it, it's over. No more chances. Everything I worked for, everything I planned for, will be gone.

Oh, honey! I'm so sorry you and your class have had such a difficult journey!! Are there any updates as of now, the end of May 2025?

It's been quite some time since I was in nursing school. I *finally* graduated from LPN school in 08. I'm not sure where you're located, but personally, I think we've got a rather decent post secondary public education system here in Georgia. It's not too difficult for someone to gain access to a decent public education for a cost that pays for itself. I was blessed to attend an awesome tech college with amazing instructors at the time. Even now, for the last several years, the NCLEX pass rate has been 100% for grads of the nursing programs at the school I attended.

I know this won't help or make you feel better, but I promise, you're not alone. There's a waiting list (partly for a reason I think to weed out candidates who aren't dedicated to nursing) where I went. I should've graduated years before I did. I should've been, or thought I'd be, a 19/20 year old LPN and the plan was to have my RN (ASN or ADN) by 21/22, and go in the Army for a stint. Yet, our plans are not always the Lord's plans. It was finally *MY* turn and I'd received my acceptance letter. I was all prepped. I was already working maternity/newborn as a PCT/OB-Nurse Tech (no idea why they gave me such a long title, as my only actual credentials were CNA) I'd gone out and bought "healthy brain food" as I'd need it for class. Even gotten my clipboard, though I knew clinical's weren't until the 2nd semester. I attended two days of classes. Basically, an intro to the program. At the end of day two, Mrs. Swafford called me aside. "Ash, I need to talk to you.” She looked as if she were about to cry and I thought she was going to give me bad news about my family since she'd known me a while from the hospital. No, despite having to have the core classes done prior to being admitted to the waiting list which was over a year long, the math class I took was older than six months old prior than the date I was admitted into the program. What? I'll take it simultaneously. I'll add it to my courses now. I can do it, you know I can. I should be at Emory taking classes now-I've got a 1490 on my SAT (the old way of scoring) and it's no big deal. "No. I'm so sorry sweetie I'm afraid it's not my decision and these are the rules. We don't make exceptions, but I wish I could.” Well, I'll take it this semester. I'll take two or three maths or algebras if I need to and then you can let me in next semester. "Honey, you know how it works, you'll have to get it done, then you'll go back on the waitlist.” So I then waited two years, not even sure if I was going to go to LPN school or not, but I did take some sort of math every semester just in case. I was younger and dumber, and I'd met this jerk I'm still married to. And I was flat broke. But by the time I got in the program, it was as if everything in the world went wrong. Once, I even had large veins in my nose rupture, and so I had unstoppable, continuous nose bleeding until I finally got into the ENT to get it caulderized. I almost got booted out of my second semester because my clinical teacher (who was only there for that one semester) told the director that she thought I'd been told I needed to take days off. I even had a laparoscopy in between semesters for stage IV endometriosis. I didn't want to walk & I was wearing three pads, but I was there. So, I know you've gone through it and I can say you're not alone.
What I'm confused about is are you saying that your program requirements are for you and your class to pass your state NCLEX before they'll allow you to graduate your program? Or is it a requirement that you pass a program created final exam?
I've never heard of any accredited program requirements that require students to pass a state board before they can graduate. If it's a program created exam, and nobody is passing, then your school definitely has a problem. I'm not in any way implying that you are ill prepared for a nursing career, I can't know that without knowing what the curricula's like. However, my advice to you would be to get a group of your fellow students together and take it to the school administration. Look at other schools or programs in your general area/state and compare the curriculum to your own, get statistics from your state's nursing board to see what the pass-fail ratio has been for your school, and if possible, try talking to previous grads. Has any other class had this issue? (LinkedIn may be a good place to start if you don't know anyone) If your school admin has no solution or is willing to help y'all reach a reasonable conclusion, go to your SoS, or your state's nursing board.

I pray y'all have gotten things resolved by now! I hope you have a long and happy career ahead of you in nursing. God bless!