1/2 nursing class cut, WHY??

roscopeeco · Jul 20, 2011

It comes down to one thing. NCLEX. They are only interested in teaching you things to help you pass the NCLEX. Sometimes those issues are archaic and out of date. It doesn't matter how smart you are if you can't understand the subjective questions they are asking you on the test. They only want to maintain their pass rate.

A girl in my school had a biology degree. She had 3.8 GPA in biology. She entered the Accelerated BSN program and failed out. Could have been a great nurse, but a particular professor made a point to fail her out because she was on the edge in his class.

Nursing school is not hard. The hard part of nursing school is figuring out how they want you to answer the question.

"you find a patient with a red streak above her right INT site. What is the priority nursing intervention"

change the insertion site to the other arm.

stop the infusion.

The answer was stop the infusion. If they have phlebitis in one arm wouldn't you start an INT on the other arm and to do that wouldn't you stop the infusion first. So silly in my opinion. Who doesn't know that they should stop the infusion before changing sites.

BlackSweater · Jul 20, 2011

In the ADN program I just finished up in May, we started with 40. 30 graduated, but that's after readmitting some students who'd failed previously AND the LPN -> RN students. We didn't have a bridge program for them, they just jumped in 2nd semester with the full-on newbies. By that math, I'd say we lost AT LEAST 50% of our class.

Some couldn't hack it academically, some had personal issues, some decided they didn't want it, whatever. 75 was passing, and there was absolutely no rounding up. if you had a 74.9, you failed. If you failed, you were out of the program and had to reapply to repeat the class you failed.

Nursing school is challenging - but I would say the content is just as difficult to master as the time management aspect: we had to do competencies to prepare for labs which included writing pages upon pages of notes to turn in, had clinical paperwork that needed to be completed after we got our assignments and before showing up to clinical in the morning ... (we'd be up until midnight sometimes doing paperwork and had to be on the floor at 6:30). Each class had it's own set of paperwork and competencies, and there was always more than 1 nursing class per semester.

I would like to think that if anyone wanted it badly enough, they can do it - but I never so much as failed a single test throughout all of nursing school so I can't speak for those people who have legitimate difficulties with the material.

TammiCNA · Jul 20, 2011

I can't either Blacksweater. I got an A on every test and graduated at the top of the class.

Tonya75 · Jul 20, 2011

The statistics seem very frightening. Our school is the same, about half of those who start manage to finish. But the ones who don't graduate are generally the ones who don't put out the effort it takes to make it. It's easy to make excuses such as I didn't have time, or my instructor didn't___(insert lame excuse here). It's also easier to say people are weeded out than to say that they just couldn't make it. Nursing school isn't and shouldn't be easy. It's also only as hard as you make it. If you are a person who puts things off or isn't willing to work hard, then nursing school isn't for you. I work full time and have a family to take care of. Our school requires at least an 80 to pass. I am an A student because I choose to work for what I want. If you want it bad enough and you're willing to work for it, then you should be fine. If not, then...you get the point. And what would be the point in graduating a bunch of people who can't ever pass the NCLEX and get a liscense anyway? Not trying to sound mean, but I've grown very tired of hearing about unfair instructors and classes at my own school-if it was truly impossible to pass, then the school would have a pass rate of 0.

TammiCNA · Jul 20, 2011

And then there is the other elephant in the room. The myth that there is a nursing shortage. Like I said....I was top of the class and I can't find a job. I've applied to prolly 200 places. They ALL want experience.....even the ones that say no experience required. It's quite the racket. Sprry to burst any bubbles.

cdsga · Jul 20, 2011

That's the saddest fact of it all. You go through all that and can't get hired.

annlewis · Jul 21, 2011

We started with 45 and ended 1st semester with around 30 or 29. Most didnt make the grades, some quit bc of family life or just decided it wasn't for them. They pretty much do "weed" out the ones that really aren't serious about it but if you are then you should be fine! We only lost 4 in second semester, 3 of which dropped bc they wanted to. Only one failed bc of her average.

its terrible, think about all the ones who are still waiting to get in who are serious...wish those who applied and got it were serious about it.

lillymom · Jul 21, 2011

its terrible, think about all the ones who are still waiting to get in who are serious...wish those who applied and got it were serious about it.

I think a lot of dropping out is because no matter how hard instructors/advisors try to tell people how hard it will be they just can't comprehend it. I haven't started nursing school yet but I have had a child and it may be like that in some ways. No matter how much you prepare and think you are ready you never really know what it is like or will be 100% ready. I will say that I believe that you can do pretty much anything if you try hard enough no matter how hard it is but some people just aren't willing to do that.

gardnerg729 · Jul 21, 2011

I didn't read all the responses, so I am not sure if this has already been said but...I have seen about 40% of my class not come back for one reason or another. A few left because they felt it was too difficult, some had family issues, but most failed because they expected things to be given to them. I heard countless complaints about tests being tricky, instructors not giving study guides, etc, etc. There is way to much information for an instructor to teach you every single detail. You must be dedicated to your education.

annlewis · Jul 22, 2011

I still think that 40 to 50 percent of the class dropping out means that many sign up thinking they would like to try this without really considering it seriously, and then find out that it is too hard for them or they go to clinicals and find out they don't like nursing. This takes spots away from those who are waiting to get in who are serious. I could understand a few dropping out, but not half. Those who pick nursing as a vocation are very serious about and already know its a lot of work in the class and on the job.

juniorminty · Jul 22, 2011

I start nursing school in one month, and have been hearing how half of the class before me has been weeded out!! That worries me, and I'm wondering for those of you in the program or just finished.....Why do you think most of those people get cut? Are we talking just like one point from passing....or are there really obvious things that people don't do, or do in error???

From what I understand, that is pretty normal lol. We were told the same thing at orientation for my class -- usually start out with 30 and graduate with half or less. We lost 4-5 people already, we started in April. One person just goofed off and didn't take it seriously and got low scores, another one had all these 'excuses' for missing class in the first two weeks and I think decided she was too far behind to catch up (right now were on a 10 week quarter schedule) and another was working full time and trying to do school but couldn't keep their grades up because of exhaustion and the last person....well I'm not sure about her...I think she a 'problems at home/in my personal life' people.

Nursing school definitely isn't for the weak at heart!

kbrn2002, ADN, RN · Jul 22, 2011

I think "weeding out" isn't really a fair term for the loss of students. I doubt if instructors are purposely trying to get rid of students, and that is what it sounds like people are saying when they tell others their program "weeded out" half a class. Loss of about 50% of students isn't unusual however. I graduated 10 years ago, and we lost about half my class, over 1/4 of the class the 1rst semester, and the rest for various reasons over the course of the program. Some were academic or clinical failures, some left for family or personal reasons and a few just decided from pretty much the first class that they didn't realize what they had signed up for and left. Nursing programs require a high standard for passing, mine was a minimum of 78% for non-nursing classes and 80% for core nursing classes. In most colleges those grades will earn you an average passing C, in nursing programs you fail with those grades. Tough it is, but fair it also is. Every student enters the program knowing the requirements for advancement, and every student is expected to meet or exceed those requirements.