Nursing Games is taking its toll

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I'm finding it very surprising how many people are dropping out of the program. If this was the hunger games, that cannon would have gone off every day, maybe even several times a day. I look around and think about someone I wanted to to ask a question and they're gone! Did you have the same experience? It sucks to see so many people drop so fast this semester.

They admitted 90 of us, I believe. With our class, they changed the required passing average. We lost around 20 the first year, gained a few LPNs, lost a few more... I believe our class of 90 is now 60-65. Yikes! Some dropped, some didn't pass but less than 1 point. They say we're the smallest class! Even the class admitted the year after ours is larger

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They admitted 90 of us, I believe. With our class, they changed the required passing average. We lost around 20 the first year, gained a few LPNs, lost a few more... I believe our class of 90 is now 60-65. Yikes! Some dropped, some didn't pass but less than 1 point. They say we're the smallest class! Even the class admitted the year after ours is larger

BY* less than 1 point, I meant.

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In our class people are dropping out by choice. Going half way through, we had a tough test and it seems several more dropped the program because of low test scores. We've updated our roster and it's nearly cut a quarter off the previous roster. We seem to be getting closer though as a class, I'm expecting to see more drops as we take more tests and the pharm comp dosage test.

Sometimes it catches by surprise of who drops out.

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Specializes in 10.

In my class, we started with 50 people, and there are 15 people graduating in two months.

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Specializes in Med Surg.

They are dropping like flies around here. I hate it. And I think I have a little bit of survivors guilt as well. Really bizarre.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

So - does this seem to indicate that nursing programs need to toughen up their entry requirements in order to ensure that incoming students have 'the right stuff' to make it through??? Just wondering. . . .

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In my class, we started with 50 people, and there are 15 people graduating in two months.

How are these schools keeping their accreditation?

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That's a good question, how are those schools keeping their accreditations?

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Specializes in Med Surg.
How are these schools keeping their accreditation?

Interesting question. Do they even look at drop out/fail rates, or just graduation/NCLEX pass rates?

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Specializes in ER trauma, ICU - trauma, neuro surgical.

A good number of people go into nursing simply because their friends are doing it. They figure, "It's a degree that you can finish in a couple of years. Nurses don't go to medical school, so how hard can nursing school be? On TV shows, nurses just give pills and date doctors." Those people don't realize the fact that nursing is no joke. I don't know how many people I've heard say, "I'm thinking about going into nursing. It seems like a pretty good job with a steady paycheck. Someone in my family is a nurse and I guess I would be able to do it too." For some reason, people believe nursing is a good fall-back option. "If I don't get into the college of business, I'll just settle for nursing school until something better comes along." There's even people on this website that say they want to go into nursing b/c they don't know what to major in. You have to want to be nurse.

Now, I would say almost all students who are enrolled really do want to be there. But out of those students who don't make it, there are a handful who signed up b/c it seemed logical or safe. It's good that nursing school has high expectations, difficult exams, and hrs of clinicals. As the semesters go by, all of you should feel honored that you have what it takes to make it through...even if you don't make the mark every time. Nursing is an honorable career and the community looks up to nurses. We are the silent heroes in medicine. Some sign up because they like the idea of being recognized without fully understanding the work it takes just to graduate. I'm glad that the people who sign up for nursing as a second option don't make it. It would ultimately lead to mistakes and complacency at the bedside. Your heart has to be in it.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.
So - does this seem to indicate that nursing programs need to toughen up their entry requirements in order to ensure that incoming students have 'the right stuff' to make it through??? Just wondering. . . .

Absolutely. Enrollment in nursing programs is not as competitive anymore. Some schools in some locations are now accepting candidates who do not quite meet the criteria, just to fill the seats. Big mistake, IMO.

The real problem is,even if all candidates meet the minimum requirement, it is very difficult to assess if they have the right stuff. It's not all about having a 3.5 or better. If you achieved that by memorizing, and taking the easier professors for your re-reqs, or taking one class at a time, you may not have the right stuff. If you are only book smart, with no common sense, you don't have it either.

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Specializes in Forensic Psych.

Interesting question. Do they even look at drop out/fail rates, or just graduation/NCLEX pass rates?

Yep, they look at attrition rates as well as NCLEX.

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