Nursing School No Longer Going by Their Own Policies

[dholly2015]

Ok, so here's my question/concern: What reason(s) would a nursing program have for no longer supporting their own policies contained within their nursing handbook? In the time that I have been in this program, I have seen a lot of changes.

1. Policy states that a student is allowed two appeals in the program and if not successful after second appeal, student would be dismissed from program. However, we currently have at least one student that's on his third appeal.

2. Policy states that a student is allowed two attempts on dosage calculations tests (one given at beginning of each semester) with a 90% requirement to pass. If a student is unsuccessful after second attempt, student is to be dismissed from program. We currently had at least 8 students that were not successful, yet they are still in the program.

In the past couple of years, our program has gone through some additional changes with losing/gaining of faculty and we are now on our third program director. I do not understand why it would be in a school's best interest to retain or inflate grades of students that are performing poorly, not to mention that they could be a danger to caring for patients. Our school is not currently in jeopardy of losing its program and has at least 90% NCLEX pass rates on first attempt. My instincts tell me something is not right, but I just cannot put my finger on it. The rules have gotten more lenient and seem to be non-existent.

Can someone please offer some potential insight as to why the school would be appearing to lower the standards by allowing students to continue in program despite not being successful according to specific policy, inflating grades for students that have technically failed, and how these decisions affect the program and myself as a current student? What's going on at my school? Should I be concerned??

[orangelate]

My third semester, I failed out per the four D rule. If you fail four tests, you're out. The same time, 13 4th semester students failed out per the same rule. The school tried a "pilot program" and allowed all 13 students in 4th semester to stay in the program and take the nclex to keep the schools pass rate up. Nothing I could do about it. Unfair, in my opinion yes, but alas, not my business.

[christinacl]

okay, you HAVE to be at ECC college.. this sounds TOO much like my school its insane !!

[elijahvegas, ASN, RN, EMT-P]

oh its quite simple. they have a reputation to protect. there are 2 things that keep people interested in going to a college, and thats exclusivity and pass rates. no one will want to attend a program where 50% get in and only 25% pass, and then 10% pass the nclex. contrary to popular belief, its never in a program's interest to fail students out of it; thats what the pre reqs are for. the weeding process begins before entry, and after entry, everything is done to keep you in the program, because it needs to appear as though their methods work. they need students to come and to want to come because thats how they make their money. and the cycle continues thusly.

[joker07x, BSN]

mind your business is all i can say.. its students like u that call the BON and start trouble. worry bout passing your classes and graduating because with this attitude i doubt u have any real friends in that program to keep

[elijahvegas, ASN, RN, EMT-P]

ive always wondered about this compulsion. i could never justify worrying about someone else's A and someone else's F when either one literally had no bearing on my C-

[Kiki1970]

OP are you perhaps a little bent out of shape because you resent working so hard and playing by the rules, but others don't have to? If so, welcome to Life 101. As someone's grandma once said; "life ain't fair". If you're always looking at someone else you can't look out for yourself.

[NurseNHowell]

Over and over and over again, a number of my classmates have blatantly broken these policies, yet the infractions are overlooked and they are given undeserved grades allowing them to move on to the next course. I am certain that these students would gladly join in with the "mind your own business" chorus being sung on this thread. When we receive our degrees next month, only half of my class will have truly earned theirs......As one of the few that has worked their butts off and followed the policies we agreed to abide by, I find it offensive to stand next to those who did not, receiving the same honor as if we were equally deserving. That IS my business. Nearly every single one of these undeserving students plan to go on to become nurse practitioners. When these under-educated slackers become NPs and care for your family members, it will become your business as well. There is a time and place for minding one's own business....... While there should always be room to give grace to those with extenuating circumstances, repeatedly ignoring the violation of policies just makes the program look like a joke.

I am going to have to beg to differ. I did my LVN over a decade ago, in my ADN currently... both of which had the same things occurring. One person in particular it irked me because she constantly was disorganized and didn't pass things like the math exam. After graduation in the school's IV cert class I found out in the end of our first term her mother was diagnosed with advanced metastasized cancer. She also unfortunately lost her father half way through our program to a MVA. Her mother passed away in our final term.

I say this only because I feel like an absolute P.O.S. when I look back at my annoyance with her for being confused over concepts and needing to be explained something multiple times. I was not 100% helpful when she asked if I would show her how to do something that I had been signed off on and knew like the back of my hand from being a CNA. I ignored her voicemail when she called me and asked if I could give her a copy of my notes because she couldn't keep up with the instructor.

I never have been given a grade I haven't worked to the bone for and I struggle in school but I still sing the "mind your own business" chorus. And please tell me how an undereducated nurse will actually obtain their NP and keep their license?

It is rather disheartening to see you write this, you are not the instructor or the staff so it really is none of your business

[NurseNHowell]

I would be that nurse who gets by barely passing and does horrendous with books but hey you verbally ask me anything and I can explain it forwards and back. For some reason I just can't get it to work out on the paper

While working as a LVN in a subacute we had a critical 911 send out. The RN was giving an embarrassing report to FD, I interrupted and took over because I had been charge and reviewing the pt's chart. Had multiple nurses, even that RN, comment about how well I handled report and the code. That RN told me on break that she's always gotten flustered and confused when faced with an authority questioning her. She blamed it on her parents having come here illegally and always having fears about authorities, just had to laugh with her and assure her she's an awesome RN either way.

I'm currently in our critical care rotation with another student who is amazing at books and testing but can't transfer that memorized knowledge to nursing critical thinking. She asked where a tracheostomy went into. We all have our own lol