Nursing school - reasons for not following through

Brickman · Jul 3, 2004

The program I went to had first come first serve admittance. During the first semester we lost several who I would have to say just weren't smart enough. The rest of the program we lost about 10% each semester. Grades were the reason for all but one of the students leaving the program. During later semesters I would suspect that personal problems or lack of support were the primary contributors to poor grades.

Brickman · Jul 3, 2004

The program I went to had first come first serve admittance. During the first semester we lost several who I would have to say just weren't smart enough. The rest of the program we lost about 10% each semester. Grades were the reason for all but one of the students leaving the program. During later semesters I would suspect that personal problems or lack of support were the primary contributors to poor grades.

nursemike, ASN, RN · Jul 3, 2004

In your experience, what have you found to be the most common reason(s) why people do not make it through nursing school? I hear that out of the initial class of 130, only about 22 will actually graduate.
I'm trying to prepare myself - I start school this fall.
Thanks in advance!
Melly

Just finished 1st year, and it's a bear. Nearly everyone I know has seriously considered quitting at one point or another, and our program is very hard to get into. A few had to drop for family emergencies or just couldn't juggle commitments--I see you're 35. Being a grown up has advantages and disadvantages, but on the whole I'd say its a plus. Very few of my classmates are under 25. The ones who are are very good students.

I heartily recommend joining a study group. Mine was also carpool, and we routinely got a couple of test answers on the road that we might have missed, otherwise. Mostly, though, you just need the moral support, someone to remind you why you're there, listen to you vent, and assure you you can do it.

In my class, grades don't appear to be the biggest problem, but people who have been used to A's are learning to live with the occassional C.

My experience, and others', has been that if you get through the nearly inevitable crisis, it gets better. Fun, even. Best of luck.

P.S. If you find yourself starting to get overwhelmed, go to your teachers EARLY!

Most really do want you to succeed, and the sooner you let them in, the more they can do.

nursemike, ASN, RN · Jul 3, 2004

In your experience, what have you found to be the most common reason(s) why people do not make it through nursing school? I hear that out of the initial class of 130, only about 22 will actually graduate.
I'm trying to prepare myself - I start school this fall.
Thanks in advance!
Melly

Just finished 1st year, and it's a bear. Nearly everyone I know has seriously considered quitting at one point or another, and our program is very hard to get into. A few had to drop for family emergencies or just couldn't juggle commitments--I see you're 35. Being a grown up has advantages and disadvantages, but on the whole I'd say its a plus. Very few of my classmates are under 25. The ones who are are very good students.

I heartily recommend joining a study group. Mine was also carpool, and we routinely got a couple of test answers on the road that we might have missed, otherwise. Mostly, though, you just need the moral support, someone to remind you why you're there, listen to you vent, and assure you you can do it.

In my class, grades don't appear to be the biggest problem, but people who have been used to A's are learning to live with the occassional C.

My experience, and others', has been that if you get through the nearly inevitable crisis, it gets better. Fun, even. Best of luck.

P.S. If you find yourself starting to get overwhelmed, go to your teachers EARLY!

Most really do want you to succeed, and the sooner you let them in, the more they can do.

Agnus · Jul 5, 2004

I got my bachelors in 4 years, good grades, hardly every studied and had a lot of fun!! Now I changed my mind am back in Nursing school at the community college and can't believe the work load! I've done more work and studying my first semester than I did my 4 years in college. We started with 50 and are down to 30 after 1 semester, so it is scary. But hopefully like others have said if I have the determination I will make it through!

BINGO! Give this one a cigar.

Dixiedi · Jul 5, 2004

I think all of the posts are correct! I want to add the underlying problem. Something you didn't see back when I was in school (70's). Kids are coming out of high school uneducated!

The problem lies in primary education in this country. We are graduating people who can only read and comprehend at the 5th grad level! And then they get into nursing school?! It's no wonder they flunk out.

Kids sail through high school because nothin is expected of them, they don't have to think their way through anything!

Oh, this has really upset me...I'm just goiong to shut up now.

SmilingBluEyes · Jul 5, 2004

Dixie has a great point!!!!!!!! This is why I pulled my kids out of public school. But it's not just high school. I see people with master's degrees who can't write a coherent communique to their staff. It's really disturbing, if you ask me.

eak16 · Jul 5, 2004

In your experience, what have you found to be the most common reason(s) why people do not make it through nursing school? I hear that out of the initial class of 130, only about 22 will actually graduate.
I'm trying to prepare myself - I start school this fall.
Thanks in advance!
Melly

ok, that kind of ratio is not ok. Either the program is not up to par or they do not screen the entrants well enough to make sure they know what they are getting into. Aside from family/money/personal issues that always seem to spring up in a small percentage of nursing students, there is no reason that most of the students shouldn't graduate.

My class was meticulously, meticulously screened to make sure we all knew what we were getting into. oUt of eighty students, about three dropped out for personal reasons and two were kicked out for failing grades (after copious second chances). Seventy five graduated. I just cant see why your graduation rate would be so low.

Nurse GOODNIGHT · Jul 5, 2004

Definitely I notice people working and going to school. By working, I mean too much. You are only allowed to DROP/or fail (by that I mean below an 80) A class (as in ONE class in 2/4 years). Then you have to petition the board and under rare circumstances can re-apply. I have noticed people working entirely too much and not applying themselves. Also it is true about the higher order ?s. I have friends who came in with 3.8 GPAs and are now at 2.9. It is rigorous! Not just a memory class but not the right answer the answer the teacher wants so you have to devine what she wants and think like the teacher because what is correct at one school may not be correct at yours.

bluesky, BSN, RN · Jul 5, 2004

It's soooo fast-paced, especially in the ADN programs
This is the second "especially in the ADN program" comment listed here. Why? I have known students in all the program types and it seems to me that we have all been equally taxed with a lot of work.

Gompers, BSN, RN · Jul 5, 2004

I think lots of people also *really* don't understand exactly what it is that nurses do. As my wise CNA instructor once said, "you don't sit around old women helping them paint their nails all day". :chuckle

I agree! One girl, a Fillipino who came from a family where EVERY FEMALE was a nurse, went to nursing school because it was pretty much expected of her. She dropped out of the program 1 month into our clinicals, stating, "I didn't know nursing would be so dirty!!!"

I have no idea what she thought nurses did.

dosamigos76, RN · Jul 5, 2004

We started out with 63 on paper and 59 showed up for initial orientation. We just walked 40 for LPN and 36 will be returning in the fall for RN.

To me the hardest part was that most of the work is on your own. That and the paperwork overnight for clinicals. Emotionally, for me, the second semester was awful. I started working this summer as a LPN and it was the greatest decision I could have made. Now I KNOW that this is the right field for me and that I AM a nurse. Growing is now always an easy or pretty process. I don't know of anyone (even the top 1%) of our class that didn't contemplate quitting at one time or another...but that is healthy, I think. This is a lifestyle as much as anything...you have to think so many things through. There is a lot at stake, being a nurse.

You will do fine! I just turned 46 and have found that most of the students that are over 30 do better... more life experiences.

Cheryl