Nursing School withholding grades from NYS?

LM NY · Nov 21, 2015

That is their way of making sure everyone passes the NCLEX on the first try which makes the school look better. My personal opinion, I don't think they can legally hold on to your grades.

elkpark · Nov 21, 2015

Most states require that, in order to be eligible for licensure, you must have completed an approved nursing program. The school gets to define what "completed" means. If the school decides that you haven't completed the program until you've completed the NCLEX review, you're not going to be eligible for licensure until then, regardless of how students feel about that.

One question I would have is whether this is a policy of which students were informed up front (before you started the program), or was this sprung on you at the last minute, and did the school follow its own policies in establishing and informing students of this practice. Is this possibly part of a BON-mandated improvement plan by your school to address recent low NCLEX pass rates? (That's often how policies like this get instituted.)

LM NY · Nov 21, 2015

Definitely what elk said. It is all about the school's pass rates, either maintaining or improving their scores.

cayenne06, MSN, CNM · Nov 22, 2015

If your school requires the NCLEX review to graduate, then you are probably out of luck. I'd be pretty damn pissed if I was forced to take an NCLEX review that I didn't think I needed, but you have to jump through whatever hoops your school requires.

If you aren't required to take the review to graduate, I would have a sit down with your dean and make sure your grades get released.

cayenne06, MSN, CNM · Nov 22, 2015

Hello all ... I need some advice regarding my upcoming graduation and subsequent NCLEX ... I am currently in my last semester and I am due to graduate mid December... my school has us enrolled in a NCLEX review at the end of January ... They are telling us that they are not going to release our information to New York State until after we complete this NCLEX review ... If we have all our final grades in by mid December can the school not send our information to NYS until they decide "we are ready" to take the NCLEX? Thanks for any information!

I would be roundly unhappy with that. That's an extra MONTH of potential lost wages. I took my NCLEX less than two weeks after graduating, and had a job lined up before I finished the program. I think it's very disrespectful to students to essentially force them to wait an extra month to graduate. If they are going to require a review, it should be held while the semester is still in session.

BeachsideRN, ASN · Nov 22, 2015

It is within the schools reach to determine requirements of their program which can include review courses, attaining certain scores on predictor tests, etc. this information is likely in your student handbook.

DoGoodThenGo · Nov 23, 2015

Cannot add anything more to Elkpark's and the other excellent posts.

It is the program who sets the criteria for what counts as "completion". This is true really of any college/university/higher education regardless of major. However it is also true policies need to be communicated up front at time of enrollment/acceptance. Usually if things are changed such as new/additional criteria for graduate students already in said program are grandfathered under whatever terms are laid out in course catalog and or student handbook.

This particular program isn't so much "deciding you are ready" but seems to want their students to have every advantage in preparing for the NCLEX.

Truth to tell many programs offered optional boards prep courses for their senior class/graduates. But that is just it, isn't it? *Optional* Some students/new grads for various reasons known only to themselves feel they either cannot be bothered and or have got that covered. Fair enough, but programs do have a vested interest in first time passing rates. So it sounds like this one is holding feet to the fire by not releasing grades until after the prep course.

EllaBella1, BSN · Nov 23, 2015

Maybe they would be willing to release your scores early if you took a NCLEX review course independently and were able to prove that to them?