40/48 people failed exam

llg, PhD, RN · Apr 6, 2007

Follow the chain of command. Your first step should be to discuss the exam and your performance on it with your instructor. Tell her that you are having trouble correlating the questions on the test to the objectives for the course that guide your studying. Ask her to clarify the expectations and to give you some guidance as to how to study for future exams, etc.

If your interactions with your instructor don't bring satisfaction, then take it to the next level up the chain of command -- to the course coordinator or program director (or whoever) is one step above your instructor. Ask her to look into the situation, review the test in relation to the objectives, etc. If that doesn't bring you some resolution, then keep going up the ladder one step at a time.

I would also review your school's student handbook and be sure to understand its grievance procedure. If you decide to file a formal grievance, you will need to do so according to the rules and procedures set forth in your handbook. If you don't have a handbook, use whatever similar resource is available.

You might also want to talk with your academic advisor. She might be able to help you negotiate the system properly. Finally, some knowledgable, level-headed upper classmen might be able to offer some good advice as well. They know the school, the courses, and the people involved, too.

Epona · Apr 6, 2007

Hi ShimmyMeli!! I could have written that post!! HA! YES! It was not a final but a regular test we took today and the students knew the info. inside and out... so did I... or so I thought. I felt really good about the test. Well, I failed it big time. I am one of the best students in the class (not trying to be boastful here, but it's true) and I failed it. The other girl who has straight A's in the class also failed it. Unbelieveable! Out of a total of 90 people, only THREE passed it. That should certainly tell the teacher something. I wonder if they try and make it more confusing then it really is. I studied the hardest and longest for this test more so than any other and bombed it. The test was written like cleint presents X,Y, and Z and with these manifestations and you do blank to fix it. It was a lot more involved then that, but that's the jest. All we went over in class and on power point and in the book was info. like Hypokalemia is when lab values are less then 3.5. THAT is the info. we went over. The instructor never presented the material in an assessment way and we have not done any assessing in clincials. So how are we supposed to know it???? If lecture or clincials had been presented that way... we all would've gotten it.

If we had been taught that structure or discussed it.. cool.. then it's on us, but we never discussed it as such and that is how the test was based. I understand that nursing is about assessment, don't get me wrong, but we are BEGINNING students and have not been taught those concepts yet.

I am a pretty smart gal and was an honor student double major in my first degree and one of my areas of concentration was Pre Med. So go figure that! :confused: It's been a while since college, but my point is I am no bird brain.

Afterwards, when the students were upset, the teacher would not discuss the test. When asked, she smirked and rolled her eyes. No joke. One student said to her 'There is a problem here and we are doing poorly.' The teacher said 'Well there are two more tests.' And the student replied 'But that is not going to help us. We have been doing poorly from the beginning and we will keep doing poorly if the instruction is not improved and if we are not helped.' The teacher gave a half smile, turned her head and that was the end of that. Several students got up and just walked out. I am a decent student as I mentioned and I have been teaching myself the entire way through... no help from teachers. The school has the worst NCLEX pass rate in the state and they might lose their accreditation. I have considered going to another school here locally. Maybe I better RUN to the other school as soon as I can.....they have a 100 percent pass rate on the first attempt. No wonder the school I am at has the worst in the state. The students try, but the teachers don't teach. So we fail. I am trying to hang on. Sorry to hear about your test.

Hang in there... E :rolleyes:

Anjann, RN · Apr 7, 2007

~"There is no such thing as a poor student, only a poor teacher"~

-Confucious

CHATSDALE · Apr 7, 2007

if a teacher has that high a failure rate there is something wrong, this is not a game: your future depends on it...

NikkiRN_BSN · Apr 7, 2007

The test was written like cleint presents X,Y, and Z and with these manifestations and you do blank to fix it.

Thankfully, this is the way we've been tested all along so I am used to seeing this on all of our exams. These types of questions are supposed to help us be NCLEX ready. I answer application questions based on these:

1. Always assess first. If one of the choices is assessing that's what I go with.

2. What do I know about this illness?

3. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

The reason I look for assessing first over what I know about the illness is because some people get too caught up in the specifics and forget that in the real world you are going to assess before you do anything else. I'm one the Dean's list every semester so it works for me. I read the lecture notes and look at applicable care plans instead of memorizing the chapter also.

brendamyheart · Apr 7, 2007

~"There is no such thing as a poor student, only a poor teacher"~
-Confucious

:yeahthat: :yeahthat:

Medwynn · Apr 7, 2007

Talk to the instructor who put the test together. This sounds like my 2nd semester. Ask if they can explain the rationale behind the questions he/she asks. After having a conference and a study session speerheaded by this instructor, almost everyone did better.

Epona · Apr 7, 2007

Thanks WIstudent... some good advice there. I am not sure if your teachers taught you, but ours have not taught us assessment yet. Nothing of the sort so that is why we were stumped. They test was not a bad test, it was fine, it's just we were not prepared for that TYPE of testing.... as far as the heirarchy of needs goes.... we never discussed it and it was only mentioned once at the end of class as students were packing up and leaving. We never went over it or discussed it.

Medwynn... the teacher will not talk to us about the test or anything else for that matter. I mentioned a few points in my earlier post. That is a great suggestion if she was open to it... helping.. but she is not. She sticks her tounge out and smiles, rolls her eyes and turns her head.. that is what we get. Like I mentioned the students asked for help in class after the test and she shrugged it off as usual and several students just got up and walked out. I have never witnessed that before in any other class or college institution. Half the class was gone by the end of the peroid. There is talk the school might lose their accreditation in 2 years... NCLEX pass rate for the last five years has been around 49 percent... worst in the state AND the icing on the cake is that it costs around $10,000 a semester to go there for in-state (NOT INCLUDING LIVING EXPENSES) or $21,000 a semester for out-of-state. Most of the students are out of state. They are all really frustrated and it's a sad situation. Out of 40 students, only ten are passing. I am passing as my work my tail off and teach myself. It's rough though and the cost is nuts. I am thinking of going to another local school in my area. In fact, I am applying this week.

Wish me luck!!!

tookewlandy · Apr 7, 2007

What semester are you in that you havent covered Maslow yet???

greatan · Apr 7, 2007

Are you in the LPN program? Was this a Fundamentals exam?

NikkiRN_BSN · Apr 7, 2007

We are expected to know Maslow's from other classes as it's not taught in our nursing theory either. I would strongly suggest reading up on it since your instructors will probably refer to it over and over and you will need to Maslows to prioritize.

Wow, you are paying too much for a 50/50 shot at passing boards!