0.9 points kept me from graduating with my ADN. What to do?

DogWmn · May 24, 2011

As one poster stated you need to identify your weakness and work on it, prior to my nursing school one of our pre-reqs was a reading and comprehension class, it upped your speed but also helped you learn how to study, take tests, etc. try to find one of those because no matter what you choose to do, if you want to continue on, you will need those skills.

AngelicDarkness · May 24, 2011

Just remember this isn't the end. Tackle it again, and I know you will succeed! I failed my RPN licensing examination in Ontario on the first try by 2 marks! I moped around for a month hesitating to go back. I signed up for the 2nd try and panicked for 3 months waiting to write, but I studied and studied with my old classmates. Every question they asked, I took my time, and I could answer it. I passed the 2nd time, so I know you can do this! Don't let the pressure get to you:)

Black Jade, BSN, RN · May 24, 2011

Jess, I used to be in your situation. I was in my last semester of nursing and by 1/2 point didn't graduate with the rest of my class. Like you, I felt sorry for myself and was depressed. The good thing is that I had a lot of support. My instructor who gave me the bad news gave me her home phone number in case I wanted to talk to somebody. I was also in contact with several students who repeated the class with us and gave me advice not to give up.

I don't know how your program works, but in our program you have two chances. I had to meet with the Dean and my 4th semester instructor to find out what happened. Long story short, I was tested for a learning disability. I was able to repeat the class this time with accomodations. I'm glad that I repeated the class, because I was more stronger mentally and physically. To tell you the truth, I think I wasn't ready the first time. Also, what I saw in my clinical rotation especially ICU made me feel even more depressed. My enthusiasm level had decreased and my panic level had increased, because I wasn't ready to go out into the real world. I think I sabotaged my chances of graduating. So I believe things happen for a reason. Try to see if you can transfer to another program and repeat this last semester. Don't give up! You are sooooo close. In the end, you will be glad that you did.

"Failure is not falling down, but refusing to get up" Anonymous

Lucky0220 · May 24, 2011

Wow would have loved to have been in your school. lol
I audited my 3rd semester after midterm, I had a 75 but felt that auditing the class would benefit me and it did tremendously, but since we are allowed to audit once and fail once, going back into the program there is not an option for me. (or a desire)
I live in a Ky so I am not sure if I qualify or if the state offers to take LPN boards without a degree? I did hear of Excelsior, but I did not know whether they were worth checking into? I don't want to start all over, but I also don't want to throw away all of the knowledge I have, or loose it by wasting time?

So sorry that this has happened to you.

I went to school in KY.

I don't think that you can take the NCLEX in any state without the ATT. This is given to you when your school notifies the Board of Nursing in your state that you actually completed and passed all your required courses, i.e. graduated.

I am not understanding your post that I quoted above... did you audit the class and then retake it and fail?

Also, was this an LPN or RN program?

jaevigil · May 25, 2011

@kooky korky.... i did go back and disputed the situation... but basically... the dean was a "nice witch" with a capital "B".... so that was a no go.... i pretty much have to start over because only one school will take credits from the school i went to and even at that... they will only take 49% of my credits.... i even went as far as contacting my main campus of my school in Kentucky and they stated that it was up to the dean of the school i attended. which in my case was a lady who said because i failed out of the program that i would be the one person who would not pass NCLEX and would be wasting my time to become a nurse at this point. it was discouraging.... don't get me wrong... but i think i pretty much black listed myself from ever returning to that school with my response to her after her "analysis" of me passing NCLEX.

steelydanfan · May 25, 2011

I'm not going to weigh in wrt your qualifications, test taking skills or eventual ability to pass NCLEX. I have no way of knowing that, however, I really do feel for you and wish you the best. You sound like you will perservere and land on your feet wherever it is that yu are meant to be.
What I will weigh in on though, and have a huge problem with, is schools flunking students in the final months/weeks prior to graduation. I'm sorry, it is part of the responsibility of educators to identify weaknesses in students and begin working with them to problem solve;as well as assess their overall suitability AEB by performance in clinical rotations. If they sincerely believe there are signifigant limitations, then they need deal with them prior to a week or so. It should be a very very very rare occasions where someone flunks out at the 11th hour. I may be cynical, and I don't believe it is always the case, but if the student continues matriculating then they continue to pay tuition. Plus, it's playing with their life.

You are SO wrong in your rationale. The last semester is the time when a student REALLY has to "put it all together", and it is the time where critical thinking really comes to the forefront.

Nursing instructors are inclined to give the benefit of the doubt to all but the most blatantly inept students; but when the time comes to perform, some of the "Might be best and brightest" cannot surmount thier hiccoughs and

put it all together.

They just can't do it, and they get booted. The tuition reference is so beyond reality as to be not worth comment. "Playing with their life"? Are you serious?

Butterfliesnroses · May 25, 2011

You know I may get tomatoes thrown at me but the position my school took and I tended to agree with them was that the line HAS to be drawn somewhere. For them an 80% was passing ANYTHING below that is failing. If they move the line for one, then they has to for all and pretty soon there would be no line! With that said I really feel for you and it has to be tough and SO frustrating being so close yet so far away. Just my piddly 2 cents :-)

DoGoodThenGo · May 25, 2011

I'm not going to weigh in wrt your qualifications, test taking skills or eventual ability to pass NCLEX. I have no way of knowing that, however, I really do feel for you and wish you the best. You sound like you will perservere and land on your feet wherever it is that yu are meant to be.
What I will weigh in on though, and have a huge problem with, is schools flunking students in the final months/weeks prior to graduation. I'm sorry, it is part of the responsibility of educators to identify weaknesses in students and begin working with them to problem solve;as well as assess their overall suitability AEB by performance in clinical rotations. If they sincerely believe there are signifigant limitations, then they need deal with them prior to a week or so. It should be a very very very rare occasions where someone flunks out at the 11th hour. I may be cynical, and I don't believe it is always the case, but if the student continues matriculating then they continue to pay tuition. Plus, it's playing with their life.

Not wishing to sound rude, but schools/programs do not "flunk" anyone, students fail or pass an exam themselves, it is that simple. This applies regardless of the class or degree one is attending college, university, or school for, and isn't some vast conspiracy to keep people down.

By one's final semesters of college or whatever school one is attending (and this includes high schoo), you should be keenly aware of your grade point average/standing. If after four or two years of college the best one can manage is a GPA between 2.0 and 2.9, you know you are sitting very near the window's edge and can be pushed out at anytime. This is particularly true of nursing and or any other program where a certain GPA is mandated to remain and graduate.

It would really chuff my hinnie in college when after studying my brains out and getting an "A" or "B" grade, the professor would annouce she/he was curving the grades because a number of other students either failed, came close to failing or barely passed. I mean was the point of all my hard work then?

As for instructors and or professors working with students to "identify" weaknesses, that is all very well and perhaps welcomed assistance. However as I stated before, you are supposed to be grown men and women by the time you reach college/higher education. Every nursing program makes academic requirements quite plain in writing. If after the first exams you are getting C's and low B's then that is the time to show initiative. Speak with your professors/instructors, ask them to go over the exam with you and or evaluate what they think your problem might be, hire a tutor, seek out those whom are doing well and ask if you can sit in their study group, etc. By not speaking up right away some teachers may feel you simply do not care.

Nursing school is difficult, but then again so is the practice of nursing once one graduates and enters the real world. Pre-employment pharma/med dose calc exams want >90% if not 100% passing grade or you won't get the job. Some hospitals will let you retake the exam if you miss by a point or two others will not.

On it's most basic level testing measures the level one has mastered course content. If the best one can manage is C's that is leaving nearly 40% of the rest missing. I suppose back in the day when one could graduate and work as a GN, wait a six months or a year to take the boards (still while working), and had a nice long formal orientation where you were never on your own until deemed "ready", grades as in your ability to master and execute content perhaps weighed slightly less. But sadly those days seem gone forever.

Finally as I've said in other posts of this nature, we must consider that the "system" that is the nursing program did what it was supposed to do; weed out students who at least were indicated by their grades weren't the best choices for nursing at that time. Sometimes student's make it to their final semesters before things catch up with them, others don't make it out of pre-nursing.

Bhavana · May 25, 2011

You are SO wrong in your rationale. The last semester is the time when a student REALLY has to "put it all together", and it is the time where critical thinking really comes to the forefront.
Nursing instructors are inclined to give the benefit of the doubt to all but the most blatantly inept students; but when the time comes to perform, some of the "Might be best and brightest" cannot surmount thier hiccoughs and
put it all together.
They just can't do it, and they get booted. The tuition reference is so beyond reality as to be not worth comment. "Playing with their life"? Are you serious?

well now, in my school, the average grade was a C. Very few B's, and I think in all 2 years I met maybe 2 other students who got A's, one of them being absolutely HOPELESS in clinical performance (she passed anyway) So, considering all those C students - are THEY going to make the best performers on the floor? Some of them passed by the grace of one point, just as others failed by one point...meaning that the only thing that made the difference between pass and fail was ONE EXAM QUESTION.

Nursing school is about teaching you the basics, and hopefully how to be safe. The majority of learning comes with experience. Some schools have ridiculously high standards and egotistical instructors who delight in making test questions as hard as possible. I know, I went to one of these schools. Do those who get the best grades make the best nurses? I don't think so. While what you say makes sense, not all schools are the same, nor is the school curriculum the best indication of who is "putting it all together". I lost count of how many students in my program passed the exit exam, yet could not pass our school's program! The Hesi is the best indicator of who is ready for the boards - how can you do well on that while at the same time not be able to pass your school's standards? Some schools are TOO hard, all they care about is weeding out those who may mess up the schools NCLEX pass/fail scores, thereby messing with the school's ability to get grant money from the state. In the process, they weed out many capable students as well. It isn't fair.

hiddencatRN, BSN, RN · May 25, 2011

My understanding is that online programs rely heavily on testing to assess competency. If you struggle with testing, that doesn't seem like a good option for you.

It wasn't just 0.9 points you failed by- it was all those other questions you missed as well that brought you down to such a borderline level. Even if you'd gotten those 0.9 points and passed, you'd still have to pass the NCLEX, (a test I thought was very hard and I am a good test taker!). I know you don't want to start over again at another school, but maybe a fresh start and a chance to make use of all the resources available to you to become a good test taker to get through nursing school AND ultimately the NCLEX will be a good thing for you in the end.

Jess1980 · May 27, 2011

I audited the class my third semester. Which was technically withdrawing from the class at midterm, but with auditing you still come to class and participate but you can't take the test. then you start it over the next semester, but it gives you the opportunity to listen to the lectures and prepare yourself for the next semester. I passed the 3rd semester by flying colors. Then this last semester was my failure. Those took up my 2 chances.

Jess1980 · May 27, 2011

Thanks, I am sorry for your situation also. I know there is a reason for everything, but I haven't found mine yet. lol The thing that gripes me too is that I have NEVER missed a class, clinical, or any event we were required to do, and those that skip..well they seem to pass as well as those that are what I call "book smart" but clinically ignorant. I had a girl in my class who passed every test and did it well, but I honestly would NEVER let her touch me as an RN. Loved the girl, but when you can't take a rectal temp, start an IV very well or access a G-tubein your last semester...thats scary. She got a job right away, and hopefully doesn't hurt anyone. That's what makes me upset with the system, but as someone else said...it's all about the "grant money" and how us"rotten apples" make the school appear when we can't pass the class. I passed the NCLEX test for the semester, just couldn't pass the program test. Good luck to you, and if you get into a program, update on how it's going.