Can stupid people pass nursing school?

Ruby Vee, BSN · Feb 13, 2012

according to the folks here on an, you're only an idiot if you have to take your nclex more than once.

someone lacks reading comprehension skills. what most of the folks on the thread to which you're alluding seem to agree on is that if you flunk more than twice there ought to be some remediation before you're allowed to take it again. and that five times is probably too many.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Feb 13, 2012

the truly stupid, the bone-deep-clueless, unable to learn an entirely new way of thinking and master a boatload of science, no, they won't pass school. or if they do, they won't pass nclex, generally.
however, they tend to be blind to their own limitations. they generally blame their failures on mean instructors (read: won't just pass you for being there and really wanting to be a nurse), ambiguous test questions (read: i didn't understand it well enough to tell the difference), and circumstances beyond their control (like, it was so totally not my fault that i turned in my paper late and it's soooo unfair that she gave me an f for it), rather than on their own limitations and shortcomings.
that said, dear, you're not saying anything that screams out "stupid!" to me here. you are at least interested in working at it, which is more than some of these airheads appear to be. good luck and let us know when we can clap you on the back and welcome you into your professional program.

the biggest problem with this post is that i can only "like" it once.

Wave Watcher · Feb 13, 2012

You have brains in your head.

You have feet in your shoes."You can steer yourself any

direction you choose."

~Dr. Seuss~

NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN · Feb 13, 2012

someone lacks reading comprehension skills. what most of the folks on the thread to which you're alluding seem to agree on is that if you flunk more than twice there ought to be some remediation before you're allowed to take it again. and that five times is probably too many.

you lack humor. i was being sarcastic here. i think we can all agree to disagree. but that is another thread.

OCNRN63, RN · Feb 13, 2012

I'm an B, C student I know I wont get it in right away, but will I EVER get in? and I feel like I'm way to dumb to pass. I know people who I thought would be AMAZING nurses. They are so talented, hard working, super smart, and have experience and they say they are really struggling.
so... can stupid people pass?

I don't know about your prospects for getting in, since that was so long ago for me. It's entirely possible you'll do better in nursing school if that's what you really want to do; you might study harder, feel more motivation, etc.

Stop calling yourself stupid, though. It's self-destructive.

OCNRN63, RN · Feb 13, 2012

If you truly think you're stupid, you shouldn't even be in college/university. That said, I don't think you are stupid or you wouldn't be where you are now.
Nursing prerequisites and and the actual nursing classes themselves are tough. They require you to critically think, and to tie all the stuff you've been learning together. One class builds on another- you can't do well in pharmacology unless you understand physiology, for example.
But to answer the core of your question, no. Stupid people can't pass nursing school, I'm not sure stupid people can pass any school.

I have to disagree. I have seen some nurses who have left me slack-jawed they were that stupid. How did they get through school and pass NCLEX? I chalk it up to dumb luck.

IEDave, ASN, CNA, LVN · Feb 13, 2012

the truly stupid, the bone-deep-clueless, unable to learn an entirely new way of thinking and master a boatload of science, no, they won't pass school. or if they do, they won't pass nclex, generally.
however, they tend to be blind to their own limitations. they generally blame their failures on mean instructors (read: won't just pass you for being there and really wanting to be a nurse), ambiguous test questions (read: i didn't understand it well enough to tell the difference), and circumstances beyond their control (like, it was so totally not my fault that i turned in my paper late and it's soooo unfair that she gave me an f for it), rather than on their own limitations and shortcomings.
that said, dear, you're not saying anything that screams out "stupid!" to me here. you are at least interested in working at it, which is more than some of these airheads appear to be. good luck and let us know when we can clap you on the back and welcome you into your professional program.

big difference between "stupid" and "lacking confidence", ma'am. b's & c's are nothing to sneer at; to me, it says you're in there slugging it out and that's no bad thing. case in point - my worst subject (by far) is mathematics; and, i successfully completed a computer science degree - not exactly a "math poor" subject, no?

and, yeah - saw this loud & clear during my cna training. granted, the instructors were anything but the best & the class organization was pathetic - but, gave it my best and got the magic "you passed" on the state tests. the ones that didn't - either (a) blamed everyone but themselves, or (b) after they got their grumbling out of the way, hit the books & addressed the areas that they were weak on. give you one good guess as to which ones walked out with their certs on the retest...

can you be competitive with b's & c's? possibly - better if you can get them up to a's & b's, but entry into nursing programs is not based solely on grades. life experiences, work experiences, etc. play into the acceptance formulae. take a good hard look at what you can put on the table before you blow it off altogether - you just may be surprised.

can you do this? wouldn't be wasting my time typing at you right now if i didn't think so.

----- dave

leslie :-D · Feb 13, 2012

According to the folks here on AN, you're only an idiot if you have to take your NCLEX more than once.

that is so not true, or fair, nlj.

no one has ever stated anything like this.

even the title of the thread referred to failing nclex 5 times...

and there have been people who have taken it sev'l times.

that is not the same as more than once/twice.

sheesh.

leslie

leslie :-D · Feb 13, 2012

op, i agree with those who suggest to stop berating yourself.

you can be your own worst enemy, or your own best friend - you choose.:)

if you remain determined and honest with yourself, you should do great.

please - stop calling yourself stupid!:hug:

leslie

tokmom, BSN, RN · Feb 13, 2012

You can do it if you want it bad enough..

Look at your study habits and test taking skills.

Join a study group or get a study buddy.

Become a CNA to get healthcare experience.

Good luck!

rdop5388 · Feb 13, 2012

Yes you can do it. This nurse is dumber than dirt. I was dismissed twice from nursing school. For skills checkoff one time, and missing one on the dreaded math exam. Yes some of the instructors were mean to me, in fact it was so bad I should have retained an attorney. However for being dumber than dirt C student my grades averaged a B in my first nursing school The reason being I wanted to be a nurse and I studied hard. So after a year of sitting on the sofa and crying about it. I dusted myself off applied to another school and guess what? I graduated the top my my class and passed the Nclex on the first try. Also the instructors treated me with respect and not like I was a stepchild. Yes you can do anything you want if you make up your mind to do it.

classicdame, MSN, EdD · Feb 13, 2012

Nursing school is like learning a new language and a new culture. It is not easy. Think of it as an endurance test and you only have to survive one day at a time. I felt the same way and bet a lot of others did as well