School's hidden agenda, "NCLEX pass rate: Weed out students who will not pass"

OB-nurse2013, BSN, RN · May 26, 2012

I have not read all through this thread just a few posts but I have a very different opinion then many it seems. I do think theres something wrong with a program, I'lll use one by me as an example that my aunt survived and a few friends. Okay so they take in 215 students and graduate usually less then 100 and have a fairly average NCLEX pass rate. I do think there is something wrong with this. First, yes I completely understand there are some people that are going to fail out on their own accord and thats not a problem to me. Secondly, I also realize there are many that may realize nursing just isn't for them and tehy will fail out or quit, it is different then I thought and I felt very educated about teh profession before starting. Lastly, I do not feel that the people that make up those first two categories will ever be over 50% of a admitted nursing class. I think that to me is a poor school that takes students money, to make more money with repeats and so on. I don't thinks its because those students jsut couldn't hack I think those professors are the ones that can't hack it. No I did not fail out of this program, just inc ase you're thinking that. I have made the dean's list and progressed through my BSN program normally. My school takes in 75 students a year, my class of seniors have lost 4 students=5% of its student body and our most recent graduating class had a 100 percent pass rate. To me that is the mark of an excellent school.

allnurses Guide · May 26, 2012

The class of 215: do you think they were all as qualified as you?

kaydensmom01 · May 26, 2012

I do believe most schools are aboveboard and that they strive to produce competent new grads who should be able to pass boards and begin work.
In these schools, one should expect it to be extremely challenging considering the huge responsibility and knowledge required to be safe.
It comes down to survival of the fittest. I have to wonder if the many complaints we hear about programs being "unfair" is not due to one's inability to accept that they are actually not one of the fittest.
That's an ego-blow, but the reality is that not everyone can make the cut.
No one wants to believe they are not "good enough" or "the best".
So the fittest survive and sit for the NCLEX... the final determinate in becoming a nurse.
It does not matter how ridiculously easy or stupid one thinks the NCLEX is, one has to earn the right to even sit for it.
If one gets "weeded out" before that point, then they did not earn it.
Period.
A student needs to realize that they are a very small fish in a big pond full of other incredibly intelligent people and the cut off has to happen somewhere.
Bottom line: if the cut happened with you, then there was a reason for it and it is up to you to figure it out and correct it.
I'm going to put my neck out and say I think much complaining is directly related to a bruised ego and an inability to face the fact that somewhere, emanating from within themselves, was the reason for the failure.
I am talking about schools that are on-the-level (though some students may label them otherwise due to... the bruised ego).

This is a great explanation, and seems to be the truth. Why wouldn't the school want to weed out the students that can not pass the NCLEX? You must take the NCLEX to become a nurse. The school does take students money, but the students are the ones that apply to school. What if a school told you "you have the grades to get in to the school but I do not see you passing the NCLEX so we are not going to accept you"? You would not be happy and would think that it wasn't fair.

It all comes down to the student doing their work. If they show up to school, do their work and pass the tests then they have nothing to worry about. Not sure how everyone thinks that the school makes them fail, or takes an abnormal amount of people just to gain money! they take that amount of people, and will allow that amount to continue on if they pass their schoolwork, it is not the school or professors' fault if the student fails, afterall others have passed the same classes so why would there be exceptions made? We are all adults and responsibility is key, we must do self teaching and must ask for help if we need it.

kaydensmom01 · May 26, 2012

But that is exactly what they are doing! and I don't have a big problem with that, just their timing. Why are they (the schools) wasting the students time and money? Why not flunk them out as freshman, rather than seniors?

What do you want the school to do, fail the student their freshman year when they passed all of the tests? How is the school wasting the students' time, the student is the one that passed until their senior year and then failed, the school does not control when a student fails.

OB-nurse2013, BSN, RN · May 26, 2012

The class of 215: do you think they were all as qualified as you?

Honestly-no. I say this because the school I attend have a more complicated application process as well as some very hard upper-level pre-req courses that can only be completed at the University. The school that takes in 215 only makes admittance based on the GPA of a few "nursing" pre-req's and gives no penality for taking a class over and over or if the class is transferred in.

Merlyn · May 26, 2012

The reason why nursing school is tuff because the directors want the students to pass NCLEX..They make the course work hard so that they will know only bright students will pass NCLEX...If the school gets under a 75% pass rate on NCLEX, the school will be put on probation...
I over heard this while the directer was talking to an instructor..

The Director was right. The accreditation of the school is based on how many students pass the NCLEX. The courses are hard because Nursing is hard. If you think that it is going to be all fun and games after Nursing School you are in for a reality check. You have to study hard when you are out of school just to keep up. Procedures change, Treatments change, Medications change all most daily. You have to keep up. You are going to hold people's lives in your hands Time was when if you didn't what too much change you could work in a Nursing Home. Not any more, those halcyon days are over. Now with the name change to LTC and the emergence of Gerontology as a separate field. You have to keep up almost as you would if you worked in a hospital. Your hard study days are a head of you.

allnurses Guide · May 27, 2012

...too much change you could work in a Nursing Home. Not any more, those halcyon days are over. Now with the name change to LTC and the emergence of Gerontology as a separate field. You have to keep up almost as you would if you worked in a hospital. Your hard study days are a head of you.

I returned to the nursing home, that I had worked at for 11 years as an aide, in hopes of getting a job.

I hadn't been there in about 12 years, but was so fond of it and always wanted to return.

I got a wonderful reception from my old coworkers, but they all looked sad when they told me:

"Hygiene... it's not the same anymore. Remember how we knew all the residents and took care of them for years and years? It's not like that anymore. It's all about rehab now. They come and they go. They're sick and they're aren't DNR's like they used to be. Admissions and discharges everyday like it's med-surg or something! It is not fun anymore."

I was so broken-hearted and wanted to cry. Even the family that owns it was sad over the changes that have come over healthcare... and ruined the finest nursing homes you could ever hope to find.

Yes, don't think you can get any stability in knowing your residents.

Years ago, many of the residents you see in LTC/rehab today, would have still been in the hospital!

Even in geri-psych, I have to read every single day to maintain and broaden my own knowledge base.

It's like a sickness but what can you do?

It's no good to say, "school didn't prepare me" or whatever. You have to take your own education by the balls to keep up everywhere in any area of nursing.

Sorry, it's a bit off-topic, but Merlyn's post made me think.

morte, LPN, LVN · May 27, 2012

THIS! this is the way it should be.

I have not read all through this thread just a few posts but I have a very different opinion then many it seems. I do think theres something wrong with a program, I'lll use one by me as an example that my aunt survived and a few friends. Okay so they take in 215 students and graduate usually less then 100 and have a fairly average NCLEX pass rate. I do think there is something wrong with this. First, yes I completely understand there are some people that are going to fail out on their own accord and thats not a problem to me. Secondly, I also realize there are many that may realize nursing just isn't for them and tehy will fail out or quit, it is different then I thought and I felt very educated about teh profession before starting. Lastly, I do not feel that the people that make up those first two categories will ever be over 50% of a admitted nursing class. I think that to me is a poor school that takes students money, to make more money with repeats and so on. I don't thinks its because those students jsut couldn't hack I think those professors are the ones that can't hack it. No I did not fail out of this program, just inc ase you're thinking that. I have made the dean's list and progressed through my BSN program normally. My school takes in 75 students a year, my class of seniors have lost 4 students=5% of its student body and our most recent graduating class had a 100 percent pass rate. To me that is the mark of an excellent school.

kgh31386, BSN, MSN, RN · May 27, 2012

Lol I've heard it all in this thread. It started off with nursing school being "too hard". Then they say it's too easy and they let "too many people pass and fail the NCLEX after graduation". Come on now...some people will just complain and whine it seems. You say school is too hard(Wahhhh)...try taking the PharmD boards or MD boards. The kind of stuff they go through on those things(not to mention the hands on parts) make the NCLEX look like a coloring book. Then you have the crowd who jumped in with "too many people pass then fail the NCLEX cuz they passed everyone through(aka the school stole my money)..again I can call the wahmbulance for you. This is the same old crap of I failed something because it wasn't my fault. You fail out of school(it's the schools fault cuz it was too hard), you fail the NCLEX(it's the NCLEX ppl's fault I failed combined with my school didn't prepare me). Schools and tests don't fail people, people fail themselves. I'll tell you this...if ONE person can pass, anyone can pass.

To sum this entire debate up

School is too hard=not my fault and the school is "weeding people out"

School is too easy and I failed the NCLEX=not my fault, school stole my money and NCLEX ppl are mean

Oh and people complain about the TEAS exam or whatever being so hard. It's 8th or 7th grade level stuff...the entrance exams to law school, Med school, Pharmacy school, yeah you look at the biochem, physics, micro, organic chem, etc etc that they do and get back to me. I almost took the PCAT before I realized I didn't enjoy pharmacy and I don't even call the TEAS a true test.

Come up with better excuses...:argue:

ixchel · May 27, 2012

I want an NCLEX coloring book.

Merlyn · May 27, 2012

I want an NCLEX coloring book.

It's coming out next month right after 'Neurosurgery for Dummies.'

Horseshoe, BSN, RN · May 28, 2012

I completely disagree with how this was worded. Yes, nursing school is tough and it should be.. we are dealing with peoples lives. Our instructors WANT and NEED us to pass. The nursing shortage is only going to get worse in the future. But, your degree isn't going to just be handed to you, you have to work HARD for it!

What nursing shortage?