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

[Bala Shark]

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..

[BostonFNP, APRN]

If your school wasn't preparing you to take/pass the NCLEX I would be concerned as you have to pass it in order to enter practice.

That should not be the only focus of school! There should be a clinical focus preparing you to have the practical skills to function as a nurse, and a theoretical focus that prepares you to think critically using a fund of knowledge.

[morte, LPN, LVN]

Sigh, they get the money and run......they allow students to go through the program, then fail them (don't allow them to graduate) AFTER collecting the tuition. This is dishonest. If any of these schools get federal aid of any kind, I would think the feds might be interested.

If, after you are finished your schooling, you need any additional study to pass NCLEX, either you or your school, or both, have failed.

If this conversation is even happening in front of a student, it is probably because the school is in close to that 75% mark. In which case, they should be busting their a$$ to get the score up so their students are not screwed. How do you think it looks for the students out there applying for jobs when their alma-mater looses accreditation. They are protecting themselves and their students.

[morte, LPN, LVN]

thank you. We had very little discussion of NCLEX when I was in school (as ruby would say, when the dinasours roamed) I am thinking that was because they knew they were preparing us so well that that base was already covered.

If your school wasn't preparing you to take/pass the NCLEX I would be concerned as you have to pass it in order to enter practice.

That should not be the only focus of school! There should be a clinical focus preparing you to have the practical skills to function as a nurse, and a theoretical focus that prepares you to think critically using a fund of knowledge.

[ixchel]

Sigh, they get the money and run......they allow students to go through the program, then fail them (don't allow them to graduate) AFTER collecting the tuition. This is dishonest. If any of these schools get federal aid of any kind, I would think the feds might be interested.

If, after you are finished your schooling, you need any additional study to pass NCLEX, either you or your school, or both, have failed.

I get what you are saying, but the level of responsibility in this situation in my opinion is about 25% faculty, 75% student. It's up to us to pass the class. By your logic, it is wrong to allow students to fail any class in general. A teacher can only go so far. It's up to us to meet them in the middle and learn the material. The school is required to prepare us for licensure and practice. If a student can't pass the NCLEX, they have not adequately been prepared and must be given some remedial attention.

I'll admit I do understand why one would feel the way you do. After all, education is expensive and schools want to boost their income. I'm sure there legitimately is some blurring of the lines here when it comes to the motives. Ultimately, though, as a student, I like thinking my I structures might be paying attention to my potential to succeed at the NCLEX and they might pull me aside at some point and say, "We need to work on this." After all, that is what I am paying for in my tuition.

[ixchel]

Ha! I structures! That was supposed to say instructors.

[morte, LPN, LVN]

Where in heavens name, did you get that idea out MY post????? That is not at all what i was saying! If students have been admitted that are not going to make it, flunk their butts right out! Don't allow them to continue, wasting their money and their time!

I get what you are saying, but the level of responsibility in this situation in my opinion is about 25% faculty, 75% student. It's up to us to pass the class. By your logic, it is wrong to allow students to fail any and learn the material. The school is required to prepare us for licensure and practice. If a student can't pass the NCLEX, they have not adequately been prepared and must be given some remedial attention.

I'll admit I do understand why one would feel the way you do. After all, education is expensive and schools want to boost their income. I'm sure there legitimately is some blurring of the lines here when it comes to the motives. Ultimately, though, as a student, I like thinking my I structures might be paying attention to my potential to succeed at the NCLEX and they might pull me aside at some point and say, "We need to work on this." After all, that is what I am paying for in my tuition.

[ixchel]

You were saying that it is bad that they collect the money and then don't allow them to graduate. Isn't that the case for any person in any program in which they are not adequately prepared? In other programs this might be reflected in grades alone, but for medical programs like nursing, this includes passing boards. If they haven't prepared me adequately for that, don't graduate me. That's all I'm saying. I'll do my 75% by learning the best way I know how, and I hope they'll do their 25% by recognizing when I'm not doing what I need to to succeed.Hope that explains better. I do understand what you are saying (I think) but we are somehow missing each other's points, I think.

[morte, LPN, LVN]

they get the money and run......they allow students to go through the program, then fail them (don't allow them to graduate) AFTER collecting the tuition

You were saying that it is bad that they collect the money and then don't allow them to graduate. Isn't that the case for any person in any program in which they are not adequately prepared? In other programs this might be reflected in grades alone, but for medical programs like nursing, this includes passing boards. If they haven't prepared me adequately for that, don't graduate me. That's all I'm saying. I'll do my 75% by learning the best way I know how, and I hope they'll do their 25% by recognizing when I'm not doing what I need to to succeed.Hope that explains better. I do understand what you are saying (I think) but we are somehow missing each other's points, I think.

Implied in my statement above, was that they were passing along students that they had reason to suspect would not pass, only to collect the money! YES,YES,YES, flunk their butts out!

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

Passing NCLEX comes after nursing school, so the school cannot weed out students based on that. The school did not make the rules or make the test either. State BON decide what is required for you to get a license. What a waste of energy to blame others for your own anxiety. It is what it is. Study, pass, work

[morte, LPN, LVN]

Passing NCLEX comes after nursing school, so the school cannot weed out students based on that. The school did not make the rules or make the test either. State BON decide what is required for you to get a license. What a waste of energy to blame others for your own anxiety. It is what it is. Study, pass, work

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?

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

it is not the school who flunks the students. If the student got in to the school they have 2-4 years, depending on program, to be a success. I cannot predict who will do that and who will not. Some schools do require entrance exams because low performers will not be successful. They can always re-apply. But there has to be an objective way of determining who can take care of the public. Wanting to is not good enough

[ixchel]

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?

Because as I understand it, nursing classes are a different kind of learning, and because there is a growth process in getting used to that style of learning, as a freshman, no one could possibly predict chances of success.

I understand better what you mean though. Your anger is the idea that a student would get blindsided by this right as they're getting ready to graduate, right? Thankfully I'm at a school that has NCLEX review type of questions that we have to go in and answer on a regular basis throughout the program. Our pass rate is consistently in the high 90's, usually among the highest in the state, if not the highest. Being that these tools exist, I find it hard to believe most schools wouldn't want to also use them.

In the context of the OP (weeding out those who may not pass), it sounds more like the suspected non-passers are being pushed to drop out over time, not so much be held back from graduation. I may be misunderstanding, though.