Some people should just QUIT!!!

WDWpixieRN, RN · Oct 25, 2006

by the way, i started thinking positive about her situation before i received my acceptance letter to start in january of 07!

everything else aside, congrats...you must be so excited!! best wishes!!:balloons:

PANurseRN1 · Oct 26, 2006

You have to remember that every student's file is confidential, so you really don't know the whole story about any of these students. And, they don't know the whole story about you. That's as it should be. There are many elements that go into the making of a "nurse". There are many factors that go into the information you've given. How much is gossip? How much did the people running the program of nursing actually know the student did wrong? How much was documented? What is there about the student and their application and acceptance into the nursing program is unknown to you?
When I became a manager I learned some very serious lessons about the power of gossip and the value of witnesses and documentation. Gossip, or hearsay, can work two ways. When it is positive in nature it can prevent bad situations from coming to light faster. When it is negative it can make bad situations worse than they may be. When an ultimate decision is up to you, your judgment has to be based on information that is as objective as possible. This is what instructors strive to teach you about clinical nursing. Stick with facts--objective facts, first hand witness facts. That applies to interactions with other people as well. Try to keep that in mind. Also, you don't know that the student wasn't admitted to the nursing program as part of some federally or state funded program that the school cannot renege on once the student is enrolled. You don't know that supporting special programs that allow students like this in to your nursing school might also keep your nursing school going financially.
This may sound harsh, but my advice is to worry primarily about your own progress and standing within your class and let others worry about themselves. No one is stepping on your toes here. It is the job of the universe and people in charge to take care of things and administer any justice due.

Exactly. Where people find the time to be so over involved in other people's business, I'm sure I don't know. Worry about your own work, your own grades. You really have no way of knowing what exactly is going on with this student.

raebabelvn, LVN · Oct 26, 2006

In my LVN/LPN program, you can retake a failed course only once... failed is anything lower than an 80%. After that you're dropped. We're only in week 4, but I can already see the students who aren't cut out to be nurses. But if they want to try, and if they give it their all, then I sure hope they all succeed.

SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN · Oct 26, 2006

Everything else aside, congrats...you must be so excited!! Best wishes!!:balloons:

THANKS!

RN1263 · Oct 28, 2006

All i wanna say is mind you own business:trout:

:yeahthat:

Josh L.Ac. · Oct 28, 2006

Despite what you hear, you have the ability to judge the performance of your peers. You may not always be accurate, but you still have the ability.

Flip it the other way to all the haters - would you want your child, spouse, or family member to be cared by the other student [if the OP's assessment is correct]?

Fun2, BSN, RN · Oct 29, 2006

All i wanna say is mind you own business:trout:

If it is our duty to advocate for the patients, report medication errors from ourselves or other nurses, and to report any abuse, then this IS part of her business!

Yes, she shouldn't have to worry about it during school, there are powers that be to handle this. However, watching out for patients' safety is a duty of the nurse.

UM Review RN, ASN, RN · Oct 29, 2006

I am the personality type that consistently roots for the underdog! I can't stand to see a student fall behind, especially when they are great in clinical yet are poor test takers. It's even worse when you see someone who struggles with a ligitimate (sp?) learning disability, and you know how frustrating it is for them to study, study, study and come up short. I have gone out of my way for two students who struggled, to spend one on one tutor time to help them pull up their grades.
With that being said, I have to get THIS off my chest. We have a person who has failed out of a previous nursing school attend our program. She started out in my class one and a half years ago, failed the first semester, repeated (barely passing), nearly failed the second semester so she withdrew so she could come back, then failed second semester. They would not let her attempt the RN program again, but they let her into the LPN program! This woman has had several close calls in clinicals. The only one I am personally aware of is that she drew up 3cc of R Insulin instead of 3 units. I have heard rumors of others (but a rumor is just a rumor.) She does have some learning disabilities and she is accomodated for those through a student services organization.
To be honest, I really don't think she is cut out for nursing. I certainly would not want her as my nurse. I understand that sometimes people have to repeat, and that is not a true reflection upon their nursing ability...however, this situation is quite excessive IMO. The worst part is that I feel like this woman is being taken advantage of by the school who keeps taking her money semester after semester when it is obvious she can't make the cut. And another thing...I have seen other students dismissed from the program with more potential than this woman is displaying.

I would like to address the two statements that I boldfaced from your post.

1). Only 3 cc's? Cripe, back when I was in school, I stopped a fellow student from going after a second vial of Regular insulin because she was going to draw up EIGHTcc's of Regular Insulin.

I had a medical background; she did not. She did not know there was a difference between cc's and units.

If a student does something like that, it's not a huge surprise, because the student is in a teaching environment with proper supervision. Even after the student passes NCLEX, it's really not the end of the world to draw up an incorrect amount. We can assume that the error was caught before the med was given and that she was counseled. End of story. (Or at least, it should've been the end of the story.)

2). It really isn't fair to judge another student's nursing skills (or lack thereof). You're a student yourself. You haven't the experience, authority or the skills to really make a prediction on what kind of nurse she'll make.

We all have different learning curves and we all have gaps in our knowledge base. Some of us develop more slowly and more painfully than others.

Instead of pity, how about respecting her for the determination that keeps her coming back for more? A lot of being a nurse is just getting in there and putting one foot in front of the other until the job is done.

I agree with Daytonite. Regardless of what your opinion is of this student, you need to concentrate on getting yourself through school. It's hard enough to complete without distractions such as this.

mani3433 · Oct 29, 2006

If it is our duty to advocate for the patients, report medication errors from ourselves or other nurses, and to report any abuse, then this IS part of her business!
Yes, she shouldn't have to worry about it during school, there are powers that be to handle this. However, watching out for patients' safety is a duty of the nurse.[/qu
As i know she is only a student and she is learning right know. And for me people learn from their mistakes. I know most people will say we can't afford to do a mistake, patient's life is in our hand. But that's why she is learning under her instructor's supervision. May be with this med error she learned her lesson and in future she will be a good nurse, who knows. You can't judge a person with one mistake.
And also I remember the same incident with one of my classmate. She is outstanding student but in front of instructor she was so nervous ( i think we all are) she calculated the wrong dose. Then our instructor said take a deep breath first and recalculate ur dose. And guess what she was right second time.

Fun2, BSN, RN · Oct 29, 2006

I completely agree with you. (That's why I said she shouldn't worry about it while in school.) I think we all can help each other to NOT make mistakes. :)

As i know she is only a student and she is learning right know. And for me people learn from their mistakes. I know most people will say we can't afford to do a mistake, patient's life is in our hand. But that's why she is learning under her instructor's supervision. May be with this med error she learned her lesson and in future she will be a good nurse, who knows. You can't judge a person with one mistake.

And also I remember the same incident with one of my classmate. She is outstanding student but in front of instructor she was so nervous ( i think we all are) she calculated the wrong dose. Then our instructor said take a deep breath first and recalculate ur dose. And guess what she was right second time.

ChadleyNC · Oct 30, 2006

As students, it is not up to us. There are lots of things I think should be different and there are people in my program that scare the hell out of me. That said, it's not up to us but to them.

I RN A · Oct 31, 2006

Why are you so judgemental? And such a bitter! Why is it your problem? May be she has special circumstances that you don't know of. Just concentrate on your own success and failure.