1st semester: How many students have you already lost?

gsunursingstudent · Oct 9, 2004

To gerry79: I am a first-semester BSN student. Your question about "is nursing school unnecessarily hard ?" really caught my attention. First off let me tell you that YOU HAVE TO LOVE NURSING !! Let me stress the word LOVE!! It is nothing like core classes....meaning test questions are not direct, you will have to think critically. It's really hard to explain it, but you will know after your first couple of test. Also, there is not enough time in the day. Theres only 24 hrs. in a day, but just think about 15 being in class and/or clinicals. On top of doing care plans for clinicals, drug cards for clinicals and pharmacology, studying for test.....you will have about 12 group projects and basically busy work is what I call it. I often wonder why the professors can't give us study guides with questions that are going to be on the test, not extra stuff to study. It's sooo easy to fail. I study hours and hours, but I tend to over-analyze situations, and it will KILL you. In my program you have to make 75% or higher on test average alone, not including the busy work (thats only added in if you made a 75% or higher). I admit, we have a lot to learn in 2 yrs., especially for the autonomy that comes along with being an RN, but its stressful, and many nights you will wonder is this what I want to do? If your answer is yes, you'll accept the crazy things we have to do, and strive for the day of Graduation. Like many others, that day can't come soon enough. Good Luck !! Oh yeah, only 1 student has dropped out of the program. A couple others will FAIL out due to poor test grades.

avery · Oct 9, 2004

To gerry79: I am a first-semester BSN student. Your question about "is nursing school unnecessarily hard ?" really caught my attention. First off let me tell you that YOU HAVE TO LOVE NURSING !! Let me stress the word LOVE!! It is nothing like core classes....meaning test questions are not direct, you will have to think critically. It's really hard to explain it, but you will know after your first couple of test. Also, there is not enough time in the day. Theres only 24 hrs. in a day, but just think about 15 being in class and/or clinicals. On top of doing care plans for clinicals, drug cards for clinicals and pharmacology, studying for test.....you will have about 12 group projects and basically busy work is what I call it. I often wonder why the professors can't give us study guides with questions that are going to be on the test, not extra stuff to study. It's sooo easy to fail. I study hours and hours, but I tend to over-analyze situations, and it will KILL you. In my program you have to make 75% or higher on test average alone, not including the busy work (thats only added in if you made a 75% or higher). I admit, we have a lot to learn in 2 yrs., especially for the autonomy that comes along with being an RN, but its stressful, and many nights you will wonder is this what I want to do? If your answer is yes, you'll accept the crazy things we have to do, and strive for the day of Graduation. Like many others, that day can't come soon enough. Good Luck !! Oh yeah, only 1 student has dropped out of the program. A couple others will FAIL out due to poor test grades.

I totally agree with you. I am in my first semester of B.S.N. and the stress is what is making me tired but I am so happy and excited of what is to come! It is amazing to be able to tie everything you learn together and have it make sense!

We have lost about 20 so far (in six weeks), out of 120 and I am sure we will lose more after the next pharm test.

Avery

B.S.N. Student

Dallas, TX

leixlip · Oct 9, 2004

I've never posted before, but I have to wonder if these people who are up and quitting are not being pushed out by the instructors? I see it happening alot where I attend. It also makes a person wonder if they could be next on their list.

I really don't agree that the instructors weed people out. When it comes time for my family to need a nurse I want that RN to be smart, educated, competent and the best that they can be. Thankfully that is what my school does. Only YOU can fail YOU out.

not now, RN · Oct 9, 2004

First semester two left, one because it was too hard for her, the other because he missed too much class.

This semester we picked up three more (one transfer and two who were repeating second semester). Two of the new students failed the first module along with someone from our original group. Once you fail a module you're done, you can't even continue with clinic so those three literally failed the semester within the first four weeks.

Saved_by_Grace · Oct 9, 2004

My school lost me... :crying2: I was in an lpn program. However I am going to go ahead and take my Rn prereq's in the spring and my school is holding me a spot automatically as a returning student for the fall 2005 class due to the circumstances of which I left the program. So after all is said and done I will still be an Rn in the same amount of time. I just reversed the order in which I am doing the lpn program and rn prereq's.

I was still majorly bummed about having to leave the program. It hurt like hell. But I will be wiser for the wear this time around and I will know what to study before classes start again.

sad · Oct 10, 2004

We lost about 10 so far in the first four weeks of the semester. I do not know the reason why they dropped but some due to grades. But you have to realize that not all of them drop out because of grades. There could be other circumstances also.

enfermeraSG · Oct 10, 2004

I thought maybe my program was the only one losing a lot. We have lost close to 25% or our class so far, and the really hard stuff is next semester!

I am sad for the class that lost the student due to a car accident, that is so awful.

To the poster asking about how hard nursing school is, the workload is quite heavy. It is nearly an unreasonable amount of reading to complete, especially when you throw in clinicals. Of course there's a ton of busy work, and you have to retain some of what you are reading. Hopefully, you focus on the correct parts! Next, you must learn to answer these nursing school style questions. I also make it harder because I work full-time and have 3 children. I don't think it would be as bad if I had the time to read! anyway, that's just how it is at my school. Oh, and we must have a 77% to pass so it is surprising for example that a 92% on an exam is a "B"! Good luck to everyone that is hanging in there! And WannabeLPN, you'll make it, your plans are just rearranged! SG

Imafloat, BSN, RN · Oct 10, 2004

I have no idea of how many people, if any, we have lost this quarter. I am in the middle of quarter 1 out of 9 in a BSN program. Once we are accepted into the college of nursing we have 9 10 week quarters, 4 quarters a year. We have a huge class, over 100 and I don't know a lot of my classmates. Where I go to school they make the nursing classes really easy the first quarter, theory, history, diversity. We lose a lot of people in Physiology our first quarter though, our Phys professor seems to pride herself with the difficulty of her class. We do Anatomy as prenursing and physiology once we are in the program. I have a lot of friends that have ADNs and the ADN program seems a lot harder to me, because you have the same amount of material in less time.

RedSox33RN · Oct 10, 2004

I have no idea either, since we have 2 lecture (day) groups with about 90 of us between the two. In our class, we had one drop out before the first class even started (I only know because when our prof took attendance, a girl said the so-and-so had moved out of the dorm the day before). There have been a couple others who are hardly EVER in lecture, so I imagine it won't be much longer for them. We've only had one math quiz and one exam, but our program requires above 80% on everything, otherwise you fail. Not an 80 average. This includes any sciences and co-req's.

I don't know how other students did on the exam, but I did see some of the Scantron cards with a LOT of red marks on them. That worried me, if only for the other students, because even though I studied for the exam, it was pretty much basic knowledge - common sense stuff. If they did poorly on that exam, it worries me how they'll do on the harder ones.

We have an evening program also, but I don't know how many students are in it.

stressgal, RN · Oct 10, 2004

Nursing school is hard. It is a commitment that you must make if you wish to succeed. I am a returning student after a sucessful career in another field, and must say this is the most challenging endevor I have attempted. I love the challenge, but if it were not for my wonderful, understanding husband I would be pulling my hair out by now. The house is not near as clean as it use to be, I am not working so we have adjusted to the loss of income, and I spend soooooooooo much time with my study group and books. He tells me to do whatever it is going to take to succeed.

I do not feel that the instructors are unnecessarily hard on the students. They are hard, but do we need nurses who can never be to class or clinical on time, will not put the time into the material to be prepared, or not be concerned with their hygeine when they are a model to patient. There are those students who always have an excuse for everything. Will they have an excuse for administering the wrong meds, or not providing care for a patient? You also must look at a schools NCLEX pass rate. This can determine if they keep their credidation.

nursecompassion · Oct 11, 2004

We're starting the third week of our fall quarter ADN program. It is a two year program or six quarters long. We had two ppl not show up for orientation, however they had ppl waiting to take the seats. Our program has about a year waiting list. As far as I know we have not lost anyone and we have about 73 in our program. Our program requires a 77% to pass nursing. If you have a 76.9 you fail! So, far I am doing fairly well, so no worries yet.

Julee

nursecompassion · Oct 11, 2004

We're starting the third week of our fall quarter ADN program. It is a two year program or six quarters long. We had two ppl not show up for orientation, however they had ppl waiting to take the seats. Our program has about a year waiting list. As far as I know we have not lost anyone and we have about 73 in our program. Our program requires a 77% to pass nursing. If you have a 76.9 you fail! So, far I am doing fairly well, so no worries yet.

Julee