Students who don't come to class

[kristen38]

There is a student in my program who never comes to class, except on days of tests and presentations, she even has other students drop off her assignmnets. She was at one Patho, and one mental health class the whole semester. I don't know how she passes (I know that she does with very poor marks). I was wondering if there are other students who you know of who do this.

I know that every student misses class on occasions, but not every class. She has never missed a clincial day.

She was almost caught last year when she was not signed up for a group and met with the program co-ordiantor in which she outright lied to them and they bought it.

How condifdent would you be with her as your nurse.

Just venting,

Kristen

[dettwiller5]

I'm glad this discussion was started because I am starting nursing school in January and wsa wondering about attendance policies. I will be taking lecture on Tuesday and Thursday nights. I have 3 children and all of their evening school activiteis (ie back to school nights, plays, etc are on Tuesday and Thursday nights. I was wondering how accepting instructors are of coming to class late when your children's important school activities are being held during lecture.

[suzanne4, RN]

Unfortunately, you are going to make other plans for the kids on those nights.

To schedule class when they have their activites is going to be hard on all of you. You are going to need to see who will let you be late and who won't.

Right now, your schooling is going to need your priority until you can see how things work for you.

I also attended nursing school many, many years ago. Each instructor has the right to set whatever classroom attendance schedule that they want.

And your grades will depend on you following that.

[kristen38]

Thanks to everyone for responding. I was just venting, and I guess in some crazy way I am jealous that she can learn stuff and never have to go to class, but I drag myself to school everyday.

We kind of have an attendence policy. Attendence is taken in every class, but there is no set limit on the number of days that you can miss, however if you go to the teacher for an issue related to the class, good luck getting anywhere. In clinical you can only miss 2, and you need a reason if you miss those two. At the end of the 4 years, you are told how many clinical hours you have met, and by missing two days every clinical rotation, you are short all those hours, and need to make them up quick. Apperently a handful of students each year don't graduate due to this.

I know her situation well, and it sure must be nice to have Daddy pay for her education while she sleeps in, and then goes to her boyfirends for the rest of the day (which I know what she does there as well, but I won't write it because it is totally illegal). I think (as it has been two years since we all talked about it) that she is only in school because her parents told her that she had to do something after highschool.

But . . . I guess that if she learns better from a book, and not from being in class listening then good for her.

Kristen

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

Perhaps something worth mentioning is that the decision to attend classes or not might be less based on the flexibility of the attendance policy, and more based on the instructors' expectations.

What I mean is, my instructors teach from their own notes, various handouts, and use the texts as supplements only. If you were to study exclusively from the texts, I can imagine you'd do poorly. It's not uncommon to have an instructor say "I know the book says this, but I disagree" and go on to explain why...either it's her own opinion, based on her experiences, or it's a very recent update in information that the book hasn't yet changed (even if it's new).

And then there are lab values: one book gives this range, another that one....what set does the instructor prefer? You'll need to know, because your test questions will undoubtedly use them at some point or another, or a case study will, etc.

Anyway, I know full well that even if I was allowed to show up only for exams and clinicals, I'd not have a prayer of doing well in this program! Maybe for instructors who lecture directly from the book it's fine, but you ought to know that before planning to miss too many...

[fab4fan]

If she's able to get the concepts and pass the exams, then she has proven herself as well as the peer that gets poor grades and sits through every lecture. This program obviously doesn't have a policy saying she needs to attend classes, so if she can do it by reading the textbooks, well more power to her. Some learners get little out of lecture. I wouldn't feel I could base her nursing abilities on class attendence. I never missed a lecture, but rarely studied or took notes; that's how I learn best. Maybe her way is to read on her own. I can see requiring clinical attendence, as that is the only way to gain that experience and she does that. (I'm sure there are strict attendence policies for clinical.) I think adults should be able to decide what is best suited to them as learners. To each his own!

Precisely. If it bugs you, then don't help her.

For the life of me, I do not understand this attitude of "tattling" or being consumed with what other people may/may not be doing. Granted, it has been over 20 years since I graduated, but I don't remember having the time or energy to worry about whether or not my classmates were punctual/attending classes/smoking cigarettes, etc., etc., etc. There have been so many threads lately started by students/new nurses who do just this; I'm almost afraid of them (thankfully, I work in a specialty that doesn't take new grads, so this isn't really a problem for me).

And for the record, I am admitting up front that I bagged lecture with my best friend to go see "Return of the Jedi" when it was first released.

[sbic56, BSN, RN]

Precisely. If it bugs you, then don't help her.

For the life of me, I do not understand this attitude of "tattling" or being consumed with what other people may/may not be doing. Granted, it has been over 20 years since I graduated, but I don't remember having the time or energy to worry about whether or not my classmates were punctual/attending classes/smoking cigarettes, etc., etc., etc. There have been so many threads lately started by students/new nurses who do just this; I'm almost afraid of them (thankfully, I work in a specialty that doesn't take new grads, so this isn't really a problem for me).

And for the record, I am admitting up front that I bagged lecture with my best friend to go see "Return of the Jedi" when it was first released.

I think this attendence obsession is so reinforced in high school, that it spills over into what younger students might feel is "right" in college. I know kids in high school are reprimanded, even expelled; the discipline is intense when they miss much time at all. Attendence wasn't nearly the issue it is now, 20+ years ago. (I say lighten up, already!)

OH....and let me see...Jedi, new release or another lecture on fundamentals of nursing. Which should I choose. Hmmm... :chuckle

[mitchsmom]

And for the record, I am admitting up front that I bagged lecture with my best friend to go see "Return of the Jedi" when it was first released.

ROFL!! If it makes you feel any better, I'm a student and I couldn't care less what my classmates do. Aside from a couple of people I sit with, I don't even think I'd know if someone was skipping. I'm in the camp that says we are adults, it's our money, do with it what ya please. Personally I am totally anal about my grades and I almost never miss but with a couple of classes where the instructor just stands there and repeats exactly what the book says, I can see the inclination to say hell with it. LOL

I can see attendence rules for clinical, because a certain amount of hours are required and it is hard to find time to make up - but class time - no way!

[fab4fan]

I think this attendence obsession is so reinforced in high school, that it spills over into what younger students might feel is "right" in college. I know kids in high school are reprimanded, even expelled; the discipline is intense when they miss much time at all. Attendence wasn't nearly the issue it is now, 20+ years ago. (I say lighten up, already!)

OH....and let me see...Jedi, new release or another lecture on fundamentals of nursing. Which should I choose. Hmmm... :chuckle

Yeah, well, our instructors kept telling us we needed to learn how to prioritize, so...

[fab4fan]

I also fell asleep one time during a lecture and fell out of my seat and onto the floor (and I was sitting in the front row).

It takes a long time to recover your dignity after something like that.

(I can just hear some people thinking "Thank God she doesn't work with me!")

[sbic56, BSN, RN]

I also fell asleep one time during a lecture and fell out of my seat and onto the floor (and I was sitting in the front row).

It takes a long time to recover your dignity after something like that.

(I can just hear some people thinking "Thank God she doesn't work with me!")

OMGnu...I want to work with you!! Too funny!!

[ckh23, BSN, RN]

In my program if you missed more than 4 days of lecture and/or 4 days of clinical you automatically fail the semester. I'm surprised, I thought most programs have attendence requirements.

[HopefulRN2006]

In my program if you missed more than 4 days of lecture and/or 4 days of clinical you automatically fail the semester. I'm surprised, I thought most programs have attendence requirements.

Guys, does your lecture instructor(s) take attendance?? Do they call out names and mark you are there? Cause I noticed in my 1st yr, there were a few students that never showed up, but the instructors never took roll call, and I don't think the instructors even knew.