Students that Fail

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hey all!!

to any current nursing students and recent graduates, has any of you noticed a pattern among the students that flunk out versus the ones that succeed? ex: younger students, the inexperienced, chatty/gossipy, perhaps the few that dont "get in good" with professors!...the reason i ask is that i am starting ns in august and i want to make sure that i don't fit in to the demographic that fails!!!

thanks to all that reply!!

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Specializes in DOU.

The ones who have flunked out of the nursing classes in my program were either unable/unwilling to devote the amount of time necessary to grasp the material (and there is a lot of it), or quite frankly, they just weren't very bright to begin with. Those that flunked out of clinicals had poor study habits or were very disorganized.

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Specializes in Various.

The most common characteristics I saw were lack of time and dedication to the program and disorganization. You have to find a method of organization that works for you....assignments will have to be turned it, homework and papers done, and it has to be done on time. Organization and willingness to spend the time studying hours a day is key.

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dedication to the program and disorganization. and willingness to spend the time studying hours a day is key.

dedication is key. a few of the students either missed lecture or left half way through, then wondered why they didn't ace the test. others didn't study or review the material enough. in med surg 1- we only had 4 tests, worth 20% each. if you failed one test, you were struggling the rest of the time. however, not all of the classes were like, the most tests we had per semester was 7. that was a little easier for some students.

def. find your personal way to study: flash cards, study groups, re-writing notes, tape recorders, skiming/reading chapters. know yourself. study, study, study. but remember to take time for yourself so you dont get burned out. i personaly take fridays off, to clean house lol. eat ice cream and cook a great supper.

good luck

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

We lost a majority from failing the lecture classes and that seemed to be people that didn't study enough of course but also people that just had trouble grasping the NCLEX style test questions. I also noticed they seemed so spend a lot of time aruging why a certain answer should have been correct and to me that was just a waste of time.

As for clinicals the few we lost there were unsafe and seemed lacking in critical thinking, which to me boils down to good common sense. Anything that can be interpreted as inappropriate, dishonest or not fessing up to a mistake is the kiss of death.

Truthfully while it was a very stressful time for me it was not all that hard once you got with the program, figured out what they wanted from you and gave it to them. Good luck!!

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.
I also noticed they seemed so spend a lot of time aruging why a certain answer should have been correct and to me that was just a waste of time.

As a teacher ... I notice that most students who fail stubbornly cling to the notion that they are right all (or most) of the time and won't let go of their "I can't be wrong. It must be the teacher's fault." mentality. In order to learn something new, you first have to admit that you don't know it all.

Some students admit they don't know all the facts and are open to learning more factual information ... but can't seem to admit that the way the think about issues, analyze situations, solve problems, etc. needs to be improved. They say things like, "Well, the way I think about it works best for me and I'm not changing that" all the while they continue to get poor grades. If they could just say, "Maybe I need to learn to think differently so that I can be more successful," they would improve their performance.

Similarly, some students cling to their old study habits and school behaviors saying, "That's what works best for me" while they are failing and their methods are obviously not working very well.

In other words ... keep an open mind ... be flexible ... consider the possibility that YOU may need to change the way you think and approach your work. Always be prepared to try "plan B" .... and ... "plan C" ... etc.

People don't just fail "out of the blue" very often. They get warnings. It's the people who don't heed those warnings and make the necessary changes who usually fail.

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Specializes in LTAC, Wound Care, Case Management.

We just lost quite a few people after finishing A&P. Most of the people who failed, did so because they just didn't try hard enough. Some of them felt that it would be okay to just get by. Others tried very hard and just couldn't grasp the concept. There were two where the language barrier was a problem for them. We also lost a couple during our first round of clinicals. They decided that being a nurse wasn't for them. There are also some people who have personal issues arise and they are not able to continue.

Unfortunately, quite a few people (in my experience) think that if they review information just before a test they will be able to "pass". That isn't true. If you are not truly learning the information, you will struggle as time goes by.

The LPN program is a difficult program, but it is manageable if you are dedicated to it.

:clown:

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

This is an interesting thread. I'm starting LPN school this fall and the question "what if I fail" has crossed my mind more than once. Not only because I want to be a nurse more than anything, but also because the tuition for the 11 month program is not refundable. That means I'd be out of more than $7000 with nothing to show for. The pressure is definitely on. I've had As in all my pre-reqs but I realize that doesn't guarantee passing grades in NS. Plus I'm worried that my little daughter (she'll be almost one year old when I start the program) will wake me up at night and I'll be sleep-deprived before a test.

Scary stuff...

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Specializes in LTAC, Wound Care, Case Management.

Lamie,

I understand your concerns. Just go in knowing that you will NOT fail. It is a difficult year, but manageable. I'm pulling in all A's and 2 B's right now. I have 3 boys; ages 7, 4 and 1. It is hard, but you can do it. You will do what you tell yourself you can do ... that is one thing I've learned about myself the past 4 months!!

Good luck toyou!

:specs:

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Also, not having healthcare experience should not be a worry either, Im the youngest and most inexperienced in my class and im at the top of my class. So far we have lost about 60% of our class, we've had many CNA's and MA's fail out (mainly fundamentals), one student even had a master's degree. Our instructor asked who all had experience on the 1st day of class and the majority of the class raised there hand except me, She then said, its better if we had no experience because there would be no old habits that would have to be broken. And to me it also it eliminates the 'know it alls'. For those with and without experience just go in with an open mind and dedication and youl be fine.

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The course is not easy by any stretch. Dedication to studying is what will get anyone to pass. I dont agree with what was said by the professor " She then said, its better if we had no experience " because in clinicals they have a definite leg up. They may need to adjust but w/o experience we need to learn it. Therefore the ones w/experience did alot better than those w/o it. They were confident too. With this personal knowledge, I am going to get experience working first as an LPN before doing my RN. Although it is definitely a personal choice. I just didnt like how I felt doing things cold, i prefer to KNOW what Im doing. Books dont adequately prepare you for clinicals. I was the 2nd in my class grade wise and didnt feel like I knew anything during clinicals although I could ace any sit down test. It's like anything practice, practice, practice, practice. I guess that's why they give us CPR dummies to work on and not just the book.

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The course is not easy by any stretch. Dedication to studying is what will get anyone to pass. I dont agree with what was said by the professor " She then said, its better if we had no experience " because in clinicals they have a definite leg up. They may need to adjust but w/o experience we need to learn it. Therefore the ones w/experience did alot better than those w/o it. They were confident too. With this personal knowledge, I am going to get experience working first as an LPN before doing my RN. Although it is definitely a personal choice. I just didnt like how I felt doing things cold, i prefer to KNOW what Im doing. Books dont adequately prepare you for clinicals. I was the 2nd in my class grade wise and didnt feel like I knew anything during clinicals although I could ace any sit down test. It's like anything practice, practice, practice, practice. I guess that's why they give us CPR dummies to work on and not just the book.

Did you know anything going into the LPN program? I have yet to start and have absolutely no experience in healthcare and when I have reviewed some of those Nclex style questions, my heart stops! The material looks sooo hard, I feel like I will never know that stuff!!! Then again, it may be because this is my first time being exposed to it. Has anyone else had this experience before starting school?

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