Totally floored - put on Probation in FNP program? I can't take this anymore!!!!

lannisz · Nov 9, 2006

This is the thing: Colleges and Universities have written policies for a reason...to keep professors for coming up with their own.
Your professor clearly violated your rights, and you need to take it up the ladder. I think your "probation" will be tossed out the window.
The entire purpose of the certified letter is to PROVE that you received notice and come up with a course of action to ENSURE you know exactly what you need to do to not be kicked out of the program.
Considering they didn't do any of that, you need to address this IMMEDIATELY. This isn't the time to worry about politics. If you don't, and you get dismissed, and then cry foul later, it will look like retaliation.

Thank you everyone for your replies. And I am struggling with the two lines of thought here - don't make waves vs stand up for your rights and make a fuss. This is exactly my dilemma. I have only 3 weeks left in the term. I'm doing well in my classes and expect to get all A's. I worry about making waves right now because if I do, my advisor (who currently is teaching 2 of my courses and has the power to lower my grades) could make life miserable for me. While she has the final say in my grades and performance this term, I do get the impression she is "just the messenger" as far as informing me about academic probation. I'm wondering if I should just continue to plow through this term and do well. Then, AFTER my grades are posted for this term I could write a letter to the Dean asking her to address my concern. I would refer to the school's own policy and note that I was never formally informed in writing. By not being notified (if I AM truly on probation status) I was not given the chance to fight the grade I was given by that OTHER instructor (I had an 89% in that class and evidently bombed the final which was 50% of the grade - I certainly was unaware until after the term was over that I received a C in that class - by then everyone was gone for the summer.) By not being informed by certified mail, where I would have to sign that I had received a letter from the school, I was not given the chance to file a formal grievance. Because this advisor is new and we are a small group, I don't have the choice to change advisors...so I really don't want to burn my bridges here.

lannisz · Nov 9, 2006

I thank GOD every day for the FNP program I am in. The instructors bend over backwards to make sure you pass.
I just flunked my first test ever. In advanced pathophysiology. The heart, never understood it, never will.
My instructor said she would give me study questions for the next test to make sure I score high on it. I'm overwhelmed the lengths they go to to help you.
I think it's because the tuition is $768 a credit hour so I'm getting my money's worth.

I envy you! What state are you in - I want to transfer to YOUR school! It's funny you should mention patho - it was our comprehensive final that I bombed last Spring. The instructor writes her own exams - no study guide- and many times the questions don't come from the lecture or the text. It's crazy. And you never get your test back to see what you missed and why...so how are we supposed to learn from our mistakes?:angryfire

prairienp · Nov 9, 2006

thank you everyone for your replies. and i am struggling with the two lines of thought here - don't make waves vs stand up for your rights and make a fuss. i would refer to the school's own policy and note that i was never formally informed in writing. by not being notified (if i am truly on probation status) i was not given the chance to fight the grade i was given by that other instructor (i had an 89% in that class and evidently bombed the final which was 50% of the grade - i certainly was unaware until after the term was over that i received a c in that class - by then everyone was gone for the summer.) by not being informed by certified mail, where i would have to sign that i had received a letter from the school, i was not given the chance to file a formal grievance.

why would you need a formal letter to dispute probation? what is stated in your nursing graduate student handbook? most programs will not accept more than 2 "c" grades in graduate courses, sounds as if your school will only accept one and the reason you are on probation. sounds as if your current advisor is doing you a favor, where your previous advisor made a mistake in not filing the right paperwork. did your previous advisor leave the school? maybe with the change your previous advisor did file the paperwork, the forms were lost, and since she was no longer there unable to follow-up? another important thing, what would have happened when the graduate school completed your graduation and found an irregularity, and wouldn't process your graduation? i say talk with your current advisor, get a sense of where you stand. if you are now an "a" student what advantage will be gained by being upset of not receiving a letter stating you are on probation? faculty do discuss students, especially students who are sending letters to the dean. unless you feel the probation will somehow impede your graduation, i would focus your energy on your studies and move on.

TrudyRN · Nov 9, 2006

I agree with Chatsdale. While you are in school you play by their rules.. period. I am sure you know that, from your last nursing program or at the very least, reading other posts. My advice... play the game and graduate.... It makes no sense to me to fight the people who hold your grade, especially when they can test you..ect... and grade you the way they want to.... unless it's all scan-tron but I'm sure it's not. Lay low. If you want to fight...fight after graduation ..... for future students.

This type of approach is advisable sometimes, I guess, although I don't know how many people are ever inclined to graduate and then go back and fight so someone else will benefit. Discretion is the better part of valor, pick your battles, and all that but I think Nursing is the downtrodden profession it is because no one wants to fight.

But I think she needs to hold them to the contract, the legal agreement, the legal relationship she's in with them. At the very least, she needs to do some soul searching and figure out why she is being attacked. The issues are not, IMHO, what they have told her. She has managed to insult or embarrass someone, I'd bet, and they are trying to harrass her so she'll leave.

Dixiecup · Nov 9, 2006

*** Would you mind telling me what program you are in?

I'm doing the online distance FNP program at SLU (St. Louis University)

It's amazing! I'm in my 5th class so far and each instructor I've had has been so user friendly it's unreal!

lannisz · Nov 10, 2006

"sounds as if your current advisor is doing you a favor, where your previous advisor made a mistake in not filing the right paperwork. did your previous advisor leave the school? maybe with the change your previous advisor did file the paperwork, the forms were lost, and since she was no longer there unable to follow-up?"

this is a very good point. as a matter of fact, my advisor from last year did leave - she retired. she could very well have overlooked something. and it is a no no to get a 'c' in our program. there is another person in my program and he got a 'c' in that same class as me. but he was sent a certified letter informing him formally of his probation status last spring. if i am on probation, according to the manual i can be dismissed from the program if i get another 'c'. however, if i never received formal notification and was not given the opportunity to respond and/or improve, then doesn't that make them out of compliance? that's part of the reason i'm not sure if i should make a big deal about it now, or simply document, document and then ask for clarification after i do well this term. my understanding is that at most schools they inform you that you are at risk, and that you need to 1) not get anymore c's (or perhaps you have to retake the course) and 2) bring your gpa up to a certain level within a certain time frame.

prairienp · Nov 10, 2006

"sounds as if your current advisor is doing you a favor, where your previous advisor made a mistake in not filing the right paperwork. did your previous advisor leave the school? maybe with the change your previous advisor did file the paperwork, the forms were lost, and since she was no longer there unable to follow-up?"
this is a very good point. as a matter of fact, my advisor from last year did leave - she retired. she could very well have overlooked something. and it is a no no to get a 'c' in our program. there is another person in my program and he got a 'c' in that same class as me. but he was sent a certified letter informing him formally of his probation status last spring. if i am on probation, according to the manual i can be dismissed from the program if i get another 'c'. however, if i never received formal notification and was not given the opportunity to respond and/or improve, then doesn't that make them out of compliance? that's part of the reason i'm not sure if i should make a big deal about it now, or simply document, document and then ask for clarification after i do well this term. my understanding is that at most schools they inform you that you are at risk, and that you need to 1) not get anymore c's (or perhaps you have to retake the course) and 2) bring your gpa up to a certain level within a certain time frame.

if you have all "a" grades now you will be fine. in reality, the second year is usually less academically challenging and more time consuming with clinical, which translates into less chance of a low grade. you received one "c", which you can still dispute (at least most universities allow a change of grade later). continue your hard work and maintain those "a" grades and graduate. you don't the have time or energy to waste on one grade. good luck

ERNP · Nov 15, 2006

What disturbs me about the whole thing isn't necessarily the lack of a certified letter. Part of being an adult is knowing the rules and in a NP program that often means Cs are unacceptable.

I am most disturbed by the idea that you can't work your way out of probationary status. It seems there should be some way to accomplish this prior to graduation.

I would probably schedule an appointment with the dean and my advisor together to discuss what this means and clarify that there isn't some way to get back to good standing prior to graduation.

To be perfectly honest, if I had made a C in any course it wouldn't have been counted for credit and I would have had to re-take the course. Perhaps that is the only way to achieve good standing again, but the option should at least be on the table.

lannisz · Nov 15, 2006

I totally agree with you about the 'C' grade. My problem is that I now have to track down an instructor about something that happened in May and attempt to have someone else review/double check my grades. According to MY records for that class I had an 89%. It would have been much easier to ask for verification back then. This was just one more mess up by a program I have absolutely had it with! I am attending one of its satellite campuses which means the administration is a 7 hour drive away. Our new local "advisor" is an absolute nut case who started working here 10 days before the term began. As she changes her mind from day to day, we all keep pointing out to her what it says in the syllabus or catalogue and she keeps making up her own rules. She adds ADDITIONAL criteria for us to meet - more than the students on the main campus - and tells us we have it too easy. She changes her mind on a whim. The syllabus will say we are to be evaluated one way, then she says (3 days before an eval) that she's going to do it "her way". She has added on clinical time that none of us were prepared for (we are all working adults and this is supposed to be a part-time program). We are supposed to be assigned other FNP's to do our clinicals with in the community.....she is scheduling them so she can "be there to hover over us every minute" (her words, not mine). That sounds like nursing school to me! Last year our advisor would check in a few times with our preceptors, and the people actually working with us had a say in how we were doing. I guess this program has had problems in the past. Many people dropped out and that is why they came up with the part-time option. I am not willing to quit my job. Ihave pretty much decided to get out while I can, not waste anymore money or time with this school. I am researching transferring to a different program. I will ask for verification of that 'C', but most likely I will end up losing those credits and have to take the course again. My husband says I need to sue the school for breach of contract. He says they did not keep up their end of the bargain and if nothing else, they need to be taught a lesson. I blame myself. I knew this school had a bad reputation (word of mouth) for being disorganized and unsupportive to its students and I went anyway. It's been nothing but stressful and disorganized from the very beginning and I've tried everything on my end to make it work.

prairienp · Nov 16, 2006

I knew this school had a bad reputation (word of mouth) for being disorganized and unsupportive to its students and I went anyway. It's been nothing but stressful and disorganized from the very beginning and I've tried everything on my end to make it work.

I would still contact the main campus, drive the 7 hours and sit down with the NP program director. Map out a plan of study and make a decision after you have everything in writing from the program director. In the meantime start checking out other schools to see what will transfer, most schools will only accept 9-10 transfer credits.

cgfnp · Nov 16, 2006

I know exactly how you feel. I wouldn't be surprised to hear you say you are in the same program I went to. It was almost identical to yours; riddled with BS. The training was nightmarish. There was no organization. And if you even peaked your head out you risked being kicked out. It was truly miserable. What program are you in? You can PM if you're worried someone might see it and figure out who you are (such as the nut cases that "teach" you).

lannisz · Nov 17, 2006

cgfnp - I've PM'd you. thanks.